- Most art and journalism scholarships are based on merit. This means that students are judged based on the quality of their work. Merit-based art scholarships go to students with exceptional talent and a strong body of work. For example, the The Art Institute of Pittsburgh offers scholarships to applicants with outstanding skills. Journalism scholarships with a merit element are reserved for students who demonstrate especially keen writing skills. Some art and journalism scholarships are need-based, which means the organizations that offer them consider the finances of students who apply and try to award the scholarships to students who might otherwise not be able to afford college tuition.
- Many different organizations offer scholarships for art and journalism students. Many of these are non-profit groups that support the humanities and cultural concerns in society. For example, the Asian American Journalists Association offers scholarships to students of Asian descent, while the Overseas Press Club Foundation offers journalism scholarships to students who plan to work in foreign countries.
Colleges and universities are another source. Besides the scholarships they offer all students, art and journalism departments sometimes offer their own scholarships. These allow the faculty members to provide an incentive for applicants they especially want to work with. Art and journalism scholarships from universities and academic departments usually appear as deductions on student's tuition bills, automatically reducing the cost of college. - Each art or journalism scholarship requires the student to file an application. Besides basic contact information, the application will usually include a section for short answers where a student will provide information about her plans for college and specific areas of interest. Merit-based scholarships also typically require students to supply work samples. For a journalism scholarship this may mean a series of sample articles in a variety of formats. Art students will need to submit slides or appear in person to show original work.
- Competition for art and journalism scholarships can be strong and the challenge of choosing from among a pool of talented applicants is an imprecise, subjective process for scholarship committees. Before you apply make sure you're happy with the work samples you will be submitting. As you near the end of your high school career, consider producing new work specifically for scholarship applications. Choose work that demonstrates your range of ability as well as your own personal specialty. Be honest in filling out the paper application and discuss your plans for the future, including after college, and how you see your work benefiting the lives of other members of your community.