15 Best Art Scholarships for High School Students in 2023
What’s Covered:
It’s well known that scholarships provide college-bound students an excellent opportunity to offset the rising cost of college. While that is reason enough to make applying for scholarships a priority, young artists can reap more than a financial reward for their efforts, as many art scholarships call attention to their work. For example, the Doodle 4 Google Competition winner is featured on Google’s home page, and the winning submission in the Project Yellow Light could potentially get displayed on billboards across the U.S.
If you want to win scholarship money and be recognized for your art, keep reading to learn about more great art scholarships.
15 Best Art Scholarships for High School Students
1. Doodle 4 Google Competition
Amount: $30,000 for the student and $50,000 technology grant for their school
Deadline: March 7
Eligibility:
- K-12 students
- U.S. citizen or legal resident
- Enrolled in a U.S.-based school (including homeschool or a school in Puerto Rico, Guam, or the U.S. Virgin Islands)
Application Requirements: Unique doodle that includes the letters G-O-O-G-L-E
The Doodle 4 Google Competition provides young artists the chance to be featured on Google’s homepage, in addition to receiving a $30,000 award. Students can create doodles in any medium—from crayon to clay—but they must submit them in a 2D format. The theme of the competition changes from year to year; 2020’s doodle theme is to share what you’re grateful for.
2. Frame My Future
Amount: $500-$6,000
Deadline: March 1
Eligibility:
- Legal U.S. resident
- Full-time student at a U.S. college or university in the 2022-2023 academic year
Application Requirements: Original artistic creation
Sponsored by Church Hill Classics, a manufacturer of frames for diplomas, the Frame My Future contest encourages young artists to submit original, creative works of art that express what they want to achieve in their personal and professional lives after college. Submissions can span the arts, including poems, essays, photos, paintings, or anything else that you can use to create an image. Additionally, applicants are required to send an accompanying 500-character description of their work. Contestants are narrowed to 24 finalists by a panel of judges before a public voting phase, where the work with the most votes is declared the winner.
3. Urban Art Scholarship
Amount: $350
Deadline: December 31
Application Requirements:
- Portfolio of three-five works
- 300-500 word essay
- Signed contract
Founded by student/artist Trevor Coopersmith, the Urban Art Scholarship provides financial and educational support for young artists who use their artwork to benefit the community, and who hope to pursue a career in the arts. To apply, students must submit a portfolio of three-five pieces of work. In addition to a portfolio, a 300- to 500-word essay discussing the student’s aspirations, community involvement, work as an artist, how their artistic endeavors apply to society, and how the scholarship will benefit the student and their community is required.
4. Project Yellow Light
Amount: $2,000-$8,000
Deadline: March 1 and April 1
Eligibility:
- High school and college students
- U.S. resident
Application Requirements: Varies
Use art to help put an end to texting and driving and win anywhere for a $2,000 to $8,000 scholarship. Applicants for Project Yellow Light are tasked with creating a billboard design, short video, or radio segment aimed at teen and young adult drivers that alerts them to the dangers of distracted driving, particularly the perils of texting and driving. Each type of medium has special formatting requirements, so make sure to read the instructions carefully.
5. Ocean Awareness Art Contest
Amount: $250-$1,500
Deadline: June 13
Eligibility:
- Ages 15-18 enrolled in high school (there is also a middle school division)
- Participants may enter as individuals or as a group, agreeing to split prize money evenly if they win as a group
Application Requirements:
- Students are required to have an Adult Sponsor who can be a teacher, parent, guardian, mentor, or other supporting adult
- Submission of work
- Written statement to accompany work
The Ocean Awareness Art Contest is a call to students with an interest in art and a concern for the future of the planet. The contest seeks those using their talents to increase awareness of the climate crisis, bring attention to potential solutions, and promote ocean conversation. Promoting different voices and storytelling mediums, submissions are accepted in Art; Creative Writing; Interactive and Multimedia; Performance Arts; and Poetry and Spoken Word. Students may submit a maximum of one entry per category/medium. Students will also need to submit a reflection, a minimum 100-word statement about their creative process and what they’ve learned through the contest’s theme. The theme of the contest changes yearly; 2023’s is Climate Heroes in Action.
