2021 List of Scholarships and Career Resources for Underrepresented Students
In our pursuit of a more equitable profession, we are providing a list of resources for prospective students of color. It is our hope that the list of resources below will help students of color who aspire to become architects find networks and opportunities that help them to achieve their goals.
The following list is not all-inclusive, so if you would like for us to add others, please do not hesitate to contact us to add them.
Fellowships and Scholarships
American Indian Science and Engineering Society Scholarships
The American Indian Science and Engineering Society (AISES) helps students move forward in their educational journeys by providing a wide range of programs and scholarship opportunities for American Indians, Alaska Natives, Native Hawaiians, Pacific Islanders, and Indigenous peoples of Canada. To apply, you must be an AISES member.
Deadline to Apply: Varies by Scholarship
AIA Chicago Foundation Diversity Scholarship
AIA Chicago Foundation Diversity Scholarship Initiative, managed by the AIA Chicago Foundation, is an opportunity to attract and retain diverse, talented young professionals in Chicago and recognizes the value of new and unique voices in the profession. One $10,000 graduate scholarship and one $10,000 undergraduate scholarship are awarded each year.
Applications accepted beginning January 13 – April 9, 2021
American Institute of Architecture Students (AIAS)
AIAS has a great list of scholarships and fellowship opportunities for students.
Deadline to Apply: Varies by Scholarship
American Institute of Graphic Arts (AIGA) Worldstudio Scholarships
AIGA Worldstudio Scholarships benefit minority and economically disadvantaged students who are studying photography, illustration, and design disciplines in colleges and universities in the United States. Scholarships are awarded annually to encourage social and environmental responsibility and cultural awareness in the next generation of artists and designers.
Deadline to Apply: Varies by Scholarship
American Planning Association Scholarship
Open to women, people of color and indigenous descent, veterans, disabled persons, and members of the LGBTQ community who are currently enrolled in undergraduate or graduate Planning Accreditation Board (PAB)-approved programs. Applicants must be APA members; membership for students is free.
This scholarship is awarded annually to students intending to pursue careers as practicing planners who will diversify the profession and who are able to demonstrate a genuine financial need.
Deadline to Apply: To Be Announced for 2021
American Society of Indian Engineers and Architects Scholarship Program
ASIE, a Houston, Texas-based nonprofit organization, established its scholarship program in 1998. ASIE awards financial aid to students of Indian descent who live in the Houston area or have a parent or grandparent who is a member of ASIE. The amount and number of annual scholarships awarded depend on donations from contributors as well as sponsors. Recipients in 2016 received up to $1,000 each.
Deadline to Apply: To Be Announced for 2021
Asian American Architects/Engineers Foundation Awards
The Asian American Architects/Engineers Association (AAa/e) (www.aaaesc.org) is committed to the empowerment of design professionals in personal growth, professional excellence, business development, and leadership in our communities. The Asian American Architects and Engineers Foundation (AAa/e Foundation) was created in 2004 as a branch of the AAa/e to better support the efforts of the AAa/e in seeking additional means of fundraising for scholarships. The AAa/e Foundation is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization dedicated to providing opportunities and scholarships for students and other individuals in the profession of architecture, engineering, or construction. Applicants must be members of the AAa/e Association.
Deadline to Apply: May 28, 2021
Architects Foundation – The Diversity Advancement Scholarship
This scholarship—$4,000 per year and up to $20,000 total—supports undergraduate minority students who are entering, enrolled in, or transferring into a NAAB-accredited undergraduate architecture program. Scholarships may be renewed every year until your degree is completed, for up to 5 years.
We’re looking for minority students whose imagination and design thinking will influence the future of the architecture profession and the built environment.
Applications for the 2022 awards will open in November 2021.
Association for Women in Architecture Scholarship
The Association for Women in Architecture Foundation offers annual cash awards to women students studying Architecture, Landscape Architecture, Urban and/or Land Planning, Interior Design, or Environmental Design leading to a college degree.
Applicants must be residents of California or attending a California school, and must be enrolled in one of the qualifying majors for the current school term. Applicants must have completed a minimum of 18 units in their major by the application due date.
