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Department of Art

SCHOLARSHIPS & GRANTS

Current Students
Prospective students
Grant Opportunities
Graduate Funding

Scholarships for Current Students

A number of part- and full-tuition scholarships are available to undergraduate students in the Department of Art. For scholarships awarded in the following academic year, the application dates are as follows:

  • Feb. 1-28 - Talent Award Applications open for Continuing Students via Slideroom
  • May 1-30 - Need-based Scholarship Applications open for Continuing Students via Jotform

Undergraduate Majors and Pre-Majors in the Department of Art are eligible for both Talent Award Funding and Need-Based Scholarships. Graduate students in Art and Art Ed are eligible for Need-Based Scholarships, but not Talent Awards. Art Minors and Licensure students from other departments are not eligible for departmental scholarships.

See more information about specific scholarships and application processes below.

MORE INFORMATION

  • Talent Awards are tuition scholarships based on the quality and potential of student work. The funds for these scholarships come both from the university and from many generous donors whose contributions assist students in funding their education. Amounts awarded range from part- to full-tuition scholarships for the academic year immediately following the application period.

    Application

    • Applications include a portfolio of 10 pieces of the student's best artwork, personal and academic information, and a short statement of intent.
    • Application portfolios will be carefully reviewed; therefore, considerable attention should be given to the portfolio composition. Strong portfolios show a committed artistic voice and investment in the ideas associated with the work. All documentation of artwork should be well-lit, cleanly photographed, and contextualized in captions wherever necessary.
    • Current (continuing) students must apply between February 1st and 28th to be considered for awards given for the following academic year.
    • Awards will be announced in April of each year.
    • All applications must be submitted online at artdepartment.slideroom.com.

  • Undergraduate and Graduate students within the Department of Art are eligible to apply for a limited number of Need-Based Scholarships. These funds have been made available to support students within BYU's Department of Art who may be financially struggling. They are meant to offset the cost of tuition and class materials, and to assist disadvantaged students in continuing or completing their education.

    Application

    • Applications include contact information, a budget and detailed budget narrative, and any additional context that may be necessary for reviewers to understand the applicant's need.
    • Applications for current (continuing) students are due between May 1st and 30th for awards given for the following academic year.
    • Awardees will be notified prior to July 1st.
    • All applications must be submitted online via Jotform. This link is shared with current students via departmental email as soon as applications open.
  • If I get a half-tuition scholarship for this academic year, am I guaranteed the same scholarship next year?

    Scholarships are awarded for a single year at a time. Students must reapply each year to be considered for scholarships in the following academic year.

    How can I be sure I qualify for a scholarship?

    Students receiving these scholarships must be Art majors or premajors in good academic standing and registered for a minimum number of credit hours during the semesters for which the award is granted; Fall/Winter semesters require that students register for 12 hours/ semester, and Spring/Summer terms require a minimum of 6 hours/ term.

    Something has come up and I can't attend school during the semester I was awarded a scholarship. What do I do?

    In some instances, students who have been awarded Department scholarships may need to take a leave of absence from school, to take fewer credits than the enrollment minimum, or to request that scholarship funds be transferred between semesters within the school year. These petitions are reviewed on a case-by-case basis, and some limitations may apply. Petition forms can be found here.

    What if I go on a mission?

    Talent Award scholarships may be deferred for LDS missions through BYU's mission deferrment process.

    I've been awarded a scholarship. How and when do I receive it?

    These are tuition scholarships, and as such are applied to the awardee's Financial Center account at the beginning of each semester after the student has successfuly registered for the number of credit hours required. The scholarship funds are automatically applied toward any outstanding charges (tuition, insurance, fees, etc.) and the remainder is then disbursed to the bank account associated with the Financial Center.

  • Additional scholarships are available at the University level through BYU's Financial Aid office.

Scholarships for Prospective Students

A number of part- and full-tuition scholarships are available to prospective incoming freshmen (current high school seniors) and transfer students. For scholarships awarded in the following academic year, applications are due November 30th via Slideroom.

