application deadline:

April 30, 2019

scholarship instructions
B AC KGRO U N D
AIGA Worldstudio scholarships benefit minority and
economically disadvantaged students who are studying art
and design disciplines in colleges and universities in the United
States. Our primary aims are to increase diversity in the creative
professions, and to foster social and environmental responsibility
in the artists, designers, and studios of tomorrow.
To this end, scholarship recipients are selected not only for
their talent and their need, but also for their demonstrated
commitment to giving back to the larger community through
their work.
Basic scholarships are awarded in amounts of $2,000–$3,000.
One or two top awards may be given in an amount up to
$5,000 at the jury’s discretion. Honorable mention prizes in
the amount of $500 cash are also awarded. Each award is paid
directly to the recipient’s school and applied toward tuition.
For the first time, recipients will also receive a one-year
AIGA membership.
ELIGIBILIT Y
Educational Requirements
• Students must have at least a 2.0 GPA.
• Applicants must be pursuing undergraduate or graduate
degrees in one of the following disciplines:
• Graphic design
• Illustration
• Photography
*Note: Apply in the category that best matches your major.
Citizenship Requirements
• Applicants must be citizens of the United States or be in
possession of a Green Card (formally known as a Permanent
Resident Card or Form I-551).
• Applicants must be matriculated (or planning to matriculate) at
accredited colleges and universities in the United States for the
Fall 2019/Spring 2020 academic year and must maintain
full-time status for the entire year.

Additional Criteria
PREVIOUS RECIPIENTS Scholarships are only awarded to students who are in financial
O N T H E COV E R: need; applicants must, therefore, provide complete financial aid
information on the scholarship form and have the form signed
1. Ca rme n Nu ñ ez-H er na ndez, 20 1 8
by a financial aid officer.
2 . Cam e ro n Du r h am , 20 15
3. Zem o r i a Mat h is , 20 1 8 Though not a requirement, minority status is a significant factor
4. Ter ran c e P u rd y, 20 1 8 considered in jury decisions.
5. B ryant Santamar i a , 20 15
6. Trac ey LaGu e r re, 20 17
7. Am e ra Ri me L u l u , 20 17
8. Pa nte h a A b rae s h i , 20 1 8

financial
need

portfolio minority
review status

Page 2
 application deadline:
April 30, 2019

TO APPLY
In order to fill out an application, you must have a complimentary
AIGA web account. Log in to check if you have an account, or
you can create a new account at my.aiga.org. Membership is
encouraged, but is not a requirement.
The application is available at aiga.org/worldstudio-scholarship.
To edit your application, you may log back in until the deadline
of April 30.
3. W R I T T E N STAT E M E N T
You will need to write a statement of purpose (400 words
max) incorporating the following:
1. A brief autobiography, explaining how your
experiences have influenced your creative work and
your career plans.
2. In the future, how do you see yourself as a creator
contributing to the community at large?

1 . PERSON AL INF ORM ATION

Please keep in mind:
• Name Scholarships are awarded to encourage social and environmental
• Social security number responsibility and cultural awareness in the next generation
• Date and location of your birth of artists and designers. It is important for us to see how you
• Racial/ethnic identity intend to do this through your design or artwork. Graduate
• Address at school students will not be considered unless their statements and
• Permanent address work directly address these concerns.

Examples of a commitment to a social agenda:

2 . SCHOOL I N FORM ATION
• Work that clearly demonstrates positive social change.
• U.S. college or university attending in the 2019/2020 • Work that addresses identity politics (i.e., cultural,
academic year ethnic, sexual or gender identity)
• College grade level the student will be in for the Fall • Demonstration of a clear career path (not just “I
2019/Spring 2020 academic year (i.e. freshman, hope...”), such as to teach, mentor, work with young
sophomore, etc.) people, serve your community, etc.
• Degree sought
• Expected graduation date
• Major
• Schools attended, years in attendance, graduation
dates and degree(s)
• Official university transcript, including current GPA

*Note: If you have not received an acceptance letter from

the school to which you applied, put down your first choice.
If you are awarded a scholarship, you will need to provide
proof of acceptance from the school and financial aid
officer contact information.

