As a caring and engaged community, ColumbiaCares was created to support Columbia College Chicago students who are experiencing temporary need. The impetus for the creation of ColumbiaCares came from Columbia College Chicago Business and Entrepreneurship students in 2012. Since its creation the Business and Entrepreneurship class has partnered with the Office of Development and Alumni Relations, the Student Government Association, Student Relations, the Career Center, TRIO CAP, Student Persistence and Student Diversity and Inclusion.

To make a financial contribution to this student support fund, please click here.

For information on how to access programs and services, see below:

The ColumbiaCares Fund is a small EMERGENCY grant that can possibly assists students who are in immediate crisis and in need of some modest financial assistance to help them through. Crisis/emergency needs may include shelter, transportation and or clothing for inclement weather. This fund is not able to support costs related to attending Columbia (i.e., tuition, residence hall costs, books and supplies, etc.).

ELIGIBILITY:

Student must be currently enrolled.  Student should be able to provide supplemental documentation supporting their emergency need.  If deemed eligible, a student can only receive this grant once per academic year.

TO APPLY:

If you believe you are a good candidate for some small financial assistance through the ColumbiaCares Fund, you will need to reach out to the Office of Student Assistance and Community Standards to setup a meeting to talk about your specific circumstances and situation. You can call (312) 369-8595, or send an email to StudentAssistance@colum.edu to schedule.

As noted on the College and University Food Bank Alliance (CUFBA) website, "..food insecurity has increasingly become an issue on college and university campuses and can pose a significant barrier to student success."  

ColumbiaCare Packages (Food Pantry) is a service that provides students who are experiencing food insecurity with shelf-stable food items while they work with our Student Assistance & Community Standards teams toward finding options for sustainable access to food.

TO RECEIVE:

Faculty and staff can submit a request through the Student Alert system in MyColumbia, located on the Student Success tab.

Students can submit on their own behalf or refer a fellow student by filling out the form here.  Recipients must be currently enrolled students.

  • ColumbiaCare Packages are available as inventory sustains
  • Students are eligible regardless of their financial aid status
  • All referrals and requests are confidential
  • Referred student will be contacted directly as soon as possible about the status of the request