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Art College Grants

Do you live for your art? Is there no other course in life you'd rather pursue than making art your profession? If you are concerned that your choice to pursue a career in art will make it difficult to obtain funding for college, you are fortunately mistaken. There are a number of sources providing grant and scholarship money for such studies, especially corporations and private sources that are interested as patrons of the arts or who benefit from your pursuit. Where can you find free money to go to school and turn your dream into a reality?

The National Endowment of the Arts, or NEA, is the government's source of funding for art and projects and regularly provides support for arts education programs for both undergraduate and graduate students. Other organizations also specialize in funding such opportunities. For example, the Smithsonian offers a handful of grants, scholarships, and fellowships each year to eligible art students.  Individual artists who are well known and have the means also often sponsor small grants and scholarships for art students with a portfolio in which they see talent and potential.

Art colleges and universities often have their own financial gifts available as well, especially those with reputable arts programs. For instance, students at the doctoral level of study may receive grants through the Yale Center for British Art. Art includes more than just painting and sculpting, so you may also want to pursue grants in theatre arts, musical arts, textile arts, dance, and more. One such opportunity is the McCord Museum of Canada's grant for doctoral level research in textile arts.

List of Art College Grants

Paying for school is not easy, but we are here to help. OEDb's student finance section will help you find the money you need to pay your tuition and other college expenses. We cover scholarships, college grants, and student loans. Scholarships and grants are both forms of "free money", meaning they don't need to be paid back. Scholarships are typically awarded by businesses or individuals, with the money being earmarked specifically for tuition. They can be awarded based on a student's location or by religious affiliation, such as Catholicism or Islam. Grants are typically awarded by governments or non-profit organizations and the money often can be applied to several different expenses a student may incur, not solely tuition. They can be awarded based on location or ethnicity, for instance African American or Hispanic. Loans are not considered "free money", because unlike scholarships and grants, they do need to be paid back after graduation. Common federal loans include Perkins and Stafford. Loans are also available by location.