6. NSHSS Earth Day Awards
Amount: $500
Deadline: March 15
Eligibility: 9th-12th grade students
Application Requirements:
- Minimum 3.0 GPA
- Academic resume
- Recommendation letter
- Supporting material (such as a video, painting, drawing, or collage)
- Essay
- Headshot
Encouraging environmental stewardship in high school students, recipients of NSHSS Earth Day Awards have exhibited care, leadership, and volunteerism through Earth Day projects. Applicants are required to detail an environmental project they are working on—or one that will be underway by Earth Day—along with sharing how it will impact the future. Applicants are asked to supplement their submissions with a creative undertaking, such as a video, painting, drawing, or poem that spotlights the project.
7. L. Ron Hubbard Illustrators of The Future Contest
Amount: $500-$5,000
Deadline: March 31
Eligibility: New and amateur artists (defined as artists who have not been professionally published and paid for more than three black-and-white story illustrations, or more than one process-color painting, in media distributed broadly to the general public)
Application Requirements: Three original illustrations
An excellent opportunity for new science fiction and fantasy artists, the L. Ron Hubbard Illustrators of The Future Contest gives young artists a chance to be seen by a large audience and receive a substantial award. Entrants are required to submit three original, unpublished illustrations in color or black-and-white—the incorporation of grayscale, mixed media, computer-generated art, and photography into illustrations are permitted. Three co-winners are chosen each quarter and given a cash prize of $500. They also become eligible to compete for the grand prize of $5,000 by creating an illustration for a winning story from the Writers of the Future Contest.
8. AGL Over the Rainbow Foundation
Amount: $1,000
Deadline: 12th grade students
Eligibility: May 15
- 12th-grade students
- Fine art student planning to continue their education at the college level
Application Requirements:
- Three recommendation letters from teachers
- Resume of musical, theatre, art, or chorus background
- Short video highlighting work
- Copy of acceptance letter from the college applicant will attend, or a list of applications of where the applicant plans to attend
For students with a passion for music, theatre, art, or chorus, the AGL Over the Rainbow Scholarship is an excellent opportunity to earn money for college. The scholarship is in honor of Alex G. Lutrell, an accomplished singer, musician, and actor who appeared in Ant-Man and the Wasp.
9. AIGA Worldstudio Scholarship
Amount: $500-$5,000
Deadline: April 7
Eligibility:
- Demonstrated financial need
- Pursuing an undergraduate or graduate degree in Graphic Design, Illustration, or Photography
- Matriculated or planning to matriculate full-time at an accredited university in the U.S.
- Though not a requirement, diversity is weighed significantly in decisions
Application Requirements:
- Minimum 3.0 GPA
- Transcript
- FASFA
- Two letters of recommendation
The AIGA Worldstudio Scholarship is working to cultivate diversity in creative professions and foster social and environmental responsibility through artistic endeavors. Scholarship recipients are selected for their artistic talent as well as their commitment to giving back to the community through their work. In addition to a financial award, scholarship recipients also receive a one-year AIGA membership. Preference is given to U.S. citizens and legal residents.
10. Against the Grain Artistic Scholarship
Amount: $1,000
Deadline: May 31
Eligibility:
- At least 25% Asian and/or Pacific Islander ethnicity
- U.S. citizen or legal resident
- High school seniors and full-time undergraduate and graduate students
- Pursuing or planning to pursue a degree in, visual or performing arts, including film, theatre, fashion, photography, graphic design, dance, music, journalism, and mass communications
Application Requirements:
- Minimum GPA of 3.0 on a 4.0 scale
- Transcript
- Resume
- Letter of recommendation
- Portfolio
- Essay
The Against the Grain Artistic Scholarship supports aspiring young Asian American artists. It provides financial assistance to students majoring in, or planning on majoring in, the performing and visual arts, journalism, or mass communications. Applicants are judged on five key categories: quality of content submission (essay, artistic portfolio), academic performance, leadership/community service experience and contribution, letters of recommendation, and phone/in-person committee interview.
11. Science Without Borders Challenge
Amount: $200-$500
Deadline: March 6
Eligibility: Ages 15-19 (there is an 11-14 division as well) and enrolled in primary or secondary school
Applicant Requirements:
- Original drawing, painting, or other two-dimensional piece of artwork
- Short description of the artwork and how it relates to the challenge
- Teacher contact info
Getting students and teachers more interested and involved in Ocean Conservation, the Science Without Borders Challenge tasks applicants to find creative ways to promote the preservation, protection, and restoration of the world’s oceans and aquatic resources. The theme of the challenge changes yearly—2023’s theme is the sixth extinction. To participate in the challenge, applicants need to submit an original, two-dimensional work of art, such as a drawing or painting, in accordance with the contest’s theme along with a short statement about their artwork and how it relates to the theme.
