Visual Impairment Scholarships

Visual Art Scholarships at Roberts Wesleyan University support talented incoming studio art and visual art education majors who submit a portfolio for faculty review. Applicants email a Google Slides portfolio of 10 to 15 works with titles, media, dimensions, and creation dates to the visual arts department, with priority review before March 1. Awards range from $2,000 to $6,000 annually based on portfolio rigor and quality, including one $6,000 award, two $5,000 awards, six $3,000 awards, and three $2,000 awards. Scholarships renew while recipients remain art majors with at least a B average in art courses.

Stevenson University's Visual Arts Scholarship is a portfolio-based award for incoming freshmen and transfer students planning to major in Fashion Design, Film and Moving Image, or Graphic Design. Five to six scholarships per program are awarded to students starting in these majors in the fall semester. Awards are $2,000 per year, renewable for four years, and may be combined with a Stevenson merit-based admission scholarship. Applicants submit a portfolio of ten examples or up to ten minutes of time-based media plus a 300-word essay on their goals in the School of Design. Freshmen must submit all admission and portfolio materials by January 15; transfer applicants must submit by March 31.

Talent-based scholarships at Loyola University New Orleans support freshmen and transfer students in the Department of Visual Arts within the College of Music and Media. Freshmen must be accepted for admission and submit a portfolio by March 1 to be considered for talent awards. Transfer visual arts applicants should also submit applications and portfolios by March 1. Awards are granted after faculty review of artistic achievement and are combined with any academic merit offer according to Loyola scholarship stacking rules. Recipients must remain in good standing in their visual arts program to retain funding.

Virginia residents who are U.S. citizens or permanent residents and have lived in Virginia for at least 12 consecutive months may apply for VMFA Visual Arts Fellowships in professional, graduate, undergraduate, or half-year categories. Award amounts vary by category: $8,000 for professional fellows, $6,000 for graduate, $4,000 for undergraduate, and $2,000 to $3,000 for half-year awards. High school seniors, undergraduates, graduate students, and professional artists each have distinct eligibility rules. Submit work samples, a resume or CV, an artist statement, and other required materials through the online application. There is no application fee.

The Art Alliance Visual Arts Scholarship at The University of Olivet provides up to two thousand dollars per year to studio art, graphic design, pre-art therapy majors, and other students passionate about visual art who join Art Alliance. Recipients need a GPA of 3.3 or better and must participate in Art Alliance events and exhibitions. Members gain studio access, leadership opportunities, and community outreach experience. Apply through the visual arts scholarship application to be considered for this renewable institutional award.

Visual and Performing Arts scholarships at the University of Mount Union range from three thousand to five thousand dollars per year for incoming students who demonstrate exceptional talent in art, media, music, or theatre. Awards are based on an audition or portfolio review scheduled through the Department of Performing Arts or Department of Visual Arts and Media. Art applicants submit a twelve-to-fifteen-work PDF portfolio; music applicants perform required repertoire and interview with faculty. Students may compete for only one VPA scholarship area. Preference is given to applicants who attend designated spring audition dates.

The Visual Task Force Scholarship supports Black students pursuing careers in visual journalism, including photojournalism, video and other disciplines of visual storytelling. The award is $3,000 and is offered annually by NABJ's Visual Task Force, a community of Black visual journalists. Applicants must be current NABJ student members in good standing. Eligible applicants include high school juniors and seniors as well as college undergraduate and graduate students with at least one full academic year remaining at an accredited U.S. college or university. Candidates are judged on the quality of their portfolio and demonstrated commitment to academic excellence. Applications require at least three (up to five) work samples and three references. The 2026 deadline was February 27.

Actively practicing visual artists 18 and older who are legal U.S. residents and permanent residents of Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, or Tennessee for at least two years may apply. Matriculated high school or fine-arts degree students are ineligible. Each of nine state fellows receives a $5,000 unrestricted award. Fellows then compete for the $25,000 Southern Prize or $10,000 finalist prize plus a Hambidge Center residency. Fellows must attend an awards ceremony and participate in a touring exhibition. Applications are submitted through South Arts' Salesforce portal with a $25 fee (waivers available), state ID, work samples, artist statement, and resume. The 2026 cycle closed March 18, 2026. South Arts is the regional arts organization for the nine-state American South, funded by state arts agencies and private foundations.

Visual artists of Cuban citizenship or direct Cuban lineage (Cuban parent or grandparent) working in painting, sculpture, installation art, media arts, or experimental film may apply for the CINTAS Foundation Fellowship in Visual Arts. Performing artists are not eligible. An individual may receive a CINTAS fellowship a maximum of two times. The fellowship awards $25,000. Applicants submit artist and project statements, two recommendation letters, and up to ten digital work samples (with an image list) via a Google account. Sculptors should submit at least two views of each work. Film and media arts applicants submit linked samples with running time and role clarified. Fellows living abroad must provide a U.S. taxpayer identification number if awarded. Since 1963, CINTAS has supported more than 185 Cuban artists and preserves their work through the CINTAS Fellows Collection.

The Coconut Grove Arts Festival Visual Arts Scholarship supports Art and Art History students at Florida International University who participate in the Emerging Artist Mentor Program. Recipients receive $3,000 during the academic year and must be enrolled during the awarding fall and spring terms. Applicants submit five to seven images, video of works, or a portfolio link plus a written artist statement about their creative process and interest in the mentor program. U.S. citizens, permanent residents, or F-1 visa international students in good academic standing may apply through FIU AcademicWorks when applications open March 1 through March 15.