  • Applications are open between November 1st and  November 30th of the year before applicants intend to begin their studies (e.g. November 2022 for students applying to enter BYU in Fall 2023). 
  • Applications include a portfolio of 10 pieces of the student's best work, personal and academic information, and a short statement of intent. Strong portfolios show a personal artistic voice, a sense of curiosity, and an investment in ideas. Images of artwork should be well-lit and cleanly photographed.
  • Prospective applicants who would like to tour the Department or speak to a member of faculty about their portfolio prior to applying should email the department of art to arrange a time to meet. (see contact information at the bottom of this page).
  • The granting of a Talent Award does not mean a student has been admitted to Brigham Young University. Students must be admitted to BYU in order to receive any scholarships granted by the Department of Art.
Apply for an Incoming Student Talent Award

Grant Opportunities

Both Experiential Learning Funding and Film & Digital Media Funding (FDMF) grants are designed to help motivated students take advantage of opportunities to learn outside the classroom. Students propose projects with associated budgets, work with faculty mentors to complete these projects, and report on the outcomes.

  • Jan. 31 -  Winter Semester Experiential Learning & FDMF Applications Due
  • May 31 -  Spring/Summer Term Experiential Learning & FDMF Applications Due
  • Sept. 30 - Fall Semester Experiential Learning & FDMF Applications Due
  • Rolling Deadline - Capstone Funding Applications

All applications are submitted via online form. Submission links are shared with current students by email and social media. See more information about specific grants and application processes below.

MORE INFORMATION

  • What is experiential learning funding?

    Experiential learning funds support active learning experience and are intended to help students be equipped to make outside-of-class learning experiences more impactful and worthwhile. Experiential Learning funding is frequently awarded to students participating in Summer Intensives, Study Abroad, or Departmental Field Trips. This helps to offset the cost of travel and encourages students to take opportunities to gain experience outside of the classroom. For more information about these opportunities, see our Travel & Internships page.

    In addition to these department-organized experiences, the Department of Art accepts applications for student-proposed Experiential Learning Projects. These grants are designed for any BA, BFA, MA, or MFA student with an idea for an ambitious outside-of-class project or learning experience. Applications are reviewed by a panel of faculty and awarded according to merit, urgency, and projected outcomes.  

    Some examples of student-proposed projects that have recently been funded include:

    • A trip to New York City to receive specialised Riso printing training
    • Participation in an international Art Education symposium
    • An art workshop and exhibition with disabled adults in the applicant's hometown
    • A mural painting event at a local community center
    Application information

    Undergraduate students, graduate students, and faculty projects that include students are eligible to apply for this funding. A strong application will have a clear budget, reasonable timeline, and well-stated outcomes. When considering outcomes in writing proposals, applicants should do their best to answer the following questions:

      • How will this project/experience affect your trajectory as an artist and/or educator?
      • How does this project/experience help you accomplish things not possible within the scope of a classroom?
      • Why is it important to complete this project/experience now? What makes it timely?
      • How will funding affect the completion of this project/experience?
      • How will you benefit from direct faculty mentorship?

      Students submitting proposals must coordinate with and have the support of a full-time faculty mentor. Do not submit a proposal unless you have the verbal and/or written support of your faculty mentor. This faculty member should have enough familiarity with you and your proposed project to provide additional context during the application review process.

      While creating a proposal, keep in mind that only 20% of the overall budget for the project may be used for expendable materials (paper, paint, canvases, clay, wood, etc). Funding can be used for travel, workshop registration, venue or equipment rentals, and subcontractor fees, but cannot be used for personal expenses or equipment puchases.

      Applications open three times a year, with deadlines on the last day of the month in January, September, and May. Applications must be submitted via online form. The application link is shared with all eligible students in the Department of Art via email and social media as soon as applications open. Reach out to the front desk at artdepartment@byu.edu with any questions.

    • What is Capstone Experience funding?

      The Department of Art has made a portion of Experiential Learning funds available to its students who are completing their degrees with a capstone experience such as student teaching or a final show. Experiential learning funds support active learning outside the classroom and are intended to help students be equipped to make relevant learning experiences more impactful and worthwhile. Capstone Funding is specifically designed to allow students to be ambitious in their final exhibition, thesis research, and/or student teaching, and to support them in this final learning experience.

