Art scholarships for international students

Even though your friends told you to go into engineering, you have decided to get a degree in the arts… The study of art, including fine art, design, fashion design, and graphic design, may all be funded to some extent thanks to the availability of a large number of scholarships for art students in countries all over the globe.

Finding all of the right opportunities is the first challenge when applying for a scholarship. To make the search for a scholarship a little bit easier, we’ve put together a list of art scholarships available all over the world. If none of the art scholarships that are mentioned here are appropriate for you, another excellent place to look for funding opportunities is on the websites of the educational institutions that you would want to attend in the future. You can also find creative writing scholarships.

Please note that this page is updated yearly, and because the sponsors or institutions that open these scholarships may often change the period in which they accept applications, we may not keep up with these updates due to the volume of scholarships we publish here. Therefore, this page is basically intended to show you the endless opportunities you have to get a scholarship to study anywhere in the world. Simply click on the link to the scholarship you want to check the deadline for on the official website. Or click here to access our list of current scholarships. 

Art scholarships

To study in Australia:

• Art and design Scholarships @ UNSW – Various art scholarships for students of all levels enrolled at the University of New South Wales, Australia, in the department of art and design. Includes the Viktoria Marinov Scholarship for female artists to help those under 35 to undertake postgraduate research studies. International students are eligible.
• Art, fashion, and textiles scholarships @ RMIT University – A range of coursework scholarships for students (including international students) currently enrolled in an art, fashion, or textiles degree at RMIT University. The McCraith Scholarship in Fine Art is for students enrolled full-time in the Bachelor of Arts (Fine Art) program who can demonstrate disadvantage; worth up to AUD$7,000.
• Fine arts and music scholarships @ the University of Melbourne – A range of scholarships within the visual and performing arts. Includes the Agnes Robertson Undergraduate Entry Scholarship for Painting which provides students with AUD$5,400 per year over three to four years.
• Tess Hill and Bill Hawtin Fine Art Scholarship @ Monash University – Awarded to students on low income who have not previously completed higher education, to provide an opportunity to travel as part of a fine arts degree.

To study in Europe:

• Chase AHRC Studentship – Arts scholarships to study at selected liberal arts schools and universities in the UK, funded by the AHRC and open to UK and EU students pursuing study in the visual arts, media, film, and other arts and humanities subjects.
• Courtauld Postgraduate Scholarships – Graduate art school scholarships to study at the Courtauld Institute of Art in London, UK, on the MA, Ph.D., or Conservation programs. Scholarships are open to UK and EU students studying a variety of programs (see eligibility section.)
• DAAD Fine Art, Design/ Visual Communication, and Film Scholarships – Fine art and design scholarships funded by the DAAD and open to international students who have gained a first degree in a related field. Scholarship winners will gain funding for study in Germany for a master’s degree or postgraduate program.
• ECA Taught Masters Scholarships @ the University of Edinburgh – Graduate scholarships for art students offered by the University of Edinburgh in Scotland, UK, for master’s level study in the schools of architecture, art, design, history of art, or music.
• Florence School of Fine Arts – Several awards and scholarships including The Paolino Photography Award and the L. Rose Printmaking Scholarship.
• Middlesex University London Arts and Creative Industries Scholarship – Four scholarships are available to study for a master’s degree at Middlesex University, covering up to half of the tuition fees. Open to UK/EU students (and international students who are alumni of the university).
• Norwich University of the Arts – A range of art and design scholarships to study at the university.
• Paris College of Art scholarships – A variety of competitions, grants, and scholarships are available including the Harriet Hale Woolley Scholarship, for graduate and postgraduate visual art and music students of exceptional talent.
• Rome University of Fine Arts – A range of scholarships available including international awards. The university also provides a scholarship to support Ukrainian students with 10 study grants and two cooperation grants for female students from the country.
• Royal College of Art Awards – Various fine art scholarships are on offer from the RCA and partner funding organizations. Scholarships are awarded to enrolled students in the UK.
• Slade School of Fine Arts James Lewis Foundation Scholarship @ UCL – Open to a UK student studying a BA or BFA in Fine Art at the UCL (University College London) Slade School of Fine Arts. More scholarships to study at UCL can be found using its search tool.
• Swiss Government Excellence Scholarships for Foreign Scholars and Artists – Postgraduate scholarships for art students, professionals, and researchers to study at the doctoral/postdoctoral level in Switzerland at a recognized institution.