12. CBC Spouses Visual Arts Scholarships
Amount: $5,000
Deadline: April 14
Eligibility:
- African American/Black
- High school seniors, undergraduate, and graduate students
- U.S. citizen or legal resident
- Pursuing a degree in visual arts
Applicant Requirements:
- Minimum 2.5 GPA
- Transcript
- Resume
- Two letters of recommendation
- Personal statement video
- Up to five samples of creative work
This scholarship provided by the Congressional Black Caucus Foundation supports African American/Black students pursuing degrees in visual arts, including:
- Architecture
- Ceramics
- Drawing
- Fashion
- Graphic Design
- Illustration
- Interior Design
- Painting
- Photography
- Sketching
- Video Production
In addition to artistic talent, applicants should demonstrate leadership and be active in their communities.
13. Sub Pop Loser Scholarship
Amount: $6,000
Deadline: March 21
Eligibility:
- Art-enthused high school senior
- Resident of Washington or Oregon
Applicant Requirements: Essay
Sub Pop Records—a Seattle-based record label notable for signing influential bands like Nirvana and Soundgarden—provides three $6,000 scholarships to graduating high school seniors preparing to attend college full-time. The scholarship requires applicants to submit an essay about their artistic work, what art means to them, and what winning the scholarship would mean to them. It also encourages applicants to submit copies of their artwork, photos of their community service, radio show links, videos, etc. Applicants are warned that the scholarship has never been awarded to someone who just submitted an essay.
14. Districts Make the Difference Video Contest
Amount: $500-$2,000
Deadline: March 31
Eligibility: Grades 9th-12th
Applicant Requirements: 60-second video
Young artists comfortable behind the camera will want to check out this creative video contest. Applicants are tasked to create a 60-second video highlighting the ways that special districts “make a difference” in local communities. In addition to providing scholarships to students, an award is also given to a teacher named by the winner. Interested, but not sure where to start? Past winning videos are posted on the scholarship’s website.
15. Walgreens Expressions Challenge
Amount: $1,000-$2,000
Deadline: March 31
Eligibility:
- Ages 13-18
- 9th-12th grade students
- U.S. residents
Applicant Requirements: 60-second video
Young artists are challenged to use their creativity to share their feelings about what is happening in their world in this scholarship contest. Applicants can submit their entry into one of four categories: spoken word, visual arts, media arts, and creative writing.
16 (Bonus). CollegeVine Scholarships
Amount: $2,000
Deadline: Quarterly
Eligibility: high school student and US resident
Application Requirements: create a free CollegeVine account or fill out chancing profile if you already have an account.
CollegeVine provides a quarterly, no-essay scholarship of $2,000. All you have to do is sign up for a free account, which allows you to see your chances of acceptance at 1,600+ schools, get your essays reviewed by a peer, ask questions in our community forum, and more. If you already have an account, just make sure your chancing profile is filled out.
Awards will be paid out directly to students to help them cover any educational costs. Learn more about the CollegeVine scholarships.
Tips for Winning Art Scholarships
Hopefully, your artistic expressions and creations are enough to wow judges and earn you scholarships. Follow these tips to keep the focus on your art and increase your odds of winning an award.
Pay attention to details: Spelling mistakes, grammatical errors, and misused punctuation will all shift attention from your art. Diligently fill out applications, write essays, and proofread your descriptions before submission.
Write in your own voice: While you hope your art will speak for itself, many of the aforementioned scholarships require short essays and descriptions of your work. Use this as another creative outlet where you can set yourself apart from the competition.
Don’t wait until the last minute: Just because a scholarship deadline is May 20, doesn’t mean that you need to wait until May 20 to submit your application. Submission portals can bottleneck and websites can crash causing you to miss out on a potential award. Set yourself an earlier deadline of at least two days before the real one.
Apply for lots of scholarships: The more scholarships you apply to, the greater your chances of winning one. Find even more awesome art-focused scholarships in our blog post Scholarships and Competitions for students in the Performing Arts. Just be sure that you balance the quality of your submission with quantity, and also apply to scholarships of different sizes. Larger national awards tend to be extremely competitive, while local awards may be smaller in amount, but less competitive.
Although CollegeVine can’t predict your odds of winning one of these coveted awards, we can help take the guesswork out of college admissions. Our free chancing engine uses a data-driven algorithm to give you a clearer picture of your chance of acceptance at over 500 colleges. We’ll also let you know how you stack up against other applications and give you tips for improving your profile.
