Columbia College Chicago Establishes Jim Jacobs Musical Theatre Scholarship

Jim Jacobs, actor, singer, songwriter, and coauthor of the hit musical Grease, established the Jim Jacobs Musical Theatre Scholarship at Columbia College Chicago this fall. The newly created scholarship will provide support to two Musical Theatre students as they continue their education at Columbia College Chicago.

Jacobs has strong ties to both Chicago and Columbia College Chicago. Grease was inspired by his life as a “greaser” at William Taft High School on Chicago’s Northwest Side, and Jacobs’ play “Island of Lost Co-eds” was produced at Columbia College as the inaugural production in the Getz Theatre.

"This is for those students who once thought that what they were thinking about, most of the time, was an impossible dream,” Jacobs said in an interview with Columbia College’s The Loop. “It is with great pleasure that I can establish a musical theatre scholarship at Columbia College Chicago."

The scholarship, which will be awarded the first time for the 2013-14 academic year, is open to current Musical Theatre majors exhibiting financial need as they enter their sophomore year. The student must have a 3.0 GPA after completing 12-29 credit hours at Columbia College Chicago at the time of application and demonstrate a significant accomplishment, talent, or ability in Musical Theatre. The $5,000 scholarship will benefit students who have a passion for the practice but need additional financial backing to complete their degree.

The Jim Jacobs Musical Theatre Scholarship is the second musical theatre scholarship at Columbia College. The first was established in 1999 in honor of the late singer/actress Betty Garrett. More information about the Jim Jacobs Musical Theatre Scholarship can be found on the Student Financial Services website at:
http://www.colum.edu/Student_Financial_Services/create-a-plan/scholarships/jim-jacobs.php.

Columbia College Chicago is an urban institution that offers innovative degree programs in the visual, performing, media and communication arts for more than 11,000 students in more than 120 undergraduate and graduate programs. An arts and media college committed to a rigorous liberal arts curriculum, Columbia is dedicated to opportunity and excellence in higher education. For further information, visit www.colum.edu.