Top 33 Photography Scholarships for Students in February 2026

The Powell Scholarship offers financial assistance to graduating high school seniors and undergraduates in Santa Fe Springs, California. Students seeking a professional certificate, associate, or bachelor's degree in music, writing, graphic design, poetry, art, theatre, photography, or film are welcome to apply.Show Less

The Bodie McDowell Scholarship Award is a fantastic opportunity for students in outdoor communications fields. Whether you're into print, photography, film, art, poetry, or broadcasting, this scholarship is open to you. Undergraduate and graduate students are both eligible to apply. The Outdoor Writers Association of America, who sponsors the scholarship, is looking for candidates with clear, significant goals in outdoor communications, as well as examples of their work and letters of recommendation. While academic achievement is considered, it's not among the top three selection criteria. Don't miss out on this chance to further your career in outdoor communications!Show Less

Are you pursuing a degree in visual arts? You might consider applying for the CBC Spouses Visual Arts Scholarship! This scholarship is open to Black high school seniors, college, and graduate students who are studying fields such as architecture, ceramics, fashion, graphic design, illustration, interior design, painting, photography, and video production. The scholarship is funded by the Congressional Black Caucus (CBC) Spouses, an organization comprised of the wives and husbands of African American members of the U.S. Congress. Since 1988, the organization has awarded more than $9 million in scholarships to deserving students. If you’re passionate about visual arts and are seeking funds to help pay for college, we encourage you to apply!Show Less

Are you a high school senior from the Charlotte (NC) region who will be pursuing an undergraduate degree in an arts discipline (e.g. music, dance, theatre, technical theatre, film, digital arts, studio arts, arts administration, arts education, etc.)? If so, consider applying for the Mary Doctor Fine Arts Scholarship Fund! Each year, the scholarship awards up to $10,000 to one to two students from the Charlotte Region who submit the best ~1-page responses to the question "You have now graduated college, what is your big dream?" Applicants from the following counties are eligible to apply: Alexander, Anson, Cabarrus, Catawba, Cleveland, Gaston, Iredell, Lincoln, Mecklenburg, Rowan, Stanley, and Union in North Carolina, or Chester, Chesterfield, Lancaster, or York in South Carolina. If you're a high school senior from an eligible county and will be pursuing an arts degree, we encourage you to apply! Keep on reading to learn more.Show Less

The Jewish Federation of Metropolitan Chicago Academic Scholarship Program offers scholarship funds to help Jewish college and graduate students offset some of their financial burden. To be eligible, applicants must be Jewish, been born and raised in the Chicago metropolitan area (Cook, DuPage, Kane, Lake, McHenry, and Will counties), including Lake County, Indiana or had one continuous year of full-time employment in the Chicago metro area prior to enrollment, intend to return to the Chicago metropolitan area after completing school, and are entering their last two years of an undergraduate program or entering an accredited graduate program in the upcoming academic year. Selected recipients will earn awards worth up to $4,000 each, with the potential to renew. If you're an incoming Jewish college upperclassman or graduate student from the Chicago Metropolitan Area or Lake County, Indiana, we encourage you to apply! Keep on reading to learn more.Show Less

The Mid-Illinois Communications Association Education Scholarship is open to rising college juniors, seniors, and graduate students from Central Illinois or attending a college or university in Central Illinois who are majoring in communications, journalism, public relations, marketing, graphic design, videography, photography or related fields. Each year, one applicant who demonstrates a commitment to pursue a professional career in communications or a related field and service to the field through extracurricular or job activities, will receive a $1,000 scholarship to go toward their postsecondary education. If you're a Central Illinois college upperclassman or graduate student passionate about communications, we encourage you to apply! Keep on reading to learn more.Show Less

The Visual Task Force Scholarship provides financial assistance to high school students and undergraduate or graduate student members of the National Association of Black Journalists (NABJ). Students planning to pursue a degree in a career in visual journalism are encouraged to apply.Show Less

Are you a middle or high school student with a love for creative writing or artwork? If so, consider applying for the Scholastic Art & Writing Awards! The contest is broken up into 28 separate categories/competitions, each with its own age requirements and prompts. Winners will receive between $500 and $12,500, depending on the category. The awards are offered by the Alliance for Young Artists & Writers, a nonprofit organization with a mission to “identify students with exceptional artistic and literary talent and present their remarkable work to the world through the Scholastic Art & Writing Awards.”  If you’re a middle or high school student who’s been wanting to put their creative skills to work, this may be a great opportunity for you. We encourage you to apply!Show Less

