Financial Aid

Graduate Fellowships, Assistantships & Awards

The Graduate Office currently coordinates the following awards and fellowships:

The Follett Fellowship is a one-year (fall and spring) tuition remission awarded to new graduate students who have applied for admission and been accepted to the MFA program in Film and Video. No separate scholarship application form necessary if the graduate application is received by the recommended/early admission deadline.

Departmental Merit Awards (DMAs) are small tuition-remission awards for new students only and winners are selected based on merit by the department of choice during the admission cycle. No separate scholarship application form necessary if the graduate application is received by the recommended/early admission deadline.

The Graduate Opportunity Award (GOA) is a one-year award offered to continuing graduate students in all graduate programs.

The Getz Graduate Award is a financial award that is intended for continuing graduate students and is given to up to five-eight graduate students each semester (fall and spring only.) Successful candidates will have made a special contribution to graduate student life or to graduate scholarship outside of the classroom while at Columbia College Chicago. Selection is performed by the Graduate Office using departmental recommendations and is based upon merit and financial need.

Tuition Remission Awards (formerly called Graduate Assistantships) are small tuition waivers for continuing students who are providing educational/project/research support in their departments. Students must be enrolled for classes to be eligible. Must be nominated by the department. Subject to available funding.

Information about the above five awards and other funding opportunities is available from the Graduate Office:

Columbia College Chicago
Graduate School Office
600 S. Michigan Avenue,
Suite 200, Chicago IL. 6605-1996
Phone: (312) 344-7260

e-mail: gradsch@colum.edu
or online at www.colum.edu/graduate (follow the scholarship links.)

The Film & Video Department currently offers the following awards and stipends:

The Lumiere Award is a one-year nonrenewable cash award that is for graduate students who have applied for admission and have been accepted to the MFA program in Film and Video. Information is available through the Film & Video Department’s Graduate Coordinator.

The Rosebud Stipend is awarded to continuing students by the Department of Film and Video in recognition of outstanding creative and academic achievement in the form of partial tuition waivers that range from one to twelve credit hours. Students who have previously received a Rosebud award in the amount of 4 or more credits may not reapply.

Teaching Assistantships. The department maintains paid positions for continuing graduate students as Teaching Assistants and Work-Aides. They include assisting faculty with classes as well as working at department facilities. Students must be enrolled for classes while working as a Teaching Assistant during the fall and spring semesters. If students are working as a Teaching Assistant or Work-Aide during the summer session, they do not have to be enrolled for classes. Information on applying and hiring procedures are available from the Production Manager.

Part-time Teaching Positions. After students have completed their course requirements and after having successfully completed our Teacher Training curriculum, students may apply for part-time teaching in our undergraduate program. See the Film & Video Department’s Graduate Coordinator for information about this program.

Project Funding

Generally speaking, films and videotapes assigned as projects in production courses are funded through class fees. Later, as projects become more advanced, funding comes mainly from the student’s own sources, with the use of equipment and editing facilities provided by the department. The following additional sources of grants for advanced work are also available:

The Production Fund provides partial grants for advanced film and video projects, including theses, in the department. These awards are administered departmentally by the Production Directorate, which consists of two full-time faculty members and the chairperson. Projects are evaluated on the basis of merit of the script, practicality of budget, as well as the student’s previous experience. Specifically excluded are grants for projects in classes in the first three semesters of graduate work. Applications are considered on a pre-arranged schedule throughout the academic year. Deadline and application information is available from the department office. For more information, see the Production Fund section on www.filmatcolumbia.com.

The Production Stills Fund selectively provides support for a photographer to take marketing/exhibit stills on graduate thesis projects. The stills may also be used by the Film and Video Department for educational and promotional uses. Please see the Graduate Coordinator for guidelines and application details.

The Albert Weisman Fund provides awards each spring to Columbia graduate and undergraduate students from all departments. These grants underwrite specific projects (normally works-in-progress) in the arts. Deadline and application information is available from the Office of Student Life The Portfolio Center.

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