Columbia Central

Hillary R. Kalish Endowed Scholarship

for continuing undergraduate students

The Hillary R. Kalish Endowed Scholarship was established to assist medically and financially challenged students in defraying the costs of tuition while pursuing an undergraduate degree at Columbia.

Deadline to Apply: February 01, 2025

• 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 Hillary R. Kalish Endowed Scholarship application. There are four parts to the application:

  PART 1: ESSAY
  
  

  Provide a brief description of your educational and vocational goals. Describe how your medical condition has affected your pursuit of these goals. Describe any achievements you wish to be considered by the scholarship committee.

  Your essay must be double-spaced and include your name and MyColumbia ID number in the upper right-hand corner of each page. Upload your response in .pdf, .doc, or .docx format.
  
  
  PART 2: LETTER OF RECOMMENDATION
  
  

  One letter of recommendation is required from a Columbia faculty member.

  For your convenience, the online application will send an email notification directly to the person you've chosen to complete your recommendation. Please be prepared with the email address of your recommender. 

  Remember to contact your recommenders directly before providing their information on the application. Since this application is part of the larger College-Wide Undergraduate Scholarship application, also note the specific scholarship(s) for which they will be recommending you. Be sure to give recommenders as much time as possible to write letters. Requests made at the last minute are often difficult to fulfill by the deadline.

  
  PART 3: CONSENT TO CONTACT SERVICES FOR STUDENTS WITH DISABILITIES
  
  

  The application requires your consent for the Scholarship Committee to confirm your documentation with the Services for Students with Disabilities office (SSD). You can provide your consent by answering "yes" on the application to the question below.

  Do you give your consent (i) for the scholarship committee to contact the Services for Students with Disabilities office, and (ii) for the Services for Students with Disabilities office to release, share with or describe to the scholarship committee any medical or other records they deem necessary to consider you as a candidate for the scholarship? By answering "yes," you understand that the scholarship committee will only use this information to make a determination as to your eligibility for the scholarship. The scholarship committee will not share this information with anyone outside of the committee without your permission.

   

  PART 4: FAFSA SUBMISSION SUMMARY
  
  

  A current FAFSA Submission Summary must be on file. To receive a FAFSA Submission Summary, students must complete a 2025-26 financial aid application (FAFSA) by February 1, 2025.
  
  
  Access online applications through Internal Scholarships.

• About Hillary R. Kalish

  The Hillary R. Kalish Endowed Scholarship program was established to perpetuate the inspiration of an extraordinary young woman who has exhibited strength and courage to achieve academic excellence in the face of difficult medical obstacles. The program helps medically and financially challenged students complete an undergraduate degree.

  

• Scholarship Terms
  • Application must be submitted by February 1, 2025 (11:59 pm) for review by the committee
  • Previous amounts of this one-year scholarship ranged $550-$4,000, awarded half in Fall and half in Spring
  • Scholarship is applied toward tuition only
  • Recipients must maintain enrollment in a minimum of 6 credit hours during the Fall 2025 and Spring 2026 semesters
  • Recipients who graduate in Fall 2025 may receive the full scholarship amount in Fall 2025
  • Recipients must have submitted all outstanding documents to Columbia Central before the scholarship can be disbursed. Students can review missing documents in the MyColumbia portal under MyFinancials
  • 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 scholarship in any year in which, at the sole discretion of the scholarship committee, suitable candidates cannot be found among applicants

IMPORTANT DATES

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