Are you pursuing a full- or part-time course of study in the arts? If so, you may be eligible for a scholarship from the Academy of Special Dreams College Scholarship Fund. These scholarship opportunities are for students with a disability who have demonstrated financial need. The scholarship is jointly funded by the College Scholarship Fund and the Working Artists Fund. The College Scholarship Fund targets traditional college-aged students with disabilities who are pursuing either a full- or part-time course of study in any medium of Art. The Working Artists Fund is focused on the disabled adult artist who actively pursues a career or vocation in any artistic field and who occasionally requires financial support to further that career or vocation. If either (or both) of these apply to you, we encourage you to apply for the Academy of Special Dreams College Scholarship Fund! Show Less

Fine art and decorative art are separate subfields of visual art, with the former referring to art created solely to be appreciated for its aesthetic beauty, while the latter typically also serves a practical purpose. Both are highly appreciated for the talent and artistry required to create them. If you're a creator of either type of art, and you hail from Steuben County, New York, the Helen G. Schuyler Scholarship may be a great opportunity for you! To qualify for the $21,700 scholarship, students must be high school seniors graduating from a high school in Steuben County, New York. They must also plan to study fine art (all visual art endeavors including painting, drawing, sculpture, photography, and originally created computer-generated imagery) or decorative art (including, but not limited to: textiles, interior design, tapestry, pottery, and glassmaking) in college. Are you in search of other scholarships you may be eligible for? If so, don't forget to check out our other art scholarships. Don't miss this chance to turn your talents into tuition money!Show Less

Are you interested in becoming a professional artist? If so, consider applying for the F. Lammot Belin Arts Scholarship! The scholarship is open to individuals planning to become professional/fine artists who are residing in or formerly resided in Northeastern Pennsylvania. Peter Belin funds the scholarship in memory of his father, F. Lammot Belin, former Chief of Protocol of the United States. Established to provide financial assistance to artists of outstanding aptitude and promise in the fine arts, the scholarship aims to help artists pursue their desired careers. Every year, they are happy to offer multiple recipients up to $10,000 to use for individual projects, formal or informal study, or travel. If you are passionate about becoming a professional artist and reside in Northeastern Pennsylvania, we encourage you to apply!Show Less

Are you an artistically driven individual who uses art to creatively benefit your community? If so, consider applying for the Trevor Coopersmith Urban Art Scholarship! The Trevor Coopersmith Urban Art Scholarship is open to all artistically driven individuals who utilize their art to creatively benefit their communities. The scholarship is funded by Trevor Coopersmith, a young artist and University of California, Santa Barbara (UCSB) graduate dedicated to helping out his community however he can. During college, Trevor worked four jobs in order to graduate debt-free without any financial support. Thus, he realized his dream was to help others by donating all his works and creating art for his community. Every year, his Urban Art Scholarship awards $350 to help one (1) lucky artist pursue their dreams. If you’re passionate about having a career in arts and are looking for some help to pay off your degree, we encourage you to apply!Show Less

Are you a high school, undergraduate, or graduate student with a passion for photojournalism? If so, consider applying for The James Alan Cox Foundation Student Photojournalism Scholarship! Each year, the scholarship awards Digital SLR cameras to five high school students and $2,500 to six post-secondary students who submit photojournalistic images and news videos that “tell a story.” While high school applicants may only submit photographs, post-secondary students may choose to submit either five (5) digital photos or two (2) videos with a maximum duration of three minutes each. In addition to their photos or videos, applicants must also submit an online application, an essay explaining their photos/videos, a school transcript, financial data, and two letters of recommendation. Bear in mind that high school and undergraduate applicants must be in at least their second/sophomore year. If you’re passionate about photography and want to be rewarded for your efforts and talents, we encourage you to apply!Show Less

The Dow Jones News Fund digital media internships offer a broad range of opportunities for students to flex their various digital skills from video production, photography, podcasting, data visualization, graphic design, website design, audience engagement, and social media management. To apply to the DJNF college internship program, students must complete an online application, attach supporting documentation and take a timed, online test. Applicants must attach 3-5 clips of stories they wrote or links to digital content they produced. For data journalism, they may attach code they have written or a data visualization they created; editors can provide headlines, page designs, or social media posts. Recipients of the scholarship will earn immersive, specialized, all-expenses-paid training at universities before their internships, weekly salaries of at least $525 for a minimum of 10 weeks, and $1,500 scholarships for students and graduates with federal loans. If you want to get some digital media experience under your belt, we encourage you to apply!Show Less

Are you a high school student with a passion for visual arts? If so, the NSHSS Visual Arts Scholarship may be a great opportunity for you! Each year, two (2) $1,000 awards for photography submissions for the scholarship, and two (2) $1,000 awards will be given for painting/drawing/mixed media/digital art submissions. To be considered for the scholarship, applicants must have a minimum 3.5 GPA and submit photos of their artwork, a title and description for their submission (up to 200 words), a letter of recommendation, a resume, a transcript, and a colored headshot of themselves. If you're a college-bound high school student with a passion for the visual arts, we encourage you to apply! Keep on reading to learn more.Show Less

