Scholarships
Scholarships and Awards in the School of Art
Students in the School of Art can receive merit- and need-based aid through the following scholarship opportunities. All scholarships are awarded through the Student Financial Aid Office. For more scholarship resources, please visit the Kent State University Scholarship page.
Applicants must have a current FAFSA on file in the Student Financial Aid Office before applying for School of Art scholarships.
You must be registered full time during the semester for which the scholarship is awarded. In the spring, the Scholarship Committee considers applications for fall of the coming academic year; in the fall, the committee considers applications for the coming spring semester.
Scholarships are available for both current and incoming students.
Questions about School of Art scholarships? Contact Lisa Everson, administrative clerk, at lheld2@kent.edu or 330-672-1351.
Current Students
Scholarships for Spring 2022
Applications are open Sept. 24, 2021
Deadline: Oct. 29 at 11 p.m.
UNDERGRADUATE ART SCHOLARSHIP
Multiple awards to School of Art majors in any discipline awarded based on one of the following samples of work created while enrolled at Kent State School of Art:
- Studio Art majors will submit a digital portfolio of 10-15 artworks (see application for details on file requirements)
- Art History majors will submit a research paper
- Art Education majors may submit a digital portfolio of 10 artworks, a research paper or a lesson plan.
These factors are also considered:
- GPA of 3.0 or higher
- Financial need (current FAFSA must be on file)
Denise Rhea-Adams Scholarship
Scholarships for School of Art majors.
Qualified students are selected for this scholarship. No application required.
The Frank D. Susi Scholarship in Art Education
One $800 tuition scholarship will be awarded to an undergraduate art education major who shows financial need and meets the following requirements.
- Minimum 3.2 GPA
- In student teaching during the semester of the award
- Current FAFSA on file with Student Aid
No application required. Art education faculty will recommend qualified students.
SCHOLARSHIPS FOR FALL 2022
Applicants must have a current FAFSA on file in the Student Financial Aid Office before applying for School of Art scholarships.
Deadline: TBD
Awards will be announced in April.
How to Prepare a Digital Portfolio
Open to all majors:
First-Year Art Scholarship
Multiple awards in varying amounts totaling $5,000. Open to all majors completing their first year. Awarded based on:
- A portfolio of 10 works created while enrolled at Kent State or, for art history and art education majors, a research paper created while enrolled at Kent State
- Good academic standing
- Financial need
Denise Rhea-Adams Scholarship
Scholarships for School of Art students.
No application.
Jack and Dora Tippens Scholarship in Foundations
$500 award for a student exhibiting outstanding work in the Foundations Show, as judged by Foundations faculty. No application.
Students majoring in Studio Art:
Marjorie L. Collins Scholarship
One $10,000 scholarship and two $2,500 scholarships awarded based on:
- BFA major in any Studio Art discipline in the School of Art
- Outstanding portfolio of 15 to 20 works created at Kent State
- A 3.0 or higher GPA and good academic progress
- Financial need
Richard R. Sweet Memorial Scholarship in Art and Design
One $460 award for a student enrolled as a print media and photography, painting, drawing or sculpture major or minor. Awarded based on:
- Must be a graduate of a Portage County high school
- Full-time student with a GPA of 3.0 or higher
- Digital portfolio and cover letter
The Nancy Oldham Seibert Art Scholarship in Painting
Two $1,000 awards for undergraduate painting majors in the School of Art.
- Portfolio of 10 works created at Kent State
- A 3.0 or higher GPA
- Full-time student majoring in painting
- Current FAFSA on file with Financial Aid
Students majoring in Art Education:
Carol Klingel Scholarship for Art Education
One scholarship award of $800 for:
- Art education major
- Junior or senior standing
- Minimum 3.0 GPA.
- Awarded based on essay explaining "Why I Want to Teach Art"
The Frank D. Susi Scholarship in Art Education
One $800 tuition scholarship will be awarded to an undergraduate art education major who shows financial need and meets the following requirements:
- Minimum 3.2 GPA
- In student teaching during the semester of the award
- Current FAFSA on file with Student Aid
No application required. Art education faculty will recommend qualified students.
Prizes and Residencies:
Prizes and residencies open to current students.
Deadline is Friday, March 12, 2021 at 5 p.m.
Anthony Bartholomew / Zygote Press Residency
A residency opportunity provided by Cleveland's Zygote Press in memory of Kent State printmaking alumnus Anthony Bartholomew. The two-week residency takes place at Zygote in July, with a $500 stipend.
- Awarded to a graduating undergraduate or graduate student based on a digital portfolio of 15 works.
Instructions on how to submit your portfolio are in the Google Doc linked below. Click "File" then "Make A Copy" to enable typing in the form provided.
Contact Taryn McMahon at tmcmaho5@kent.edu with any questions. Deadline is March 12, 2021, at 5 p.m.
THOMAS D. LITTLE PRIZE FOR EXCELLENCE IN PRINTMAKING
Created in memory of master printer Thomas D. Little, Kent State art student in the mid-1970s. Two awards (one undergraduate, one graduate) totaling $2,000 given based on:
- Based on a digital portfolio of 15 works.
Instructions on how to submit your portfolio are in the Google Doc linked below. Click "File" then "Make A Copy" to enable typing in the form provided.
Contact Taryn McMahon at tmcmaho5@kent.edu with any questions. Deadline is March 12, 2021, at 5 p.m.
Incoming Students
Fall 2021 Scholarships
GRAHAM FAMILY SCHOLARSHIP
Award of $7,500/year ** for an incoming student who will graduate or has graduated from a Carroll County (Ohio) high school.
- Outstanding high school credentials
- Portfolio
Please contact Lisa Everson for application instructions.
Elmer, Virginia & Karen Novotny Scholarship
$2,500 award (disbursed over two semesters) for an incoming first-year major of any discipline in the School of Art.
Award recipient will be determined by nomination.
Dr. Emily Farnham Graduate Scholarship in Art History
Award of $500-$1,700 per semester, renewable for a second semester upon reapplication, for an incoming graduate student in art history. Requires strong credentials in art history, a sample of research writing and a statement of intent for M.A. study. Contact Gustav Medicus for application instructions.
** "Renewable" - may be awarded upon subsequent reapplication, given strong academic progress toward degree and continued minimum award GPA