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Scholarships & Financial Aid

The School of Art is committed to providing an affordable education for its students. There are a wide range of scholarships, waivers, and other forms of financial aid available.

SCHOOL OF ART SCHOLARSHIPS

The School of Art awards over $65,000 in scholarships each spring semester for use during the following academic year.

All students are encouraged to apply for:

Current students must have at least a 3.0 GPA. GPA will be verified prior to review.

Submission of a FAFSA is required for all students who are recommended for scholarships (see details below).

How to Apply

All endowed scholarships for undergraduate and graduate students in the School of Art are managed through the UA’s online portal, Scholarship Universe, a scholarship matching service exclusively for UA Students. To apply, simply log in, answer a series of questions to create a profile, and you will be shown all UA and non-UA scholarships for which you are eligible that are currently accepting applications.  Apply for one scholarship, and you will automatically be applied to all scholarships for which you are eligible – with one application! Studio Art scholarships require a portfolio of images to be uploaded; Art History and Art and Visual Culture Education scholarships require a writing sample and/or a portfolio. All images and writing samples are reviewed by faculty in the School of Art, who then recommend students for each scholarship. The spring 2018 deadline to apply for endowed scholarships is March 23, 2018.

Recommendations for awards are based on the following factors:

  • Quality of artwork or writing sample submitted
  • 3.0 cumulative and major GPA
  • Full time enrollment (minimum of 12 units)

UNDERGRADUATE TUITION AWARDS

The School of Art offers partial tuition awards based on need and/or merit to incoming students in good academic standing. Students must be majoring within a study area in the School (Art History, Studio Art, Art and Visual Culture Education) and are selected based on faculty recommendations.

To be eligible for tuition awards, students must:

  • Fall within the eligibility period (8 semesters at the UA)
  • Have and maintain a 3.0 GPA
  • Have US citizenship
  • Enroll in 12 or more units, and complete 30 units per year

Applicants for need-based waivers must fill out the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) forms, available on-line or through the Office of Student Financial Aid. Please note that tuition waivers cover only a portion of tuition. They do not cover other University fees.

STUDENT EMPLOYMENT

On occasion, the School of Art has work study positions available, which are posted on Wildcat Joblink along with all UA student positions.  Federal Work Study through the Office of Student Financial Aid is required.

FEDERAL FINANCIAL AID

Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) forms are available on-line or through the Office of Student Financial Aid website. Submission of a FAFSA is strongly encouraged for everyone and is required for all students who are recommended for scholarships. These applications are used for the following federal student financial aid programs: Pell Grants, Stafford Loans, SEOG, Perkins Loans and College Work-Study. For more information on student financial aid, please contact the Office of Student Financial Aid.

ADDITIONAL FUNDING OPPORTUNITIES

University-wide Scholarships and Financial Aid

The university offers a wide range of merit and need-based awards. For more information, visit the Office of Student Financial Aid website, or Scholarship Universe.

Arizona Community Foundation Arts Scholars Program

The Arizona Community Foundation Arts Scholars Program provides talented student artists in Arizona with scholarship funding, registration fee waivers, academic and artistic mentoring, and opportunities for enhanced study either nationally or internationally. The scholarship is $5,000 per academic year for up to four years. The goal is to help keep Arizona’s best and brightest artistic talent within the state’s university system. Arts Scholars Program scholarships are awarded for all arts disciplines, including dance, theatre, music, and visual and media arts.

The Arizona Community Foundation Arts Scholars Program offers four scholarships to incoming UA College of Fine Arts Freshmen.

For more information, see the College of Fine Arts Scholarship website.

Please contact School of Art Student Services at (520) 621-2618 with any questions.

Graduate student financial aid awards are competitive and assigned during both fall and spring semesters.

Graduate students are eligible to apply for the following grants and scholarships:

GRADUATE TUITION SCHOLARSHIPS

Graduate Tuition Scholarships are allocated annually to divisions within the School of Art. The School awards approximately $170,000 in Graduate Tuition Waivers each year. Faculty recommend graduate students for the tuition waivers; all accepted incoming graduate students and continuing graduate students are automatically considered. Graduate Tuition Scholarships may cover any portion of base graduate student tuition, excluding miscellaneous fees.

To be eligible for Tuition Scholarships, graduate students must:

  • Be currently admitted and enrolled in a graduate degree-granting program at The University of Arizona for three or more graduate units
  • Have a cumulative graduate GPA of 3.00 or higher

GRADUATE COLLEGE FELLOWSHIPS

The School of Art has various fellowships that are awarded according to division. These fellowships are competitive, meritorious, and awarded by the faculty. Students may be domestic or international and must show financial need. Fellowships are cash awards that are disbursed through the Bursar’s Office.

GRADUATE ASSISTANTSHIPS

Graduate assistantships are competitive and assigned by faculty. The responsibilities of a graduate assistant could include teaching, providing technical assistance or grading in an area. Graduate assistants must register for a minimum of 6 units per semester and maintain a 3.0 cumulative GPA. The assigned class must meet minimum enrollment requirements. In general, Studio Art students must also complete a Practicum before they are eligible to teach. GAs receive a Graduate Tuition Waiver, stipend and payment of the individual student premium for the Campus Health insurance plan.

STUDENT EMPLOYMENT

The School of Art offers graduate student employment as studio technicians and graders. These appointments are competitive and are assigned by faculty. The University of Arizona also posts job opportunities on Wildcat Joblink. Federal Work Study through the Office of Student Financial Aid is required.

Marcia Grand Centennial Sculpture Prize Competition

Building on the excellence of its graduate programs, the Marcia Grand Centennial Sculpture Prize Competition is intended to provide MFA-seeking graduate students with up to $10,000 to support the completion of work in the sculptural/3D arts. The work supported by this award can be presented on or off campus; possible projects include:

  • Land-art
  • Site-specific sculpture/installation
  • “Traditional” sculptural work
  • Performance-based work incorporating 3 dimensional components.

Applications are due by 5:00pm on Friday, April 20th.

Helen Gross Award

The Helen Gross Award is a generous gift from Joseph Gross to support talented young artists who have shown remarkable ability in their areas of study, along with a record of exhibitions of their own work as well as others. The scholarship is intended to provide MFA seeking graduates who have passed candidacy review with a $1,000 award to support the cost of their thesis exhibition. This award is presented at an annual luncheon hosted by Joseph Gross for the award recipient and the School of Art Director.