Scholarships for your education

Scholarships are available from more sources than you can possibly imagine, but the bad news is that you are going to have to invest some considerable time in sifting through the opportunities and then demonstrate that you're the best candidate for the money.

Go local

So where to start? Perhaps the best place to start looking is close to home. Your high school will keep a list of scholarships available to its students. Some will be specific to the school (perhaps financed by alumni), will be specific to the place and some will be more general. Clearly, the more specific the scholarship to your circumstances, the less competition there will be.

The second place to look should be the college or university you wish to attend. All have departments dedicated to helping students in all matters related to financial aid, and these departments will know of scholarships specific to your school and even to your degree program.

Widen the net

Next, you should cast your net more widely. There are many excellent sites that will help you search out scholarships. You can try FinAid , Peterson's, FastWeb and Scholarships.com.

For studying abroad, check out the excellent American Institute for Foreign Study website. Also, StudyAbroadFunding.org is a useful place to start for specific Fashion Design, Graphic Arts and Design, Interior Design, Photography, and Visual Arts grants and scholarships.

Pick a niche

For scholarships specific to art and design schools, here is a helpful list to get you started. If you know of any more that should be added to this list, or if you find any broken links or outdated information, let us know.

• Alexander S. Onassis Public Benefit Foundation
• Alliance for Young Artists & Writers Scholastic Art and Writing Awards New Scholarship
• American Architectural Foundation
• Armed Forces Communications and Electronics Association (AFCEA) - Computer Graphic Design Scholarships
• ARTSawards - National Foundation for Advancement in the Arts
• Art Instruction Schools (AIS) Scholarships
• ASCAP Foundation
• Association for Women Journalists
• Beinecke Scholarship Program
• Charles & Lucille King Family Foundation
• Durrant Foundation
• Fashion Group Foundation
• International Furnishings and Design Association
• Jacob Javits Fellowship Program
• Liberace Foundation for the Performing and Creative Arts
• Milotte Scholarship Fund
• National Endowment for the Arts John Renna Art Scholarships New Scholarship
• National Gallery of Art
• National Press Photographers Association
• North American Nature Photography Association
• Princess Grace Awards
• Robert P. Scripps Graphic Arts Scholarships
• Royal Academy of Arts - Starr Foundation Scholarship
• Samuel H. Kress Foundation
• School of Photography.com
• Society of Illustrators and Hallmark Corporate Foundation
• Stained Glass Association of America
• Straight Forward Media Art School Scholarships New Scholarship
• Thurgood Marshall Scholarship Fund
• TwoTen Foundation
• Women in Film
• Women's Studio Workshop
• Worldstudio Foundation