Scholarships

For students outstanding in their fields

Yeah, we said that... but seriously folks, the outstanding accomplishments in art, design and scholarly research deserve to be rewarded with scholarships and awards for our department’s students.

Additional sources of funding include work-study employment within the department and campus-wide, and structured internship programs provide for on-the-job experiences in certain majors. Internships have been served worldwide.

If your application will include images, consult our image preparation page.

Application Deadline

The application closes at 11:59 pm on Tuesday, February 15, 2022. 

Begin Application

Application Information 

For Currently Enrolled Students: Follow this link to ASAP (Appalachian Scholarship Application Portal). 

Art Education, Art History, Art Management, Graphic Design and Studio Art Majors

Applicants must meet all of the eligibility requirements of each scholarship for which they apply. Scholarship recipients must be enrolled as full-time students each semester in which they expect to receive the scholarship. Incomplete or late applications will not be considered.

Contact artscholarships@appstate.edu if you have any questions. 

Commercial Photography Majors

Contact Chip Williams if you have any questions. 

Graphic Communications Management Majors

Contact Dr. George Glisan if you have any questions. 

 

Opportunities and Eligibility Requirements

Entering Freshmen

Cheap Joe’s Annual Scholarship

Award

  • $500 Spring/$500 Fall

Eligibility

  • Incoming Freshmen or Sophomores
  • BA or BFA Studio Art Majors

Jaroslav & Jarmelia Kabatnik Memorial Scholarship

Award

  • Award amount to be announced
  • Recipient must arrange local exhibition of their work at end of year

Eligibility

  • Rising Junior, Rising Senior, or Entering Freshman BA or BFA Studio Major
  • 3.0 Overall GPA, 3.5 GPA in Art Courses
 

Any Art Major

Petschauer-Polson Penland Scholarship (Peter & Joni Petschauer, Peggy Polson)

Award

  • One 2-week summer workshop residency at Penland School

Eligibility 

  • Rising Sophomore or Rising Junior in any degree track with emphasis and/or prior experience in media offered at Penland.
  • Have not previously been a student or assistant at Penland
  • 3.0 Overall GPA; 3.4 GPA in Art Courses

Martin and Doris Rosen Scholarship

Award

  • Amount to be announced

Eligibility

  • Rising Junior or Rising Senior Art Major (all degree programs)
  • 3.0 Overall GPA 

The Randolph A Johnson Scholarship Endowment for Art

Award

  • Amount to be announced

Eligibility

  • Students who are majoring in art at Appalachian State University 

Art & Visual Culture Majors (with concentrations in Art History, Art Management and Studio Art)

Peggy Polson Art Scholarship

Award

  • Amount to be announced

Eligibility

  • Open to Art and Visual Culture majors (Art History, Art Management, BA Studio Art), BFA Art Education, BFA Graphic Design, and BFA Studio Art majors
  • Sophomore standing or above during the award year (could be a first year student when applying)
  • 3.0 overall GPA
  • Art History majors must have completed a minimum of six hours of Art History coursework and submit an art history research paper. The paper should have been produced as part of the applicant’s art history studies at ASU. It is permissible to rework a paper before submitting it.

Cheap Joe’s Annual Scholarship

Award

  • $500 Spring/$500 Fall

Eligibility

  • Incoming Freshmen or Sophomores
  • BA or BFA Studio Art Majors

Art Education Majors

Peggy Polson Art Scholarship

Award

  • Amount to be announced

Eligibility

  • Open to Art and Visual Culture majors (Art History, Art Management, BA Studio Art), BFA Art Education, BFA Graphic Design, and BFA Studio Art majors
  • Sophomore standing or above during the award year (could be a first year student when applying)
  • 3.0 overall GPA
  • Art History majors must have completed a minimum of six hours of Art History coursework 

Steele-Reese Fund Scholarship to Penland

Award

  • full scholarship for a workshop residency at Penland

Eligibility

  • Rising Sophomore or Rising Junior majoring in Art Education
  • 3.0 Overall GPA; 3.4 GPA in Art Courses

Eva H. Burress Memorial Scholarship

Award

  • Amount to be announced

Eligibility

  • Rising Junior or Rising Senior BFA Studio or Art Education Major
  • 3.0 Overall GPA

Commercial Photography Majors

Open to students earning a BS in Commercial Photography. For more information, contact Chip Williams at williamsch1@appstate.edu.


Maren S. Robinson Photography Scholarship

Award

  • $1,000 in scholarship support for senior year

Eligibility

  • Rising senior and declared Commercial Photography major  
  • Preference given to a rising senior who remains in good academic standing with the University
  • Strong preference given to applicants on the Dean’s List
  • Recipient must be a resident of North Carolina
  • The recipient’s work will be on permanent display throughout their senior year at a location to be determined by the Commercial Photography program.

John Scarlata Memorial Scholarship

Award

  • Amount to be announced

Eligibility

  • Junior level or higher status
  • Declared Commercial Photography major
  • 3.0 GPA or higher 

Graphic Communications Management Majors

Open to students earning a BS in Graphic Communications Management. For more information, contact George Glisan at glisangb@appstate.edu.

