Responding to the need for creative solutions to increased financial pressures on college students and their families, the Columbia College Chicago board of trustees has approved several initiatives designed to assist current and prospective students as they continue to pursue a college education during these tough economic times. “Our first priority is keeping our current students in school and assisting them in practical ways that will help them graduate with a minimum of long-term debt,” said President Warrick L. Carter. “We also must continue to be able to bring new students to Columbia, providing them with increased financial assistance as they pursue their educational and career goals.”

Currently, Columbia provides about $7.5 million in scholarships to 1,700 students. Beginning with the fall 2009 term, the college will increase its scholarship funds by $4 million, or 46 percent. About 2,300 scholarships will be available for both continuing and new students, and will be heavily geared to students with demonstrated need.

An innovative scholarship fund-raising initiative has also been announced. Scholarship Columbia is a $1 million challenge grant to raise unrestricted scholarship dollars for continuing students with demonstrated need and merit. Primarily targeting Columbia alumni as donors to the fund, the college will provide a two-to-one match on alumni gifts up to $25,000, and will match alumni gifts above $25,000 and nonalumni gifts on a one-to-one basis. All matches are based on new and increased giving received before June 15, 2009. An anonymous donor has given a launch gift of $100,000 to jump-start Scholarship Columbia. For more information visit colum.edu/donate.