How to Get an Architecture Scholarship

As an architecture student, you should seek out as many sources of scholarship money as you are able so that you can take out fewer student loans and reduce your overall debt once you graduate from college. However, competition for scholarship money is fierce. You will need to put forth significant effort through both high school and college if you plan to secure as much scholarship money as possible.

Instructions

1. Apply yourself. You will need to receive good grades in both high school and college if you are to secure free aid. The majority of scholarships for architecture students are awarded primarily -- or at least partly -- on the basis of an applicant's grade point average. You should also hone your writing skills, as some architectural scholarships require you to submit an essay.

2. Contact the department of architecture at the school you wish to attend to inquire about available institutional and departmental scholarships and apply for all you are qualified to receive. You should do this as soon as possible as the deadlines for school-specific scholarships vary. Most departments of architecture offer scholarships to attending students. For example, the College of Design at Iowa State University offers several scholarships ranging in value from $1,000 to $2,500. You will have the greatest chance of winning scholarships offered by your school simply because the applicant pool will be smaller than for regional and national scholarships.

3. Explore scholarship opportunities available from state and regional sources, and apply for all that exist. Some architectural firms offer scholarship assistance to local architecture students. In addition, many states have architectural societies that offer scholarships specifically to students from the state. The South Dakota Society of American Institute of Architects and the American Institute of Architects of Nebraska are two such organizations that offer scholarships to architecture students.

4. Apply for all scholarships available from national architectural societies. Although the applicant pools for these scholarships are large, you maximize your chances of getting an architecture scholarship by applying for all available scholarships. Several professional organizations offer scholarships to students throughout the United States, including the Center for Architecture Foundation and the American Architectural Foundation. Some -- such as the Hispanic American Construction Industry Association and the Association for Women in Architecture -- offer scholarships to specific groups of students.

Tips & Warnings

• Always remember to completely fill out scholarship applications, to submit all required documents along with your application, and to submit them before the application deadline. Incomplete or late application packets are seldom considered.

References

• American Architectural Foundation
• Center for Architecture Foundation: Grants + Scholarships Overview
• Association for Women in Architecture: Scholarships
• Hispanic American Construction Industry Association Scholarship Foundation
• Iowa State, College of Design: Scholarships
• University of Nebraska, College of Architecture: Scholarships