NAPCO

Awards

  • Two scholarships awarded per year
  • Amount to be announced
  • Renewable to students who maintain their eligibility

Eligibility

  • rising junior or senior 
  • full time (12 semester hours) students 
  • Graphic Communications Management major
  • minimum GPA of 2.7 overall and 3.0 within their major
 

GCM Advisory Board / John E. Thomas Scholarship

Award

  • Amount to be announced
  • Renewable to students who maintain their eligibility

Eligibility

  • Full time (12 semester hours) students 
  • Graphic Communications Management major
  • Minimum GPA of 2.7 overall and 3.0 within their major

 

Joe L. Seaman Memorial Scholarship

Award

  • Amount to be announced
  • Renewable to students who maintain their eligibility

Eligibility

  • Rising Junior or Senior
  • Graphic Communications Management major
  • Minimum GPA of 3.0

  

John R. Gordon Scholarship

Award

  • Amount to be announced
  • Renewable to students who maintain their eligibility

Eligibility

  • Full time (12 semester hours) students 
  • Graphic Communications Management major
  • Minimum GPA of 2.7 overall and 3.0 within their major

 

Katherine Harper Scholarship

Award

  • Amount to be announced

Eligibility

  • Priority is given to children of employees of Harper Corporation, followed by students majoring in Graphic Communications Management

 

Peter Krusa B. Memorial Scholarship

Award

  • Amount to be announced

Eligibility

  • Full time (12 semester hours) students 
  • Graphic Communications Management major
  • Minimum GPA of 2.5 (3.0 Grade Point Average is preferred)

 

Robert A. Banzhaf Scholarship

Award

  • Amount to be announced

Eligibility

  • Full time (12 semester hours) students 
  • Graphic Communications Management major
  • Minimum GPA of 2.7 overall and 3.0 within their major
 

William Marvin Reese Scholarship

Award

  • Amount to be announced

Eligibility

  • Full time (12 semester hours) students 
  • Graphic Communications Management major
  • Minimum GPA of 2.5 (3.0 Grade Point Average is preferred)

 

Printing Industry of the Carolinas

Award

  • Amount to be announced

Eligibility

  • Graphic Communications Management major
  • GPA of 3.0 GPA or better, or 3.25 GPA for incoming freshman

Graphic Design Majors

Peggy Polson Art Scholarship

Award

  • Amount to be announced

Eligibility

  • Open to Art and Visual Culture majors (Art History, Art Management, BA Studio Art), BFA Art Education, BFA Graphic Design, and BFA Studio Art majors
  • Sophomore standing or above during the award year (could be a first year student when applying)
  • 3.0 overall GPA
  • Art History majors must have completed a minimum of six hours of Art History coursework

Marilyn C. Smith Travel Endowment

Scholarship support to provide educational travel opportunities for students majoring in Graphic Design. 

Award

  • Varies

Eligibility

  • Open to BFA Graphic Design majors
  • Must be enrolled full-time
  • 3.0 overall minimum GPA

BFA Studio Art Majors

Eva H. Burress Memorial Scholarship

Award

  • Amount to be announced

Eligibility

  • Rising Junior or Rising Senior BFA Studio or Art Education Major
  • 3.0 Overall GPA

Cheap Joe’s Annual Scholarship

Award

  • $500 Spring/$500 Fall

Eligibility

  • Incoming Freshmen or Sophomores
  • BA or BFA Studio Art Majors

Jaroslav & Jarmelia Kabatnik Memorial Scholarship

Award

  • Award amount to be announced
  • Recipient must arrange local exhibition of their work at end of year

Eligibility

  • Rising Junior, Rising Senior, or Entering Freshman BA or BFA Studio Major
  • 3.0 Overall GPA, 3.5 GPA in Art Courses

Sherry Edwards Memorial Scholarship

Award

  • Amount to be announced

Eligibility

  • Rising Junior or Rising Senior 
  • BA or BFA Studio Art major with a emphasis in Sculpture
  • 3.0 Overall GPA
  • Student must complete one sculpture course during the award year

Peggy Polson Art Scholarship

Award

  • Amount to be announced

Eligibility

  • Open to Art and Visual Culture majors (Art History, Art Management, BA Studio Art), BFA Art Education, BFA Graphic Design, and BFA Studio Art majors
  • Sophomore standing or above during the award year (could be a first year student when applying)
  • 3.0 overall GPA
  • Art History majors must have completed a minimum of six hours of Art History coursework  

Marianne Stevens Suggs Travel Award for Fibers

Award

  • Amount to be announced
  • Funding is for student travel opportunities

Eligibility

  • Rising junior or senior
  • Declared major in Art with a strong grounding in Fibers
  • Minimum Grade Point Average of 3.0
  • Must be enrolled in at least one Fibers course in the year the award is received

Judy Humphrey Travel Award for Printmaking

Award

  • Amount to be announced
  • Funding is for Department of Art sponsored student travel opportunities

Eligibility

  • Junior or senior
  • Declared major in BFA Studio Art with a concentration in Printmaking
  • Minimum Grade Point Average of 3.0
  • Must be enrolled in at least one Printmaking course in the year the award is received

I have always been a very hard working and driven person. I completely finance my own educational journey, and I have worked very hard to get to where I am. Being chosen for this scholarship makes me feel seen in that work, as well as in the art I make. This scholarship will make my journey smoother and my goals more accessible and attainable, and for that I cannot express enough gratitude.

Felicia Sutton

Scholarships awards ceremony

Awards Ceremony

Every spring, scholarship winners are announced at the Art Expo reception.