Page 3
 application deadline:
April 30, 2019

4. F I N A N C I A L I N F O R M AT I O N
CHEAT
The online application will ask you for the
following financial information. Use this
cheat sheet to prepare your information
All students will need to complete this section, which
documents a student’s official unmet need, as supplied by their SHEET prior to entering it into the online
application. (Don’t send this in!)
college or university’s financial aid officer. This information must
COST OF TUITION
be accompanied by the officer’s contact information.
ANNUAL COST OF LIVING/OTHER
We must be able to verify your numbers should you be selected SCHOOL EXPENSES
for an award.
TOTAL AMOUNT OF FAMILY
Before filling out this section, please complete your online FAFSA AND PERSONAL CONTRIBUTIONS
application at www.fafsa.ed.gov. Those figures should be used as TOWARD TOTAL EXPENSES
reference in completing this portion of the application. If current
FINANCIAL AID 2019/2020 IN
figures are not available, use last year’s figures or work with your
THE FORM OF SCHOLARSHIPS,
financial aid officer to estimate to the best of your ability. GRANTS, ETC.

*A note about taxes: For the most part, scholarship money is FINANCIAL AID 2019/2020 IN
not considered income and is therefore not taxed. According to THE FORM OF LOANS
the IRS (specifically, IRS Publication 970) scholarships are tax-free
under the following circumstances: FINANCIAL AID OFFICER
INFORMATION
• The candidate is at an eligible educational institution. NAME OF FINANCIAL AID
• The scholarship money is used for qualified expenses, OFFICER
which include tuition and fees, books, and course-
or degree-related costs (like supplies required for INSTITUTION OF FINANCIAL AID
specific classes). OFFICER

Room and board, travel, or other expenses associated with a FINANCIAL AID OFFICER EMAIL
college education are not considered qualified expenses and are
FINANCIAL AID OFFICER PHONE
therefore taxable. NUMBER

Award winners are responsible for spending scholarship money

according to IRS regulations.

Page 4

5. PORTFOLIO REQUIREM ENTS
5–10 examples of your work
Must include explanatory captions. The jury prefers to see
cohesion between multiple examples that indicates an
overarching theme or thesis behind your work.
Self portrait
This portrait can be made with any medium and doesn’t have
to be a literal representation or photograph—just what you
perceive as the best representation of yourself. Need inspiration?
Take a look at self portraits from previous winners on the cover
of this packet.
File size and format for static images
• Images will be viewed on screen so save as RGB, not
in CMYK colorspace.
• You will not be able to upload images that do not
meet the specifications.
• Your image must be greater than or equal to 1200
pixels wide.
• Your file formats must be one of the following:
JPG/JPEG, GIF, PNG
• The following file types will not be accepted: DCR, TIF,
EPS, PDF
Proper file labeling
• Label each file with last name followed by the number
of the image. i.e., smith_01.jpeg
• Label each file with the proper extension (.jpg, .jpeg,
.gif, .png).
• File names must not contain any blank spaces or odd
characters such as brackets or apostrophes. Use
underscores or hyphens.
Submitting motion, film and animation files
If you would like to submit movies, motion graphics, or interactive
files for your portfolio you must submit electronically by including
publicly accessible and working links (for example; YouTube and
Vimeo) in your online application.
Page 5
application deadline:
April 30, 2019
Tips for presenting an online portfolio
Remember that your work will be viewed on a computer screen.
• Images should be an original digital file when possible.
Otherwise, make sure photographs or scans or work
are properly lit and in focus.
• Feature your work as simply and as clearly as possible.
• Single images read much better than multiples.
• Display boards with multiple images and text do not
work. For example, a 30"x40" presentation board is
not appropriate because when reduced the images
and text are too small.
References
You must provide two letters of recommendations from
individuals who know you and your work—teachers,
employers, counselors, etc.
Your references will be sent a link automatically from the
online application system, via the email addresses you provide,
to complete their recommendations only after your application is
finalized. You cannot upload your own letters of recommendation.
Letters of recommendation must be received within 24 hours of
the final deadline.
Mailing in materials
All information should be uploaded. If for some reason
transcripts and/or letters of recommendation cannot be
uploaded, please contact scholarship@aiga.org.
A N Y M AT E R I A L S YO U M A I L
M U S T B E R E C E I V E D BY A P R I L 30,
2 0 1 9 . T H I S I S N OT A P O S T M A R K
D E A D L I N E . L AT E A P P L I C AT I O N S
W I L L B E D I S QUA L I F I E D.