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Art College Scholarships

Some students do not choose art school because they fear that there will not be enough jobs available after graduation. However, in 2004, there were about 230,000 working artists in the United States. 30% of these artists were self-employed, while the majority, 70%, earned salaries. The number of art jobs is thought to rise, especially among animators, over the next decade.

An art scholarship works a little differently than any other type of scholarship. There are three distinct ways an art scholarship can be awarded. The student can win a scholarship in the usual way, through academic achievement, a high GPA, and artistic talent in his or her preferred medium. A scholarship can also be won as the result of an art competition, where the student's artwork is placed in competition with the work of other students to determine the winner and recipient of the scholarship monies. Finally, an art scholarship can be awarded to talented students in classes taught by certain professors at some art schools.

Some art schools offer school scholarships to talented art students who are currently enrolled at the school, or to prospective students. Other art scholarships are awarded by a university's art department to enrolled art students. Some schools only give one scholarship each year, while others, like the Illinois State University Art School, present several awards annually. Some national organizations also present art scholarships. However, most scholarships are provided by either the school itself, or by alumni, benefactors and sponsors.

Many of these art scholarships are given to students who deal primarily in one type of art; for example, art scholarships for animation, fashion design, interior design, museum studies and photography are all options for art students with these specializations.

List of Art Scholarships

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.