collageFUND YOUR FUTUREMerit- and Need-Based Awards, Grants and Scholarship Opportunities
SVA awards partial tuition merit scholarships to help talented students realize their dreams of becoming professional artists. Scholarships are primarily available to full-time students seeking admission to the fall semester and are based on academic and creative merit.
First-time freshman awards are renewable for each of the subsequent three years, providing the recipient maintains full-time enrollment and a minimum cumulative grade point average of 3.0. Transfer awards are renewable, based on the level of placement at which the student enters SVA, providing the recipient maintains full-time enrollment and a minimum cumulative grade point average of 3.0. Scholarship awards can be deferred only under special circumstances.
For New Students
Silas H. Rhodes Scholarship
Named for SVA’s founder, this competition awards scholarships to applicants from the United States and abroad. The scholarships are awarded strictly on merit and recognize the creative and academic achievements of applicants.
First-time freshman and transfer applicants seeking admission to a full-time undergraduate program with a minimum 3.0 GPA are eligible for this award. SVA scholarship decisions are based on a review of applicants’ portfolios and academic records.
To be considered for a scholarship, you must apply for admission and submit all admissions materials (including a digital portfolio uploaded to SlideRoom) by the appropriate postmark/submission deadline:
- February 1, 2022 for Freshman Fall 2022 Scholarship
- March 1, 2022 for Transfer Fall 2022 Scholarship
- November 1, 2021 for Spring 2022 Scholarship
Students that possess a minimum 3.0 GPA and adhere to the deadlines stated above will automatically be reviewed for scholarship. All applicants, including international students, U.S. citizens and permanent residents are eligible to be considered for scholarship.
SVA does not require a separate application for the Silas H. Rhodes Scholarship. SVA only notifies recipients of the award.
National Scholastic Art Award Scholarships
Working in support of the Alliance for Young Artists & Writers, SVA offers two scholarships through the Scholastic Art Awards national competition. SVA will select two recipients: one in art and design and one in photography from the list of winners forwarded by the Scholastic Art Awards. All candidates included on the list who have identified SVA as one of their top choices of colleges will automatically be considered for these scholarships. Awards will be granted to eligible high school seniors.
There is no additional application procedure for the National Scholastic Art Award Scholarship, and SVA only notifies recipients of the award. Students who have previously been awarded a Silas H. Rhodes Scholarship are not eligible.
For entry information, contact the Alliance for Young Artists & Writers, Inc., 555 Broadway, New York, NY 10012-3999; 212.343.6493; scholastic.com/artandwriting
Ohio Governor’s Youth Art Exhibition
A scholarship is awarded each year to one of the finalists selected by the Ohio Governor’s Youth Art Exhibition. For more information, visit www.state.oh.us/govart.
Funds and Awards
Alumni Society
The SVA Alumni Society administers a variety of donor-established funds. Various scholarships and merit-based awards are available for current students at both the undergraduate and graduate levels in specific instances, primarily by invitation only. For information click here.
In 2021, the Society, in partnership with the Visual Arts Foundation, launched the Emergency Assistance Fund which provides one-time monetary support to currently enrolled, full-time graduate or undergraduate students with extenuating circumstances who are experiencing short-term financial hardship. For complete details and for information about how to apply, please click here.
If you’re interested in donating to the Alumni Society, please click here.
Additional Aid
Financial Aid
Students are considered for merit based awards because of their academic performance and achievement while a student’s financial information is considered for need based awards.
Financial Aid consists of scholarships, need-based grants, and work-study opportunities along with information on other types of aid.
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