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 Deadlines: April 01, Annually
AWM Austin is proud to award scholarships to college juniors and seniors studying media (or related field) at an Austin or San Marcos area university.

Eligibility:
-Complete 75+ hours of college course work by December
-Must not graduate before December
-Minimum 3.25 GPA
-Enrolled as a full-time student (carrying a minimum of 12 hours per semester) at an Austin or San Marcos area [...] More

Betty Harlan Memorial Art Scholarship
Application Deadlines: March 01, Annually
Scholarship applications are read and scored by committees of volunteers who use a "blind" review process.

Eligibility:
-Graduating senior from a public or private high school
-Who resides in Boone, Ogle, or Winnebago County
-Who plans to pursue a degree in visual arts, visual art education, or visual art history
-Has a minimum 2.75 GPA
-Shows involvement in organizations and activities [...] More

Carole Fielding Student Grants
Application Deadlines: December 15, Annually
The UFVA sponsored Carole Fielding Student Grants are not tuition-based scholarships. Rather, they are grants for production or research proposals. The scholarship is open to undergraduate and graduate students in film and television. Faculty sponsors must be UFVA members or must be from UFVA member institutions. Categories are Narrative, Documentary, Experimental, Animation, Multimedia and [...] 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

Francis D. Lyon Scholarship
Application Deadlines: March 15, Annually
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

Interpublic Group Scholarship and Internship
Application Deadlines: January 29, Annually
The New York Women in Communications Foundation, in conjunction with New York Women in Communications, awards the Interpublic Group (IPG) Scholarship and Internship annually based on academic excellence, need and involvement in the field of communications.

Each is awarded to an ethnically diverse student who is currently a college junior and has a demonstrated interest in a career in [...] More

Jack G. Shaheen Mass Communications Scholarship Award
Application Deadlines: March 30, Annually
The Jack G. Shaheen Mass Communications Scholarship was created to honor Arab American students who excel in media studies.

Eligibility:
-Be a currently enrolled as a junior, senior, or graduate student
-Majoring in journalism, radio, television and/or film
-Minimum 3.0 GPA
-Be a U.S. citizen of Arab heritage

Applicants should send the following to the ADC Research Institute:
- [...] More

Liberty Lab for Film Grant
Application Deadlines: April 15, Annually
The Liberty Lab for Film (or LLF) is an advanced program for those who have filmmaking, screenwriting, producing experience and want an opportunity to work alongside like-minded creatives with the guidance of seasoned professionals such as Daniel Knauf, (co-executive producer, NBC's The Blacklist) Adam Simon (creator of the FOX series Salem) and screenwriter David H. Steinberg (American Pie 2) [...] More

Mister Rogers Memorial Scholarship
Application Deadlines: January 31, Annually
The Television Academy Foundation's Mister Rogers Memorial Scholarship Program awards two scholarships to graduating seniors (must be continuing directly to graduate school) and graduate students (Masters or Ph.D) to support and encourage them to pursue a career in children’s media and further the values and principles of Fred Rogers’ work. The scholarships are project-based and may not be used [...] More

MIT Inspire Competition
Application Deadlines: November 30, Annually
MIT INSPIRE is the first national research competition for high school students in the arts, humanities, and social sciences. The competition is organized by MIT undergraduates. Participating high school students, as individuals or teams of two will submit research reports in one of 13 fields, such as history, economics, or philosophy. Approximately 100 finalists with the most exceptional reports [...] More

New York Women in Communications Inc. Foundation Scholarship Program
Application Deadlines: January 31, Annually
The New York Women in Communications Foundation, in conjunction with New York Women in Communications, awards scholarships annually based on academic excellence, need and involvement in the field of communications.

Eligibility:
-High school seniors who are permanent residents of NY, NJ, CT or PA, attend a high school in one of these states, and will graduate this spring
-College [...] More

Sandy Schenker Capell Scholarship
Application Deadlines: April 01, Annually
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 scholarship will be managed and funds raised by the Media Alliance of Houston. The ideal candidate will represent the qualities that Sandy exuded in her [...] More

The BLR Scholarship: Film Edition
Application Deadlines: August 31, Annually
The first of its kind, the BLR Scholarship seeks to spread awareness of protecting one's family or business with life insurance, but with a unique twist! Students of photography and filmography are asked to portray the emotional characteristics of life insurance with use of photography, video, and music.

Eligibility:
-Applicants must be a student of film, photography, videography or similar [...] More

The Charles & Lucille King Family Foundation
Application Deadlines: March 15, Annually
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 [...] More

The Collective Bill Caspare Memorial Fund Scholarship
Application Deadlines: July 08, Annually
The Collective Bill Caspare Memorial Fund Scholarship was established by Collective LLC, through the O'Toole Media Awards, to support diversity in the New Media and Data Science disciplines within advertising and media. Three talented, diverse students will each be awarded a scholarship based on outstanding talent.

Eligibility:
-Are a U.S. citizen or permanent resident
-Are African [...] More

The Floyd Mayweather Jr. Foundation: Advancement of Women in Sports & Entertainment Scholarship
Application Deadlines:
The Floyd Mayweather Jr. Foundation Scholarship for the Advancement of Women in Sports & Entertainment is intended for eligible college and graduate school women who desire to work and contribute their efforts within the field. Due to the under-representation of this demographic in the industry, this scholarship fund has been established in order to aid women in furthering their education, [...] More

The James Alan Cox Foundation for Student Photojournalists
Application Deadlines: November 15, Annually
Founded in memory of James Alan Cox, a television photojournalist, The James Alan Cox Foundation for Student Photographers aims to provide financial support to student photographers of high school and college age. Through a variety of funding, including equipment purchases and scholarships for college and technical school classes, the foundation’s mission is to expand educational and [...] More

Upper Midwest Emmy Chapter/Foundation Scholarships
Application Deadlines: February 05, Annually
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)

For consideration [...] More

Yuchengco: Maria Elena Yuchengco Memorial Journalism Scholarship
Application Deadlines: April 01, Annually
This award was established in honor of Maria Elena Yuchengco, who graduated summa cum laude from the University of San Francisco and was instrumental in the founding of Filipinas Magazine.

Eligibility:
-Incoming freshman or current, full-time undergraduate at an accredited four-year college/university in the upcoming academic year
-Major in journalism
-Filipino (at least 50%)
-Minimum 3.0 [...] More