Deadline to Apply: April 25, 2021
CBC Spouses Visual Arts Scholarship
The Congressional Black Caucus Foundation’s Spouses Visual Arts Scholarship was established to provide financial assistance to African-American or Black students who are pursuing a degree in the visual arts.
This award is for full-time African-American or Black students pursuing a degree in 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.
Deadline to Apply: April 30, 2021
CINTAS Foundation Fellowship in Architecture & Design
Candidates in the fields of architectural design, interior design, urban design and urban planning may submit applications for the CINTAS Foundation Fellowship in Architecture. For the purpose of historical value and documentation, architectural award recipients are encouraged to submit architectural drawings (i.e., representative samples of their work) to be added to the CINTAS Fellows Collection after the grant period. To be eligible, applicants must have either Cuban citizenship or direct lineage.
Eligibility for this fellowship: Creative artists of Cuban citizenship or direct lineage (having a Cuban parent or grandparent). Applicants engaged in research, students, or performing artists are not eligible to apply for CINTAS Fellowships.
Deadline to Apply: May 1, 2021
To help students take a thoughtful approach to the college decision process and pay for college, College Raptor is awarding a $2,500 scholarship.
For eligibility, applicants must:
- Be legal residents of the United States, District of Columbia, or a U.S. Territory.
- Be age 16 or older.
- Be enrolled (or enroll no later than the fall of 2022) in an accredited post-secondary institution of higher learning (college, university or trade school).
Deadline to Apply: June 30, 2021
Fontana Transport Inc. Scholars Program
The Fontana Transport Inc. Scholars Program is open to underrepresented, low-income and first-generation college-bound students. Students must be pursuing an undergraduate degree full-time in transportation, math, science, engineering, architecture, environmental design, PreMed, psychology, Spanish language/literature. The applicant does not have to be a U.S. citizen but must have a minimum 3.5 GPA and proof of attending college beginning in the fall semester. Recommendation by a faculty member is optional but highly suggested.
Deadline to Apply: March 14, 2021
Gensler offers two U.S. scholarships annually, including the Diversity Scholarship, which awards African-American students enrolled in a U.S. not-for-profit educational institution beginning their final year of a NAAB-accredited architecture program. Recipients will win academic scholarships as well as summer internship opportunities.
The Scholarships open in October and close in January of the following year.
HEEF Architecture and Engineering Scholarship
The Orange County (OC) Hispanic Educational Endowment Fund (HEEF) serves US Citizens, Permanent Residents, and Dream Act/ AB 540 students who live in Orange County, California only. HEEF offers competitive academic scholarships for OC high school and community college transfers who qualify for need-based financial aid and who enroll at a 4-year college or university.
This scholarship is open to Orange County-based Latino/a high school students who have been accepted or are returning to an accredited post-secondary educational program majoring in architecture or engineering and who have a minimum 3.0 GPA.
Deadline to Apply: The Scholarships Application is open from October through December each year.
The HSF Scholarship is offered to students by the Hispanic Scholarship Fund. Founded in 1975, the Hispanic Scholarship Fund was created in order to empower Latino families with the information and resources that they need in order to earn a higher education. The HSF Scholarship does not require students to choose a particular major or graduate field to be eligible for the money, however, it does place emphasis on STEM majors.
Deadline to Apply: Varies by Scholarship
Houzz offers four different architecture scholarships—Women in Architecture, Residential Design, Sustainable Residential Design, and Residential Construction Management—each for $2,500. Scholarships are open to current undergraduate or graduate students enrolled in interior design, architecture, landscape architecture, architectural engineering, or construction management programs.
Deadline to Apply: March 31, 2021
IA Interior Architects Diversity in Design Scholarship
In partnership with the IIDA Foundation, the IA Interior Architects Diversity in Design Scholarship seeks to recognize that creating a diverse design community is paramount in making the world of design a more inclusive and innovative place. This scholarship is open to graduate and undergraduate students worldwide. There will be one $5,000 scholarship, one $3,000 scholarship and four $500 scholarships awarded.
Deadline to Apply: To Be Announced
John J. Nelson Sr. Legacy Scholarship
The John J. Nelson Sr. Legacy Scholarship Fund was created to benefit and further the study of interior design and architecture by students of African American descent. The scholarship fund is administered through the IIDA Foundation.
