Columbia Central

Sheldon Patinkin Award

For continuing undergraduate students

The Sheldon Patinkin Award was established to assist outstanding Acting, Comedy Writing and Performance, Musical Theatre, Theatre Design and Technology, Theatre, and Musical Theatre Performance majors in their journey to a professional career. One graduating senior will be awarded each year.

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 Sheldon Patinkin Award application - there are five parts to the application:

  PART 1: ESSAY

  In 500 words, discuss your plans for beginning your professional career after graduation and how you expect to use this stipend to practically further those goals.

  Please upload your essay in .pdf, .doc, or .docx format.

  PART 2: RESUME

  Upload a full resume of your theatrical history.

  Please upload your resume in .pdf, .doc, or .docx format.

  PART 3: CREATIVE SAMPLES

  Submit a sample of your most important Theatre work to date. Samples may include video of a theatrical performance, comedy writing, an original play, stage designs, costume designs, prompt books, etc.

  Please upload documents in .pdf, .doc, or .docx format.

  Please upload videos in .mov, .wmv, .flv, or .mp4 format, or upload a .pdf, .doc, or .docx document with an external link to your video. Note: Upload size limit is 50MB.

  PART 4: LETTER OF RECOMMENDATION

  One letter of recommendation is required from a Columbia faculty member in the School of Theatre and Dance who can speak to your sucess in your degree program.

  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 5: 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.

• About Sheldon Patinkin

  A noted stage director, Sheldon Patinkin was a professor in and Chair Emeritus of the Theatre Department at Columbia College Chicago. He was also an artistic consultant to The Second City and Steppenwolf Theatre as well as co-director of the Steppenwolf Theatre Summer Ensemble Workshops. Patinkin authored The Second City: Backstage at the World's Greatest Comedy Theater and No Legs, No Jokes, No Chance: A History of the American Musical Theater. The Chicago Tribune described him as “a crucial figure in the development of improvisational comedy in Chicago and a mentor to generations of American and Canadian comedians, as well as aspiring theatrical directors and other theater artists.”

  

• Award Terms
  • Application must be submitted by February 1, 2026 (11:59pm) for review by the committee
  • Previous amount was up to $2,950
  • Recipient will receive the stipend at the start of Fall 2026 semester
  • Recipient must maintain undergraduate enrollment in a minimum of 6 credit hours during the Fall 2026 semester
  • Recipient's graduation application must be on file by February 1, 2026
  • 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 Missing Documents
  • 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

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