Scholarships for creative students are like the icing on the cake—you get paid to do more of something you love. Whether your talents lie with creative writing, charcoal painting, woodworking, or even cooking, you can bet there’s a scholarship out there for it. When you apply for one of these scholarships, you won’t even feel like you are working towards it. It will feel more like a fun gig.
These are just a few of many exciting scholarships for creative students:
WMIA Scholarship
Flickr user Anne Peterson
Amount: Varies
Deadline: TBD for 2021
Do you want to take your passion for woodworking further? Are you planning on enrolling in a wood science or wood technology program? If you are, you may be eligible for a generous award from the WMIA Educational Foundation. The Woodworking Machinery Industry Association funds this award.
To qualify you must submit a 1-page essay talking about your future aspirations. This must be accompanied by a transcript of your grades, a recommendation letter from a teacher and another from an employer or professional you have worked with.
The Board of Trustees for the WMIA Educational Foundation assesses all applications. They give special consideration to students who can show their passion for pursuing careers in wood technology and related fields.
Annual Create-A-Greeting-Card Scholarship Contest
Flickr user Open Grid Scheduler
Amount: $10,000
Deadline: March 2, 2020
If you love creating unique quirky, cute, funny designs, this scholarship is one you must apply to. Funded by The Gallery Collection, the Annual Create-A-Greeting-Card Scholarship awards $10,000 for the best original design that can be used on the front of a greeting card.
Contestants must submit an original design, which could be artwork, photograph or computer graphics. Submissions are judged based on creativity and originality, quality of execution, overall aesthetic appeal, and appropriateness for use as a greeting card.
Doodle 4 Google Art Competition
Flickr user Karen Horton
Amount: $30,000
Deadline: March 13, 2020
The Doodle 4 Google Art Competition is one of the most coveted scholarships for creative students. It’s not surprising, considering the winner receives a $30,000 college scholarship and a trip the Google Headquarters in California. If your talent lies in doodling, this is one competition that is definitely worth working towards.
To win the Doodle 4 Google Art Competition, you must create a unique, original doodle that highlights the sentiments, “What inspires me”. You can use any material to bring your creation to life. The only stipulation is that the letters G-o-o-g-l-e must be incorporated into the design.
Arts For Life Award
Flickr user capa photos
Amount: $1,000
Deadline: TBD for 2020
The Arts For Life Award offers 25 annual scholarships of $1,000 each to Florida high school students who excel in any one of these five disciplines—visual arts, creative writing, dance, music or drama.
To be considered for this scholarship, you must submit a portfolio showcasing your talents in your specific discipline. Along with your portfolio, you must also submit a brief essay describing how arts have positively influenced your life. A committee of respected judges assess applications for each discipline. The top five scorers in each category are awarded $1,000 each.
Chopin Foundation Scholarship
Flickr user M I S C H E L L E
Amount: $500–$1,000
Deadline: May 15
If you are an accomplished pianist who dreams of participating in the National Chopin Piano Competition, you could get $500 – $1,000 a year for up to 4 years to prepare for the event. Funded by the Chopin Foundation Scholarship Program, this award aims to support talented young pianists between the ages of 14 and 17.
As part of your application for the Chopin Foundation Scholarship, you will need to submit an unedited video recording of the composer’s works as required for Years 1- 4, a statement describing your career goals and two recommendation letters written by piano teachers or professional pianists.
VSA (Very Special Arts) International Young Soloists Award Program
Flickr user Army Recruiting
Amount: $2,000
Deadline: TBD for 2021 (Opens in Fall)
The VSA International Young Soloists Award offers a scholarship award for young musicians who have disabilities.
You may be eligible for this award if you are between 14 and 25 years of age, and can play any musical instrument in any genre including rock, jazz, folk, classical, and more.
Annual Glenn Miller Scholarship Competition
Flickr user Jay Kleeman
Amount: $3,000, $2,000 & $1,000
Deadline: March 2, 2020
The Glenn Miller Scholarship honors the famous big-band musician and composer, Glenn Miller. The scholarship aims to encourage promising young talents in any applied music field.
Scholarships are awarded each year to talented vocalists and the same number of awards is offered annually to talented instrumentalists. You can use the awards to cover any education-related expenses.
Worldstudio Daring Young Artists to Dream Scholarship
Flickr user Bennilover
Amount: $2,000–$3,000
Deadline: April 15, 2020
The American Institute of Graphic Arts (AIGA), the largest professional membership organization for all forms of design, funds the Worldstudio Daring Young Artists to Dream Scholarship. This scholarship awarded to minority and economically disadvantaged undergrad and grad students who are majoring in graphic design, interactive design, fine art, photography, or illustration.
Through this scholarship, the AIGA aims to promote diversity in the creative field and encourage young designers and artists to be more aware and involved, both socially and environmentally. 10 to 20 students who qualify could win between $2,000 – $3,000 to help pay towards any education-related expenses.
To be eligible for this award, you must have a minimum 2.0 GPA and must also be enrolled in a fine art, photography, illustration, graphic design or interactive design program.
Final Thoughts On Scholarships for Creative Students
There is one difference between merit-based scholarships and creative awards. When applying for creative scholarships, you will be asked to submit a portfolio showcasing one or more of your best works. If you have a hobby, it’s never too early or too late to get started with putting together your best works and building your portfolio.
And when scholarships aren’t enough, you’ll need a student loan that fits you. Use College Raptor’s free Student Loan Finder to compare lenders and interest rates side by side.
| Lender | Rates (APR) | Eligibility | |
|---|---|---|---|
 |
6.97%-15.03%* Variable
5.99%-14.00%* Fixed
|
Undergraduate and Graduate
|
VISIT CITIZENS |
|
|
6.37% - 16.70% Variable
4.50% - 15.49% Fixed
|
Undergraduate and Graduate
|
VISIT SALLIE MAE |
 |
4.98% - 16.70% Variable
4.07% - 15.66% Fixed
|
Undergraduate and Graduate
|
VISIT CREDIBLE |
 |
6.07% - 11.31% Variable
4.39% - 10.39% Fixed
|
Undergraduate and Graduate
|
VISIT LENDKEY |
 |
6.22% - 16.08% Variable
4.09% - 15.66% Fixed
|
Undergraduate and Graduate
|
VISIT ASCENT |
 |
6.54% - 11.08% Variable
3.95% - 8.01% Fixed
|
Undergraduate and Graduate
|
VISIT ISL |
 |
5.62% - 18.26% Variable
4.11% - 15.90% Fixed
|
Undergraduate and Graduate
|
VISIT EARNEST |
 |
4.98% - 12.79% Variable
8.42% - 13.01% Fixed
|
Undergraduate and Graduate
|
VISIT ELFI |
