A student’s guide to scholarship opportunities

Written by Kaitlynne Rainne, Graphic by Kaitlynne Rainne

Attending university is a huge accomplishment for many people around the planet. Some even become the first in their families to receive a university education. Unfortunately, that big accomplishment comes with a big price tag. Tuition is expensive. Textbooks are expensive. And if you’re an art student, materials for projects such as fabric, sketchbooks, wood and camera equipment can rack up your bills even higher.

Believe me, I don’t like hearing that cha-ching in the back of my head any more than you do. Scholarships, loans and grants have become my best friends and I’m assuming they’ve also become yours. 

But, sometimes — especially now in the midst of a COVID run-down economy — they are a little harder to find, hiding away in the cracks and crevices of internet web searches and pamphlets at the financial aid office. If you tend to get frustrated and overwhelmed when scholarship hunting, I feel you. I spent some time compiling websites and scholarship opportunities for both international and domestic students. 

If you weren’t aware, SCAD’s 2021 current student scholarship application opened this April. Through April 30, current SCAD students may apply for additional aid from SCAD. To access the application, visit your MySCAD > Student Workspace > Student Toolkit > Jobs,  Internships and Scholarships. 

Additional financial aid resources are available through: 

• Niche offers a wide range of scholarship opportunities for international and domestic students. By creating an account, students can browse and apply for scholarships that match their circumstances, along with getting matched with opportunities. Niche features opportunities with varying deadlines.

• Tombow’s Create Your Best Work Scholarship is available to first- and second-year college students in the United States currently enrolled or accepted, seeking a visual arts degree at a U.S. university, college or art school. Applications are due March 1, 2022.

• From the UNICO Foundation Inc., the Ralph J. Torraco Fine Arts Scholarship is available for full-time students who are U.S. citizens attending an accredited U.S. university program while pursuing a degree in the fine arts.

• The CBC Spouses Visual Arts Scholarship is available to Black U.S. citizens studying majors in the visual arts, including but not limited to architecture, ceramics, fashion, graphic design, painting and video production. Applications are due April 30.

• Unigo is another website that curates lists of scholarships for domestic and international students. Like Niche, students need to create an account to fully access all the information, but once signed in, students are able to view all eligibility requirements, deadlines and contact information.

• Check within your SCAD major department. Many times, each department knows of specific competition opportunities for students within their respective department and the prize money can oftentimes be used towards tuition or fundings for senior projects.