To study in North America:

• Aiko Susanna Tashiro Hiratsuka Memorial Scholarship – This art scholarship is for active Student/Individual members of the Japanese American Citizens League (JACL). Applicants must be studying performing arts.
• ARC Scholarship Competition – An art scholarship competition for students at ARC-approved art schools in North America to gain $30,000 a year in funding for their art education. You will be required to submit an example of your artwork – a classical-style life painting or sculpture – as your competition entry.
• Belin Arts Scholarships – Scholarships for art students with affiliations to the region of Northeast Pennsylvania in the US. Open to serious art students interested in painting, sculpture, or photography. The Scholarship award is in the amount of up to $10,000.
• College of Design @ The University of Oregon – A range of art scholarships for both undergraduate and graduate students to study art, painting, sculpture, and other related programs at the University of Oregon.
• Cynthia and Alan Baran Fine Arts and Musical Scholarship Fund – This scholarship is open to undergraduate or graduate students with a GPA of 3.0 or higher enrolled in a Bachelor of Fine Art (BFA), a BA in Studio Art, or a Masters of Fine Arts (MFA) course majoring in Painting, Drawing, Sculpture, Ceramics, Photography or Printmaking, as well as students enrolled in a BA or MA Music degree.
• Florence Lemke Memorial Scholarship In Fine Arts – Sponsored by the American Legion Auxiliary, Department of Washington, this award is for graduating high school seniors in Washington State who are a child, grandchild, or great-grandchild of a veteran. Applicants must pursue a degree in fine arts. US $1,000 grant.
• Krylon Clear Choice Art Scholarship – US$1,000 art scholarships from Krylon awarded to citizens of North America studying an accredited visual arts program in North America.
• Lamar Dodd School of Art scholarships @ the University of Georgia – Various art school scholarships to study art at the University of Georgia in the US. Open to US and international students.
• Naomi Winston Scholarship in Visual (2D) Art – Art scholarships from the National Society of Arts and Letters (NSAL) in the US, open to US citizens aged 16-22 wanting to further their 2D visual arts education outside of the university.
• The Frederic Whitaker & Eileen Monaghan Whitaker Foundation Scholarship Fund – This scholarship is open to American citizens who are working towards a Bachelor’s degree in Fine Art, History, or Museum Studies and have a minimum GPA of 3.0. The scholarship supports students with an emphasis on watercolor and museum studies, and successful applicants will receive a $2,000 scholarship.
• Wendy Jackson Hall Memorial Scholarship – Arts scholarships for US students graduating from high school in Washington state and wishing to continue their arts education in the US. Successful applicants will receive a two-year, $15,000 scholarship to study visual art.
• Worldstudio AIGA Scholarships – Scholarships for art students from minority and disadvantaged backgrounds to study at an accredited institution in the US in the field of fine art, illustration, graphic design, and motion graphics.

Fashion & design scholarships

(Graphic design, fashion, etc.)

To study in North America:

• FIDM National Scholarship Competition – US design scholarships from the Fashion Institute of Design and Merchandising (FIDM). Open to US citizens enrolling in fashion design, interior design, graphic design, visual design, or digital media at the FIDM in Los Angeles.
• Gucci Changemakers scholarship – Created to ensure a new era of diverse and exceptional young people gain opportunities in the fashion industry. Scholarships will be awarded for up to $20,000 for each scholarship recipient and are open to students from design, marketing, art, film, communications, merchandising, and other related creative and business fields.
• Print and Graphics Scholarship Foundation – Graphic communication and graphic design scholarships for students enrolling in a two- or four-year program at an accredited US institution.
• The Liz Claiborne Design Scholarship Award – Fashion design scholarships based solely on merit offered by the CFDA (Council of Fashion Designers of America). Open to students enrolled at design schools and accredited universities across the US.
• TwoTen Footwear Design Scholarships – Fashion design scholarships for students pursuing a career in footwear design in the US. Awards of US$3,000 are available annually for up to four years of undergraduate study.
• VCU Graphic Design Scholarships – Various graphic design scholarships are offered to enrolled students at Virginia Commonwealth University, School of the Arts, in the US.
• Vectorblocks Design Scholarships – Open to US and international undergraduate and graduate students currently pursuing a design design-based based degree, with a deadline of 31^st August. Successful individuals can win an amount between $3000 and $10,000. Individuals must submit an original design as part of their entry.

To study in Europe:

• ECA Taught Masters Scholarships @ the University of Edinburgh – Graduate scholarships offered by the University of Edinburgh in Scotland, UK, for master’s students enrolling in the schools of architecture, art, design, history of art, or music.
• Istituto Marangoni Scholarships – Fashion and design scholarships are offered by Istituto Marangoni, an Italian fashion school with campuses across Europe.
• NABA, International Academy of Arts and Design in Milan – Scholarships to study Master of Arts programs in design in English or Italian at NABA (covering up to 60 percent of tuition fees) starting in February 2020.
• The Alexander McQueen Scholarship @ UAL – Graduate fashion design scholarships for EU students enrolling in the MA in Fashion Design at the University of the Arts, London.
• UAL Postgraduate Scholarships – Various graduate scholarships are offered by the University of the Arts, London for students pursuing art and design programs at one of its six colleges.