Columbia Central

Excellence in Film and Television Scholarship

for continuing undergraduate students

The Excellence in Film and Television Scholarship was established to assist in defraying tuition costs for deserving undergraduate students in the School of Film and Television.

Deadline to Apply: February 01, 2026

• How to Apply

  Visit Internal Scholarships and click on APPLY FOR SCHOLARSHIPS to access the College-Wide Undergraduate Scholarship application. Only complete scholarship applications submitted by the deadline will be reviewed by the scholarship committee.

  Please follow all directions carefully. Students must submit the following materials to make a complete Excellence in Film and Television Scholarship.

  Part 1: Essay

  In a 300-word essay, describe how the mediums of cinema and television have influenced your choice of major.

  Your essay must be double-spaced and must include your name and Columbia ID number in the upper right-hand corner of each page. Please upload your response in .pdf, .doc, or .docx format.

  Part 2: Prompts

  In two to three sentences each, respond to the following prompts:

  1. Please describe how you contributed to film and/or television projects during your study in CTVA.
  2. List three to five achievements you wish to be considered by the scholarship committee.
  3. Express why you would be a good candidate for this scholarship.

   

  Your responses must be double-spaced, and include your name and Columbia ID number in the upper right-hand corner of each page. Please upload your response in .pdf, .doc, or .docx format.

  Part 3: Creative Sample

  Please submit a creative sample of your best work in your concentration, either a short film or video (no more than a total of three minutes), script (no more than 10 pages), or three to five photographs/drawings.

  Upload your work sample in one of the following formats:

  • Images: .jpg, .png, or .gif
  • Video: .mov, .wmv, or .flv
  • Documents: .pdf, .doc, or .docx

   

  Please make sure to include your name and Columbia ID number in the file name and the upper right-hand corner of the page when applicable.

  Note: Upload size limit is 50MB.

  Part 4: FAFSA SUBMISSION SUMMARY

  A current FAFSA Submission Summary must be on file. To receive a FAFSA Submission Summary, students must complete a 2026-27 financial aid application (FAFSA) by February 1, 2026.

   

  Access online applications through Internal Scholarships.

• Scholarship Terms
  • Application must be submitted by February 1, 2026 (11:59 pm) for review by the committee
  • Scholarships awarded up to $1,200 and disbursed half in fall and half in spring
  • Scholarship is applied toward tuition only
  • Students' scholarships that are applied toward tuition may not exceed the amount of their tuition costs
  • Recipients must maintain full-time enrollment during the 2026-27 academic year
  • Outstanding documents to Columbia Central before the scholarship can be disbursed. Students can review missing documents in the MyColumbia portal under Missing Documents
  • Scholarship may be used toward a study abroad program through one of Columbia's student exchange programs, excluding Summer sessions. Please note: Recipients who enroll in an independent study abroad program will forfeit their scholarship during the semester spent abroad
  • The rules and regulations governing other sources of financial aid (federal, state, institutional and other grants, gifts, or loans) will apply
  • Columbia College Chicago reserves the right to withhold the award in any year in which, at the sole discretion of the scholarship committee, suitable candidates cannot be found among applicants

IMPORTANT DATES

More Dates