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 Financial, Billing and Enrollment Center. For more scholarship resources, please visit the Kent State University Scholarship page.
Kent State University Scholarship page
Applicants must have a current FAFSA on file in the Financial, Billing and Enrollment Center 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 Meta Hausser, special assistant, at mhausser@kent.edu.
Current Students
SCHOLARSHIPS FOR SPRING 2025
Applicants must have a current FAFSA on file in the Student Financial Aid Office before applying for School of Art scholarships.
Applications for Spring 2025 open July 21, 2024 and close November 15, 2024 at midnight.
Awards will be announced at our annual scholarships celebration.
How to Prepare a Digital Portfolio
First-Year Art Scholarship
Multiple awards in varying amounts totaling ranging from $500–$1000. 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
William & Hazel Schock Scholarship
1 $500 award to an undergraduate of any School of Art major
1 $500 award to an MFA student in Painting or Drawing
- portfolio of 10 works of drawing or painting
- 3.0 or higher GPA
- FAFSA on file
Denise Rhea-Adams Scholarship
Scholarships for School of Art students.
No application.
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
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
Janice Lessman-Moss Scholarship in Textiles
Two $1000 awards for undergraduate textiles majors in the School of Art.
- 3.0 Min GPA
- Financial Need
- Sophomore, Junior or Senior standing
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.
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.
- Awarded to a graduating undergraduate or graduate student based on a portfolio of 15 original prints
Fill out and print the application form linked below and include it with your physical portfolio. Portfolios are to be dropped off in the print studio in the Center for the Visual Arts, room 304B. Contact professor Taryn McMahon at tmcmaho5@kent.edu with any questions. Deadline: Friday, March 7 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. A $1000 award for one undergraduate student and a $1000 award for one graduate student will be given based on:
- a portfolio of 15 original prints
Fill out and print the application form linked below and include it with your physical portfolio. Portfolios are to be dropped off in the print studio in the Center for the Visual Arts, room 304B. Taryn McMahon at tmcmaho5@kent.edu with any questions. Deadline: Friday March 7 at 5 p.m.
Scholarships for Spring Semester
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 the 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.
Incoming Students
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 determined through high school scholastic portfolio competition in the regional Scholastic Awards competition. Contact Arron Foster afoste24@kent.edu for more information.
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 a degree and continued minimum award GPA