Home > Financial Aid > College Scholarships > Scholarships by Major > Film Scholarships

Film Scholarships

Whether you picture yourself as the person shouting “Lights, camera, action!” or one of the many professionals involved in providing those elements, a degree in film can help you achieve your career goals. Contrary to popular opinion, film can be a versatile and lucrative college major. Beyond actors and directors, countless other people are involved in film and the term “film” extends far past Hollywood blockbusters. A film degree can prepare you for a variety of roles within this dynamic field and can also help you hone your skills and make your mark on the world with your art.

However practical and fulfilling it may be, a film degree is still expensive. While federal aid and student loans can help you shoulder the burden of your film school bills, taking on too much debt can limit your post-graduation prospects and make it hard to get your film career off the ground. Luckily, there are a number of film scholarships to help you pay for school.

You can read through the examples on this page to get an idea of some of the film scholarships available to film students. Some are academic scholarships specifically for film majors, while others are video contests open to everyone. Your college may offer some film scholarships specifically for majors and a variety of local and national awards like those given by AFI and the Screen Actors Guild. There are numerous other film scholarship opportunities out there, too, both based on your major and on other award criteria. To find a full list of scholarships you may qualify for based on your unique characteristics, conduct a free scholarship search on Scholarships.com.

Austin Alliance for Women in Media Scholarship

Application Deadline: 3/1/2020
Amount: $5,000
Applicants must complete 75+ hours of college course work by December of the year of the award, but must not graduate before December. Must have a inimum 3.25 GPA out of 4.0 and must be enrolled as a full-time student (carrying a minimum of 12 hours per semester) at an Austin or San Marcos area university, with a declared major in radio, television, film, digital media, public relations, [...] More

CBC Spouses Visual Arts Scholarship

Application Deadline: 3/31/2020
Amount: $3,000
The CBC Spouses Visual Arts Scholarship was established in 2006 to provide financial assistance to African-American or Black students who are pursuing a degree in the visual arts. Visual arts include architecture, ceramics, drawing, fashion, graphic design, illustration, interior design, painting, photography, sketching, video production, etc.

Selected applicants will be constituents of a CBC [...] More

Francis D. Lyon Scholarship

Application Deadline: 3/15/2020
Amount: $3,000
The Francis D. Lyon Scholarships are available to students of film making. Mr. Lyon had a distinguished motion picture and television career as a film editor, director and producer. He received an Oscar from the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences for best film editor in 1948 for the movie "Body and Soul."

Both undergraduate and graduate students are invited to apply. To be considered [...] More

Sandy Schenker Capell Scholarship

Application Deadline: 4/1/2020
Amount: $2,500
The Sandy Schenker Capell scholarship was created to honor Sandy and her commitment to mentoring and developing young talent. The scholarship will be awarded each year to a Houston area high school senior interested in a career in media. The ideal candidate will represent the qualities that Sandy exuded in her daily life. For more information or to apply, please visit the scholarship provider's [...] More

The Charles & Lucille King Family Foundation

Application Deadline: 3/15/2020
Amount: $7,000
The Charles & Lucille King Family Foundation awards scholarships to outstanding undergraduate students studying television and film production. Awards are given to juniors and seniors who demonstrate academic excellence, financial need, and professional potential. For more information or to apply, please visit the scholarship provider's [...] More

Upper Midwest Emmy Chapter/Foundation Scholarships

Application Deadline: 2/5/2020
Amount: $3,000
The NATAS-Upper Midwest Chapter/Foundation offers $2,500 student scholarship grants to be used for tuition & books. Scholarships are open to high school and college/university students living in the five-state area served by the Upper Midwest Chapter of the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences. (Minnesota, North Dakota, South Dakota, Iowa & western Wisconsin).

Applicants must [...] More

Latest College & Financial Aid News

Gucci Gaffe Results in Green for Grads

October 8, 2019

by Susan Dutca-Lovell

Gucci is releasing a new line of... diversity undergraduate scholarships for students who are "traditionally underrepresented in the fashion industry." The 1.5 million U.S. university college scholarship program is set to run for four years, targeting students who attend four-year universities. Special consideration will be given to those residing in Atlanta, Chicago, Detroit, Houston, Los Angeles, Miami, New Orleans, New York, Philadelphia, San Francisco, Toronto and Washington, D.C and/or for those who plan to attend or are currently attending a Historically Black College and University (HBCU). [...]

Texas A&M Working to Re-enroll College Stopouts

September 26, 2019

by Susan Dutca-Lovell

Not every student who goes to college completes their degree, much less finishes it within the "normal" four-year time frame. The Texas of A&M University has spent years working to re-enroll students who stopped out of college for a year or more, and may have found a solution in partnering with ReUp Education. [...]

PBS Airs Documentary About Higher Ed in Prison

September 18, 2019

by Susan Dutca-Lovell

Photo credit: Jared Ames

A new PBS documentary exhibiting prison education, titled "College Behind Bars" is set to air on November 25 and 26. The four-part series documents the journeys of dozens of incarcerated men and women as they pursue college degrees in the Bard Prison Initiative - deemed one of the most rigorous prison education programs in the United States, according to Inside Higher Ed. [...]