Are you a high school senior or college student interested in photo editing? If so, check out the Pretty Photoshop Actions Annual Scholarship! The scholarship is open to current or prospective college students who are looking to fund their education and write an essay-style tutorial for Adobe Photoshop. A photography business called Pretty Presents & Actions offers the scholarship award annually. The company was started in 2009 and is passionate about providing photo editing services and photography-related products to an international audience. Each year, the business awards $500 to help the lucky recipient pay for their college degree. If you’re a student interested in Adobe Photoshop and looking to fund your education, we encourage you to apply!Show Less

The YoungArts Competition is funded by YoungArts, an organization that identifies exceptional young artists, amplifies their potential, and invests in their lifelong creative freedom. Every year, their YoungArts Competition awards up to $10,000 to multiple high school sophomores, juniors, and seniors passionate about dance, music, design, film, jazz, photography, theater, visual arts, singing, or writing who submit a written piece or video showcasing their talents. If this scholarship sounds like a fit for you, keep on reading for more application details.Show Less

Are you an undergraduate upperclassman or graduate student from New Mexico who is attending a New Mexico four-year nonprofit or public educational institution to pursue a course of study related to advertising or communications? If so, you may be eligible for the American Advertising Federation-New Mexico (AAF-NM) Scholarship Fund! Each year, the scholarship awards 1-2 awards worth up to $1,400 each to New Mexico residents at an in-state university who have a passion for advertising and/or communications. Eligible fields of study include business with a marketing emphasis, journalism with an advertising emphasis, strategic communications, advertising and marketing, or graphic design, fine art, photography, or illustration while maintaining a career focus in advertising or public relations. If you're a New Mexican undergraduate upperclassman or graduate student who is attending an in-state university to study advertising or communications-related fields, we encourage you to apply! Keep on reading to learn more.Show Less

The Rick Jowett Fellowship was established by the Wisconsin Broadcasters Association Foundation to support educational opportunities for photographers and videographers who work in media in Wisconsin. Recipients of the fellowship can use the grant for professional development in the areas of photography and videography. Applicants must specify how the funds will be used. Potential uses include but are not limited to courses offered by the National Press Photographers Association, the Poynter Institute, or any accredited college or university. Keep on reading to learn more!Show Less

Are you a high school senior or college student of at least 25% Asian of Pacific Islander heritage who is (or will be) pursuing a major in a performing or visual art field, journalism, and/or mass communications? If so, the Against the Grain Artistic Scholarship may be a great opportunity for you! Each year, the scholarship awards $1,000 to an Asian/Pacific Islander applicant with an impressive artistic portfolio and thoughtful essay about their art. The scholarship is funded by Against the Grain Productions, an organization dedicated to promoting leadership, unity, and artistry in the Asian American community. If you would like to display your artwork while receiving financial help for college, we encourage you to apply!Show Less

Are you a visual artist and content creator? If so, you might consider applying for the Greater than Gatsby Annual Scholarship! Each year, the scholarship awards $1,000 to two (2) incoming and current post-secondary students who submit a selection of photos and a short essay describing their interest in/relationship to photography and its effect on their career choices. The scholarship is funded by Greater than Gatsby, one of the leading creators worldwide of professional Lightroom presets and Photoshop actions for photographers. If you’re passionate about visual arts, we encourage you to apply!Show Less

Are you a post-secondary student pursuing a degree in communication design, illustration, or photography? If so, the AIGA Worldstudio Scholarships may be a great opportunity for you! Each year, the scholarships award up to $5,000 to multiple postsecondary students pursuing a degree in communication design (including graphic and visual design, interaction design, game design), illustration, or photography. Bear in mind that applicants should also plan on pursuing a career in the discipline they're pursuing a degree in. If this scholarship sounds like a fit for you, we encourage you to apply! Keep on reading to learn more.Show Less

Looking to pursue a career in retail or hospitality? The South Dakota Retailers Association Scholarship Program is here to help! The program offers financial assistance to students studying in fields related to retail, including business administration, the culinary arts, Auto Mechanics, Landscape Design, Pharmacy, Photography, and more. As long as you're enrolled in a qualifying program at an accredited school and have graduated from a South Dakota high school, you're eligible to apply. Plus, if you've completed at least 24 credits from a college or university or 12 credits from a tech school or professional training institute, you're good to go. Don't have that much education under your belt? No worries - full-time work experience in lieu of the education requirement is also acceptable. Apply and take the first step towards your dream career!Show Less

The Pretty Lightroom Presets Annual Scholarship is a chance for college and university students in the US and Canada to earn money for their education. To apply, students must research and write an 800+ word essay-style Adobe Lightroom tutorial, complete with original screenshots and photos. Acceptable topics can include any How-To Lightroom or Lightroom Mobile tutorial, a unique photography-related tutorial, or how Lightroom has changed photography. If you're a college student experienced with Adobe Tutorial, don't miss out on this opportunity to further your education and showcase your skills!Show Less