      $500 of funding is available for BFA, MFA, and MA students seeking support for their capstone projects. Funding in excess of $500 must be requested in a separate Experiential Learning funding application. Art Education student teachers are eligible for up to $900 of support for the semester of their student teaching.

      Students submitting for senior capstone experience funding must have the support of their advisor (usually the chair of their committee) for their project. Proposals should be approved between the student and their advisor before submission. 

      Eligibility and Restrictions

      • Students must be completing their degree program within the Department of Art, or be a Teaching Licensure student within the Department of Art seeking funding to assist with student teaching.
      • Qualifying students will be graduating within the current academic year, and will be registered for one of the following courses in the semester during which they apply:
        • Art Ed Student Teachers (ARTED 476R/496R)
        • BFA (ART 497R)
        • MFA (ART 699R)
        • MA (ARTED 699R)
      • Funding cannot be used for equipment purchases such as cameras, software, or tools. 

      Applications are reviewed and approved on a rolling basis, and submitted via Jotform link. This link is shared with eligible students via email. Reach out to the front desk at artdepartment@byu.edu with any questions.

    • What is Film & Digital Media Funding?

      Film & Digital Media funds are a means by which students and faculty receive financial support to explore the application of moving image language, forms, structures and techniques to their respective disciplines.

      Students submitting proposals must have the support of a full-time faculty mentor. Students must include a paragraph-long statement from their faculty mentor in their letter of intent, indicating how the faculty member intends to support this project. 

      Application Information

      Projects must be proposed by currently enrolled students who are majors within the Department of Art, or Department of Art faculty members. A strong Film and Digital media proposal will be a relevant and compelling project applying existing or emerging digital and/or cinematic language, forms, theory, techniques and tools, and facilitating faculty/student or professional/student mentorships. If a student is awarded funds, they must fill out a report on the outcomes on their project once it is complete.

      Preference will be given to projects that provide significant and meaningful experiences driven by creative experimentation. Ideally, projects will facilitate interdisciplinary and/or intra-departmental collaboration at the conceptual, production, and/or exhibition stages. The completed work should be shared or exhibiting at least within the department, but preferably to a wider audience as well.

      Funding can be used for expendables and supplies, travel, non-student wages (where appropriate and within reason) and other equitably determined expenses. Funds cannot be used to pay students wages or to purchase equipment or software.

      Application materials will include a Letter of intent which includes a project synopsis, intended schedule for the project's production, relevant contextual information, and notes on project feasiblity.

      Applicants should consider the following when writing their proposal:

      • How will exploring your ideas in film or digital media enhance and enrich its meaning and impact? Why not explore your idea with another medium rather than film or digital media?
      • How will this experience will facilitate your course of study and/or graduation plan?
      • What other existing projects have you seen that are similar to the project idea that you are proposing?
      • Who do you see as the primary audience for this project? How do you intend to reach this audience?
      • How will your faculty mentor factor into your project's completion? State this in your own words, and also include a paragraph-long statement from your faculty mentor in which they indicate how they will be supporting you in your project.
      • What is your intended schedule for the project's production?
      • Explain your ability and commitment to seeing the project through.

      Applications open three times a year, with deadlines on the last day of the month in January, September, and May. Applications must be submitted via online form. The application link is shared with all eligible students in the Department of Art via email and social media as soon as applications open. Reach out to the front desk at artdepartment@byu.edu with any questions.

    Graduate Funding

    Graduate students who are fully enrolled and in good standing in their program are eligible for Graduate Studies scholarships for the first 4 semesters (MA Art Education) or 6 semesters (MFA Art) of their degree program. These scholarships vary in amount depending on the number of students enrolled in the program, but tend to offset around half the cost of graduate LDS tuition for a fully-enrolled student. Eligible graduate students do not need to apply to receive this funding.

    These are tuition scholarships, and as such are applied to the awardee's Financial Center account at the beginning of each semester after the student has successfuly registered for the number of credit hours required. The scholarship funds are automatically applied toward any outstanding charges (tuition, insurance, fees, etc.) and the remainder is then disbursed to the bank account associated with the Financial Center.

    Additional financial support is available in the form of employment within the department, teaching assistantships/instructorships, and Need-Based Scholarships.