Scholarships

At Florida Gulf Coast University We Believe in Your Dreams, and Have Several Scholarship Programs to Support Your Studies in Studio Art and Art History.

For the talented First Year Student:

Apply for our flagship $8,000 Visual Arts Scholarship for first-year students entering FGCU as a declared BA Art major. Your online application includes a portfolio of images of art work produced in high school, an essay introducing yourself, and a letter of recommendation from an art teacher or academic advisor. If selected by the FGCU Art Program faculty, this scholarship will support your studies in the arts for up to four years.

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• About the Award

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  • $2,000 per year payable in two installments, half in the fall and the other half in the spring.
  • Scholarship is for undergraduate course work only and can be renewed for up to four years or until student has completed the B.A. Arts degree, whichever comes first.

• To Qualify for the Award

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  • Student must maintain fulltime academic status (enroll in at least 12 credit hours fall & spring), and maintain an overall grade point average of at least 3.0.
  • The student must be a US citizen, or meet the requirements of an eligible non-citizen as defined by the Federal Student Aid program.
  • The student must be admitted to FGCU as a B.A. Art major immediately after high school graduation. Attending another post-secondary institution after graduation and prior to FGCU will void the scholarship.
  • Students who have dual-enrolled at FGCU during high school may apply for the scholarship.
  • The student must meet the admission criteria for the intended term of enrollment.
  • The student must submit the FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid) to FGCU.

• The Selection Process

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  • A faculty committee will decide on the scholarship awards and notify all applicants.
  • Scholarship award letters will be sent by the department with a copy to the Undergraduate Admissions Office.

• Required for Your Application

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  • One (1) letter of recommendation relating to your talent, academic ability, character and other personal attributes. Use academic advisors, teachers, professors, and arts administrators for reference letters. Do not include letters from family and friends. These must be in WORD (.doc or .docx) or PDF format and signed by the recommender.
  • A 10-image portfolio of your work (PDF file no more than 20MB) with short descriptions of the work (i.e. portrait photography assignment, painting still life assignment etc). You may create your portfolio in PowerPoint or other presentation software, but please save as a PDF file.
  • A 350 word essay (Word .doc/.docx or PDF) that tells us about yourself and why you are applying for this scholarship. Please be clear about how this scholarship will help you achieve your personal and professional goals.
  • Make sure your NAME is on all documentation you upload! [e.g. ‘myname-essay.doc’]

• Submission Process

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  • Complete the online form according to the stated application deadlines. You will be sent an email response to the address you supply. Make sure you use an email that you check often!
  • Applications will be accepted February 5 - April 1, 2024.
  • You will hear a decision from us on or before April 22, 2024.
    Good Luck!
  • START APPLICATION

For the dedicated Mid-Career Student:

Each year we select up to four FGCU art students who have completed 30-85 credits towards their degree to receive our one-time $2,000.00 Rising Star Scholarship. We believe that your hard work and commitment to the Art Program and to your studies in studio art and art history deserve well-earned rewards.

Additional Opportunities:

We strongly encourage all of our students to apply for the many scholarship opportunities available through the FGCU Foundation, some of which particularly target studies in the visual arts. There are also several regional scholarship awards open to area residents studying art at FGCU, such as the Creative Arts Scholarship offered by BIG ARTS of Sanibel Island supported by the Robert Rauschenberg Foundation.