Fashion Scholarships

Pursuing an education in fashion isn’t all about becoming a household name and watching your creations march down a runway. It’s about being creative and refining your talent to not only make yourself marketable, but to learn what works and what doesn’t. From the designers to the stylists to those in charge of merchandising, a career in fashion can also mean a career in big business, so you need to be savvy enough to recognize not only what looks good, but how to present and sell what you’ve worked so hard to accomplish.

There is more to it, and fashion and design enthusiasts can see that. By majoring in fashion, students can realize their creative streak and refine their talent. Unfortunately, there are only so many Giorgio Armanis and Donatella Versaces, so students who want to make it big must work hard. Fashion doesn't stop when class lets out. Internships, travel (maybe even studying abroad), work, and work, and work are all a part of the industry.

Fashion scholarships exist in both the fields of design and merchandising and, as they will be competitive, you’ll most likely need to show a scholarship committee why you’re their best bet for a particular award in the form of designs you’ve come up with or other creative outlets you’ve pursued. Many will be awarded in the form of competitions, so you should be prepared to be judged against other bright talents from across the country. Fashion scholarships through schools specializing in fashion and merchandising will usually take not only your creativity into account but your academic achievements, as well, so it wouldn’t hurt to work on your GPA in between preparing those design portfolios.

We’ve pulled some examples of fashion scholarships from the Scholarships.com database and listed them below. For more examples of fashion scholarships, conduct a free scholarships search, indicating your major in your profile. You can also look for scholarship awards based on other criteria, because if you’re interested in fashion, you’re probably a creative individual who may be eligible to win a number of other scholarships outside the realm of fashion.

#LiveLikeLyly Memorial Scholarship
Application Deadlines: May 31, Annually
In 2015, we have added a new scholarship for aspiring fashion and graphic design students: The #LiveLikeLyly Memorial Scholarship in honor of a special member of the ATG family Lyly Koenig Mendez. The purpose of the #LiveLikeLyly Memorial Scholarship is to provide financial assistance and promotion of Asian-American college students pursuing a major in fashion and/or graphic [...] More

CBC Spouses Visual Arts Scholarship
Application Deadlines: April 29, Annually
The CBC Spouses Visual Arts Scholarship is for students with majors in the visual arts including, but not limited to, architecture, ceramics, drawing, fashion, graphic design, illustration, interior design, painting, photography, sketching, video production and other decorative arts.

Eligibility:
-U.S. citizen or permanent U.S. resident
-Currently/planning to be enrolled in the upcoming [...] More

Congress-Bundestag Youth Exchange for Young Professionals
Application Deadlines: December 01, Annually
CBYX for Young Professionals is a yearlong fellowship, funded by the German Bundestag and U.S. Congress through the U.S. Department of State. The program annually gives 75 American young professionals the opportunity to study, work, and live with a host in Germany. The CBYX program consists of three phases: two months of German language school; four months of classes in your career field at a [...] More

Helen Brett Scholarship
Application Deadlines: June 01, Annually
The Helen Brett Scholarship was established by Robert Kolinek, CEM, CMP, and named for his grandmother, Helen Brett, who was a pioneer in the trade show industry. The purpose of the scholarship is to assist individuals who are enrolled in a four-year degree program with a focus on the study of exhibition and event management. The scholarship serves to promote the exhibitions and events industry [...] More

Mount Mary University/Frederick Layton Art Scholarship for Incoming First-Year & Transfer Students
Application Deadlines: January 23, Annually
The Frederick Layton Art Scholarship Program is named in honor of Frederick Layton, 1827-1919, an early Milwaukee patron of the arts and founder of the Layton Art Gallery (1888-1955) where the Layton School of the Arts and Design (1920-1972) originated.

The trustees of the Layton Foundation established the Frederick Layton Art Scholarship to perpetuate Frederick Layton's legacy of bringing [...] More

Nellie Martin Carman Scholarship Fund
Application Deadlines: March 01, Annually
Founded in 1949, the Nellie Martin Carman Scholarship is available to graduating seniors from public high schools in King, Pierce, and Snohomish counties in Washington state. Application forms are only available through these high schools and candidates for the scholarship are nominated by their school each year. Awards range from $500 to $2,000 a year, and scholarships are renewable for four (4) [...] More

South Dakota Retailers Association Jerry Wheeler Scholarship Program
Application Deadlines: April 18, Annually
SDRA's Jerry Wheeler Scholarship program is designed to encourage and support students studying for a career in retailing. To be eligible, applicant must be enrolled in or planning to enroll in a retail-related course of study at a technical school, college or university, or other trade school in the fall of the application year. Enrollment in an online program is acceptable if applicant meets [...] More

YMA Fashion Scholarship Fund
Application Deadlines: November 13, Annually
The YMA Scholarship Fund regards its grants as a very worthwhile investment in the future of the fashion industry, and since its inception in 1971, has awarded over $6MM in scholarships to thousands of students.

Scholarships are available only to students from YMA Fashion Scholarship fund member universities, which offer a range of design and business oriented programs across the U.S. [...] More