Deadline to Apply: To Be Announced
Landscape Architecture Foundation EDSA Minority Scholarship
The EDSA Minority Scholarship was established to help African American, Hispanic, Native American and minority students of other cultural and ethnic backgrounds continue their landscape architecture education. Eligible candidates are in their final two years of undergraduate study or pursuing a graduate degree in landscape architecture. Recipients are awarded $5,000.
Deadline to Apply: February 1, 2021
Mildred Colodny Diversity Scholarship
The Mildred Colodny Diversity Scholarship program provides financial assistance and experiential learning opportunities to individuals preparing for careers in historic preservation. The purpose of the Colodny Scholarship is to increase the diversity of people pursuing degrees and careers in historic preservation in the United States. The National Trust is seeking culturally diverse applicants whose commitment to historic preservation will be strengthened by obtaining a graduate degree in preservation, who will benefit from the internship and mentorship opportunities provided by the Trust, and who ultimately will contribute valuable, diverse perspectives to — and become leaders in — the field of preservation.
The National Trust defines diversity as inclusive, embracing people of all races, creeds, genders, ages, sexual orientations, religions, physical characteristics and abilities, veteran status, and economic or social backgrounds. It also encompasses historic places, communities and geographical areas that represent the full range of unique characteristics, experiences, and cultures.
Awarded up to $15,000 towards graduate school tuition; a paid summer internship with the National Trust following the student’s first year of study; and support of the student’s attendance at a National Preservation Conference or other National Trust training opportunity. One scholarship package per year will be awarded.
Deadline to Apply: February 28, 2021.
National Action Council for Minority Engineers Scholarships
To be eligible to be named for any of the NACME administered scholarships students must either be a high school senior applying to an engineering or computer science program at a NACME Partner Institution, or be currently matriculating in an engineering or computer science program at a NACME Partner Institution, a US citizen or permanent resident, and have a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.0. NACME’s mission is to increase the representation of Black/African American, Latinx/Hispanic-American, and Native/American Indian in the fields of engineering and computer science.
Deadline to Apply: Varies by Scholarship
The New Mexico National Park Service (NPS) Community Planning/Landscape Architect Fellowship is a unique opportunity for an exemplary Latino master’s graduate student or recent graduate. The Fellowship is designed to provide practical experience with diverse communities that we serve including Native American and Latino.
Deadline to Apply: Varies by Year
National Trust for Historic Preservation’s Diversity Scholarship Program
This program helps members of underrepresented communities attend the National Trust’s annual conference, PastForward. Participants receive financial assistance, including complimentary registration and lodging at PastForward.
Deadline to Apply: Varies by Scholarship
OHA Native Hawaiian Scholarships
The UH-OHA Hoʻonaʻauao Higher Education Scholarship Program helps fund tuition and fees for Native Hawaiian students pursuing an undergraduate degree or vocational education certificate at any of the 10 campuses within the University of Hawaiʻi System. The program will provide scholarship recipients with advising and mentoring, professional and leadership development, and cultural-based workshops.
Deadline to Apply: March 1, 2021
Payette Sho-Ping Chin Memorial Academic Scholarship
The partners at Payette established this annual memorial scholarship to honor their friend, colleague and fellow partner, Sho-Ping Chin FAIA. This scholarship fund, developed in collaboration with the American Institute of Architects Foundation, will award a scholarship of $10,000 each year to a woman for the study of architecture.
Eligibility to third- and fourth-year women architecture students in a NAAB- accredited undergraduate degree program, as well as women in any level of graduate study in a NAAB-accredited program.
Deadline to Apply: Varies by Year
PepsiCo Cesar Chavez Latino Scholarship
The Cesar Chavez Foundation, in partnership with PepsiCo, invites students of Latino descent who are beginning or continuing their studies at higher educational institutions in Arizona and California’s Central Valley, to apply for the PepsiCo Cesar Chavez Latino Scholarship Fund. The Scholarship Fund provides $300,000 in scholarship awards to qualified Latino students in Arizona and California regardless of national origin or immigration status in an effort to promote their academic success.
