Illustrators are in high-demand. Whether it is for the fashion, advertising, or science industry, your creativity is what many companies are looking for. Completing your college education in illustration will give you a leg-up within this challenging field. Luckily, there are several illustration scholarships for college students that provide financial assistance.
Check a few of them out below:
The Professional Association for Design (AIGA) offers an award of up to $6,000 to all eligible students enrolled in an art and design program at ay U.S. college. Their mission is to increase diversity across the creative professions. It’s more than just talent that Worldstudio looks for—they strive to give scholarships to people that have a commitment to giving back to the larger community.
Funded by the Congressional Black Caucus Foundation, this award works to provide financial aid to Black students majoring in art-related fields. Since 2006, this wonderful scholarship has helped many minority illustrators pursue their dreams within the visual art field. Winners will receive up to $3,000 to use toward their passion for the arts.
The Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators (SCBWI) is a nonprofit organization supporting individuals who write and illustrate for children and young adult books. Each year they sponsor four conference scholarships for full-time students studying illustration. Though this is not a money-based scholarship, it still has incredible benefits and opportunities for networking.
The Society of Illustrator’s scholarship is very competitive - and for good reason. More than 8,700 aspiring illustrators submit entries each year from colleges all over the nation. A wide range of professional peers such as illustrators and art directors select the most outstanding works; they award 25 students a scholarship to help them kickstart their illustration careers.
Quick tip: If you plan on pursuing a career in illustration, you need to start building up your portfolio as soon as possible. Whether your art is on quality paper or a digital platform, we recommend creating a portfolio that clearly demonstrates your skill set.
