Choose Ohio First Scholarships
Get a great career with no debt. We're offering a full-tuition scholarship for students entering four in-demand fields. The Choose Ohio First Scholarship Program is available to incoming students pursuing programs in:

Information Systems Technology

Engineering Technologies

Nursing & Allied Health

Skilled Trades
Future Scientists | STEM Scholarship
For the Choose Ohio First scholarship for Science, Techology, Engineering & Math, see our Future Scientists Scholarship.
The application for the Autumn 2023 cohort is not yet open. The application will open in May 2023 and close in June 2023 and will be available on our standard scholarship system, AcademicWorks.
Check below for detailed instructions, eligibility requirements, and a list of the specific associate degree programs that qualify for the scholarship. Then, tell us you're interested and eligible in the pre-application linked below so that we can get back in touch with next steps:
Complete the pre-application here
For more information, contact: Alli Kurzawa, akurzawa@cscc.edu.
In addition to scholarship money, Choose Ohio First recipients will learn together as a cohort as they complete their program at Columbus State. Choose Ohio First recipients are a part of the STEM Experiential Learning Scholarship Community. Students will also have access to a specialized orientation, tutoring, research projects, and special events.
We'll help with connecting accepted students with resources such as career services, academic advising, and faculty mentors.
Eligibility & Application Steps
The following programs are eligible for Choose Ohio First scholarships. When you apply to Columbus State, make sure you declare one of these majors.
Information Systems Technology
Associate of Applied Science in:
- Cybersecurity
- Software Development
- Network Administration
- Web Development
Certificates in:
- Cisco Certified Network Administrator Routing & Switching Certificate
- Computer Literacy Certificate
- IT Security Stackable Certificate
- IT Support Stackable Certificate
- Network Administrator Certificate
- Software Developer Certificate
- Mobile Game Applications Certificate
Nursing & Allied Health
- Nurse Aide (STNA)
- Licensed Practical Nursing (LPN)
- Registered Nurse (RN) AAS
- Health Information Management Tech
- Medical Assisting
- Massage Therapy
- Phlebotomy
- Surgical Tech
Engineering Technologies
Associate of Applied Science in:
- Mechanical Engineering Technology
- Electromechanical Engineering Technology
- Electrical Engineering Technology
- Logistics Engineering Technology
Certificates: Coming Soon
Skilled Trades
Associate of Applied Science in:
- Welding
STEM Majors
For the Choose Ohio First scholarship for Associate of Science degrees, see our Future Scientists Scholarship.
To be eligible for a scholarship, a student must:
a. Be an Ohio resident
b. Be accepted and enrolled as a Columbus State student and declared within one of the target programs (see Eligible Degrees, above):
c. Be new to the academic program listed above in autumn 2023 (students must be starting program in this semester to be eligible)
d. Be starting at college level courses (not taking developmental courses while pursuing your degree). See Placement & Testing
e. Complete the 2023-24 FAFSA.
f. Write a brief essay outlining college and career aspirations (on application)
- Complete the Pre-Application
- Complete 2023-24 FAFSA at fafsa.ed.gov listing Columbus State as a receiver (federal code: 006867)
- Email Alli Kurzawa at akurzawa@cscc.edu to ensure your pre-application was received
Once your application is reviewed, you may receive an email from Alli Kurzawa with clarifying questions. If you are determined to be an eligible candidate, you will be invited to apply when the application opens in May.
The COF contract includes:
- Scholarship criteria
- Performance thresholds (including maintenance of a cumulative 3.0 GPA)
- Active participation in co-curricular programming through the STEM Experiential Learning Scholarship Community including STEM Club, the Technology Speaker Series, and other career exploratory activities.
- Agreement to submit responses to the evaluation surveys
- All other requirements and expectations of COF Scholars, including their academic and professional conduct.