Deadline to Apply: To Be Announced
SmithGroup Equity, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) Scholarship Program
We have created the SmithGroup Equity, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) Scholarship Program to support and mentor students from historically underrepresented demographics in architecture, interior design, planning, landscape architecture and engineering. The program’s mission is to provide these students with the opportunity to attain their professional goals while advancing the architecture/engineering/construction (AEC) industry and improving the built environment.
Deadline to Apply: October 30, 2020
Zimmer Gunsul Frasca Scholarship
Architecture firm ZGF, based in Portland, Oregon, awards a scholarship to one student in his or her final year at the graduate or undergraduate level in a NAAB-accredited architecture program. A summer internship with the firm is also offered to the scholarship recipient.
Deadline to Apply: February 1, 2021
Networks and Organizations
Launched in 2017 when the 400th living African American woman achieved licensure, 400 Forward aims to boost the next generation of African American women architects—who currently make up only 0.2 percent of all licensed architects—through exposure to architecture, mentorship, and financial assistance
A non-profit organization for Gender Equity in architecture transforming the profession by bridging the academy and practice. We are a Cross-Generational group of academics and practitioners, and our organization is dedicated to the advancement of all women-identified, non-binary, gender non-conforming, and allied individuals.
Beverly Willis Architecture Foundation.
The Beverly Willis Architecture Foundation (BWAF) is an advocacy group committed to changing the culture of the building industry for women working in architecture, landscape, engineering, and construction—market sectors where only about 17 percent of the leaders are women. Founded in 2002 by Willis, a pioneering woman in the field, the New York-based nonprofit advances the recognition of women’s contributions to architecture through grants and research and supports current professionals and students through educational and social initiatives.
Black Females in Architecture (BFA) is a network and enterprise founded to increase the visibility of black and black mixed heritage females within the architectural industry and other built environment fields. In so doing, BFA actively addresses issues of inequality and diversity within the industry
BFA supports its growing membership through the provision of a support network within which members benefit from shared knowledge, advice, guidance, access to the personal networks of fellow members, job opportunities, and much more.
Black Interior Designers Network
The Black Interior Designers Network’s mission is to promote diversity and inclusion within the interior design industry by highlighting designers of color and supporting black designers with business development opportunities and resources to help Black designers thrive.
With the mission of establishing a strong support network for female and female-identifying design professionals—through events, exhibitions, discussions, programming, business development opportunities, and community outreach with industry partners.
National Organization of Minority Architects
Founded in 1971 by 12 African-American architects, who met at the national AIA Convention in Detroit that year and recognized the need to help foster the development of minority architects, NOMA showcases the work of Black architects through its publications and conferences. This national group relies on the strength of its local chapters for advocacy, community outreach, and professional development.
Organization of Black Designers
The Organization of Black Designers is a national professional organization of interior, industrial/product, architectural, fashion, UX, UI and graphic designers dedicated to promoting the visibility, empowerment, education and interaction of its membership and the understanding and value that diverse design perspectives contribute to world culture and commerce.
Associate interior designer at Rockwell Group Kamille Glenn founded the Designer’s Workshop as a collective to unite people of color in any 3D-design disciplines, including architecture and design, and to shine a light on this underrepresented population through connectivity and collaboration.
Resources
Financial Aid, Scholarships, and Resources for African American Students
This resource is for African American Students, and it details information about different types of financial assistance available to African American students, including historically Black university scholarships, field-specific scholarships, and scholarships for women.
College Scholarships For Minorities
Student-Specific Scholarships support individual groups of college students like women and minorities.
45+ College Scholarships for Minority Students
Published by Purdue University Global, this resource shares 45+ financial aid scholarships for future and current students as well as potential graduate students to supplement the cost of education or professional development endeavors. Information on where to find scholarships and grants is supplied. Also highlighted within the resource are opportunities dedicated to specific demographics such as African Americans, Asian Americans, Latino Students, Native Americans, and much more. The featured scholarships are current and are provided by trusted organizations. The resource will constantly be updated to ensure students can apply to the most accurate scholarships available.
Contact us at info@acsa-arch.org to add your Scholarship, Organization, or Resource for Underrepresented students to this page.
Ford Photographs courtesy of AHR