Columbia Excellence Award

for incoming international students

The Columbia Excellence Award was established to recognize the academic excellence of incoming international students and assist them in paying tuition costs.

• How to be Considered
  • International students are automatically considered for the Columbia Excellence Award.
  • Submit a portfolio of your creative work. View the portfolio/audition guidelines here. 
• How To Secure Your Scholarship

  To secure your scholarship for the Fall 2027 semester, please complete all of the following steps by the deadlines stated below:

  • By May 1, 2027: Confirm that you will be attending ÌÀ²»ÈÈÊÓƵ by paying your $250 tuition deposit.
    
  • By July 1, 2027: Submit any missing documents that are required to secure your financial aid. To review if you have any missing documents, log into MyColumbia (my.colum.edu), click on MyFinancials, and click on Missing Documents after December 1, 2026. If you have any questions, we encourage you to contact Student Financial Services by phone at 312-369-7140, or email us at financialsuccess@colum.edu.
  • By August 15, 2027: Register full-time for Fall 2027 courses. After you pay your $250 tuition deposit, you will receive information on completing course registration. Please note, your scholarship offer is valid only if you begin attendance in the Fall 2027 term.
  • Once you register, you will receive a bill that itemizes your tuition and fees. If any portion of your bill is not covered by secured financial aid or a secured third-party payment, you must either pay that amount in full or establish an automated payment plan by, or within seven days of registration if you register for classes after August 1. Payment plan information is available at colum.edu/paymentplan.
• Award Terms
  • The Columbia Excellence Award is renewable each year up to 120 attempted credit hours or four years*, whichever is reached first. The total credit hours include all transferable college credit hours, Advanced Placement credit hours, CLEP credit hours, and credit hours earned at other colleges and universities under dual enrollment. For the scholarship to be renewable, the recipient must:
    
    • Be enrolled full-time each Fall and Spring semester;
    • Not interrupt enrollment;
    • Meet the terms of Columbia's Satisfactory Academic Progress policy, including maintaining a minimum 2.0 cumulative grade point average and a 67% completion rate of all credit hours attempted.
      *Please note: Freshmen will need to enroll an average of 15 credit hours for a BA and an average of 16 credit hours for BFA, BS and BMus each Fall and Spring semester to graduate within four years.
  • Funds awarded half in Fall and half in Spring; award does not apply to Summer semesters;
  • Award is applied toward tuition only;
  • Students who interrupt their enrollment or enroll less than full-time will forfeit any remaining award funds;
  • Recipients of the Columbia Excellence Award are not eligible for Chicago STAR Scholarship, Dean's Scholarship, Columbia Creatives Award, Columbia OneGoal Award, Columbia CPS Award, Columbia Art in Motion Award, Columbia C.H.A.M.P. Award, Columbia Leo High School Award, Columbia Instituto del Progreso Award, Columbia St. Augusine Award, Columbia St. Mary Award, Opportunity Scholarship.
  • Award 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 but will retain future eligibility if all other scholarship terms are met;
  • Award is based on academic and financial need information provided to the college at the time of admission. Any subsequent, additional or clarifying data that significantly alters this information may make a recipient ineligible to receive this award;
  • The rules governing other sources of financial aid (federal, state, institutional and other grants, gifts, or loans) will apply.