CIC Tuition Exchange Program

Columbia College Chicago is a participant in the tuition exchange program of the Council of Independent Colleges (CIC). The CIC is a network of colleges and universities willing to accept, tuition-free, students from families of full-time faculty and staff of other CIC participating institutions. For more information about this program, review The Council of Independent Colleges Tuition Exchange Program website.

Note to Columbia Employees: If you are a full-time employee at Columbia and you, or your eligible dependent, would like to apply for a CIC scholarship at a participating institution review our Education Assistance Program information via the Intranet and submit a CIC Student Application online.

General Information

• CIC scholarship program is highly competitive
• CIC applications are accepted between September 1st and March 1st for the following academic year
• Only complete applications will be reviewed
• All applications are reviewed by a scholarship committee
• Each year, three students are awarded a CIC scholarship for the first time
• The scholarship amount is equal to the College’s tuition. Note: The scholarship will not cover housing, books, or any other fees beyond tuition.
• The CIC Tuition Exchange Program is generally renewable each year up to 120 attempted credit hours (BA), 128 attempted credit hours (BFA, BS, BM) or four years, whichever is reached first. The total credit hours include all transferrable college credit hours, Advanced Placement credit hours, CLEP credit hours, and credit hours earned at other colleges and universities under dual enrollment.
• You must notify your liaison officer that you accepted the CIC scholarship at Columbia , your enrollment status, and report the status of your enrollment each academic year of the scholarship
• Your liaison officer must submit a re-certification form to the College by March 1 of each year
• If you decide to withdraw or transfer to another institution you must notify your liaison officer and the College
• If your institution is also a member of the Tuition Exchange Program (TEP), we recommend that you also pursue a TEP scholarship if possible

The Columbia College Chicago deadline for receiving 2024-25 CIC Scholarship applications is March 1, 2024. Note: Be sure to complete the application with enough time for your school's Liaison Officer to submit it to the College by the March 1, 2024 deadline.

Eligibility

To compete in the CIC program, students must:

• Be an eligible faculty, staff, or dependent of other CIC participating institutions
• Be admitted to Columbia for Fall 2024 by March 1, 2024. For details, visit How to Apply.  Please note: it is not necessary to have been accepted to the college before applying for this scholarship. 
• Have a completed Free Application for Student Financial Aid (FAFSA) on file by March 1, 2024. For information on how to complete the FAFSA, visit How to Apply for Financial Aid.

How to Apply

Only complete CIC applications submitted by the March 1, 2024 deadline will be reviewed by the scholarship committee.

• Contact the CIC Liaison Officer at your institution and complete the CIC application.
• Submit your completed application to the Liaison Officer at your institution, who will in turn submit to the College. Please note: Be sure to complete the application with enough time for your Liaison Officer to submit it to the College by the deadline.

Remember: Your completed admissions application file, and FAFSA must be received by the Office of Undergraduate Admissions by March 1, 2024. A complete admissions file includes:  the undergraduate admissions application and your official transcript(s). For details, visit How to Apply.  Please note: it is not necessary to have been accepted to the college before applying for this scholarship.

Notification

All applicants will be notified of the scholarship committee’s decision by mail by Marcy 31, 2024. We regret that we are unable to give information regarding the committee’s decisions. Any applicants not awarded the CIC scholarship are automatically considered for other Columbia College Chicago awards and scholarships.

Scholarship Terms

The CIC Scholarship is renewable each year up to 120 attempted credit hours (BA), 128 attempted credit hours (BFA, BS, BM) or four years, whichever is reached first. The total credit hours include all transferrable 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 as a full-time student each Fall and Spring semester.
• Not interrupt enrollment.
• Maintain a minimum 2.5 cumulative grade point average.
• Complete a Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) every year for the subsequent academic year, and submit any missing documents that are required to secure financial aid by the deadlines provided by Student Financial Services.

Other terms:

• CIC application or re-certification form must be received by the CIC Liaison at Columbia by March 1 each year.
• Students who interrupt their enrollment or enroll less than full-time will forfeit any remaining scholarship funds.
• The CIC Scholarship can be applied toward tuition costs only. The scholarship will not cover housing, books, or any other fees beyond tuition.
• The scholarship amount is equal to the College’s tuition. Note: The scholarship will not cover housing, books, or any other fees beyond tuition.
• Funds are awarded during the Fall and Spring terms only.
• Award may be used toward a study abroad program through one of Columbia's student exchange programs. Please note: Recipients who enroll in an independent study abroad program not associated with Columbia College Chicago will forfeit their award during the semester spent abroad but will retain future eligibility if all other scholarship terms are met.
• The rules governing other sources of financial aid (federal, state, grants—institutional or other, gifts or loans) will apply. 
• This award is limited to courses for which a student registers through Oasis and does not cover Columbia Online courses.

 
For questions regarding the CIC, email: HRBenefits@colum.edu