Art Contest Scholarships for High School Students: A Comprehensive Guide

For high school students passionate about art, scholarships can be a game-changer, providing financial assistance to pursue their creative dreams. These scholarships recognize talent, encourage artistic development, and alleviate the financial burden of art education. This article explores a variety of art contests that offer scholarship opportunities for high school students, covering diverse art forms and eligibility criteria.

National Society of Arts and Letters (NSAL) Naomi Rabb Winston Scholarship

In honor of Naomi Rabb Winston, the National Society of Arts and Letters (NSAL) established an annual scholarship fund for young visual artists between the ages of 16 and 22. Applicants must demonstrate exceptional talent and promise of future success. The scholarship funds are for private study, special training, or personal advancement in the applicants’ chosen art fields.

The National Society of Arts and Letters invites artists to apply for the 2026 Naomi Rabb Winston Scholarship in Two-Dimensional Art. $16,000 in scholarships will be awarded. Applications are due to chapters by February 1, 2026. Naomi Rabb Winston (1894 - 1979) was an artist, art educator, teacher, and lecturer. As a young woman, she studied painting at the Corcoran Gallery School of Art in Washington, D.C. Her many accomplishments included painting the Alabama state’s coat of arms in oils, based on a 1923 design by B. J. Tieman of New York. Her oil paintings are featured in the Montgomery County (Maryland) Historical Society collection.

Scholarships360 Art Scholarships

Several scholarships offered through Scholarships360 cater specifically to artistic talents:

"Creativity Takes Courage" Scholarship

This scholarship is open to students studying any form of visual and/or performing arts. Applicants must write an essay on an important piece of art in their lives, which could be a song, building, poem, video game, piece of clothing, family recipe, or something they created. Applicants will be reviewed based on the quality of their essay and their activity on the Scholarships360 platform.

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Create-A-Greeting-Card Scholarship Contest

This contest is open to students over 14 years of age who are enrolled in high school or college and enjoy making original artwork. Each year, the contest awards $10,000 to the applicant who submits the best holiday, greeting, or all-around holiday card. The top ten finalists are decided by a public vote, while the final winner is chosen by a panel of judges.

Scholarships360 "No Essay" Scholarship

This $10,000 scholarship is open to all students and is awarded to those who get the most out of Scholarships360 scholarships and content. Applying to scholarships through the Scholarships360 platform strengthens an applicant's chances.

Patriotic Art Contests

Young American Creative Patriotic Art Contest

This contest is open to students in grades 9-12 who submit a two-dimensional art piece depicting patriotism. The scholarship is offered by VFW (Veterans of Foreign Wars of the United States) Auxiliary, a non-profit organization. Every year, the scholarship offers multiple awards totaling $37,000 to the first-place winners from each state.

Design-Based Scholarships

BOBS from Skechers Paws for a Cause Design Scholarship

This scholarship awards $10,000 to two college students (first year of a two-year program or first through third year of a four-year program) who create and submit the best dog or cat design to be put on shoes. The winners will have their design produced on BOBS from Skechers shoes sold in the United States in the upcoming year. A donation will also be made to a local animal welfare organization of the winner's choice.

Future Designer Scholarship

This scholarship awards $1,000 to the winning applicant who creates the best holiday greeting card following the theme of “December holidays and seasonal greetings." The winning applicant will have their design featured as a product on the Cardsdirect site. Acceptable forms of artwork include any 2-dimensional medium, including oil, acrylic, pastel, watercolor, pencil, mixed media, and digital illustration.

Performing Arts Scholarships

NSHSS Performing Arts: Theater Scholarship

This scholarship is for rising high school students with a passion for theater and a minimum 3.5 GPA. Each year, the scholarship awards $1,000 each to two dedicated students pursuing studies in the performing arts.

NSHSS Film and Video Production Scholarship

To apply, students must submit "an artistic representation of a day in [their] life through film," including the title and description of their submission. Entries are judged by their expression of a clear theme, quality of the storyline and script, creativity and originality, production quality, and editing.

NSHSS Performing Arts: Dance Scholarship

This scholarship is for rising high school students who demonstrate exemplary skill or interest in dance. A portion of the application requires the applicant to submit a short video (no more than 5 minutes) of their performance.

NSHSS Music Scholarship

This $1,000 scholarship is annually awarded to two NSHSS members who are planning to pursue a professional certificate, associate, or bachelor's degree in performing arts (with a special interest in music).

Visual Arts Scholarships

NSHSS Visual Arts Scholarship

Each year, two $1,000 awards are given for photography submissions, and two $1,000 awards are given for painting/drawing/mixed media/digital art submissions.

Other Scholarship Opportunities

YoungArts Competition

The YoungArts Competition awards up to $10,000 to high school sophomores, juniors, and seniors passionate about dance, music, design, film, jazz, photography, theater, visual arts, singing, or writing. Applicants submit a written piece or video showcasing their talents. All 2026 competition winners and winners with distinction must complete the Artist Resource Collective financial literacy program for young artists (YoungARC) to receive their cash award.

Tommy Tranchin Award

This award supports students with physical, emotional, or intellectual disabilities who have shown promise or passion in a chosen field of interest. The award supports creative projects, performances, training activities, and participation in workshops, seminars, and competitions. Applicants must be students in North Texas in grade levels 8 through 12.

The deGraffenried Design Scholarship for the National Art Honor Society

The deGraffenried Foundation (The dF) has partnered with the National Art Honor Society (NAHS) on a scholarship program offering a one-time $7,500 award to graduating high school students who are members of the National Art Honor Society and looking to pursue a degree in the design industry.

College Scholarships for NAHS Members

Several colleges offer scholarships to National Art Honor Society members:

Columbus College of Art and Design (CCAD): Certificate holders are eligible for $4,000 tuition scholarships ($1,000 per year for four years).
Maryland Institute College of Art (MICA): Fifty $4,000 to $8,000 merit-based scholarships are awarded each year to high school seniors who are members of the National Art Honor Society.
College for Creative Studies: Twenty merit-based scholarships, each valued at $4,000 ($1,000 per year for four years), are available to high school seniors who hold membership in the National Art Honor Society.
Fashion Institute of Design & Merchandising (FIDM): Students with active NAHS membership are eligible to receive a $1,500 scholarship, renewable for up to 4 years with a 3.0 GPA at FIDM and consecutive attendance. Students who have their work shown in a NAHS juried exhibition may receive an additional one-time $1,500 scholarship.

State-Specific Opportunities

St. Rodrigue Art & Songwriting Contest (Louisiana)

All high school juniors and seniors in the state of Louisiana are eligible to apply. Contest judges select 10 finalists (5 juniors/5 seniors) to share $19,000 in college scholarships. A selection of three finalists will share $6,000 in college scholarships for the songwriting portion.

The 2025 theme is "HOME.LAND," inviting Louisiana high school students to explore and express what home means to them through the lens of the state's unique landscapes. Students are asked to create visual art that depicts their personal definition of “home”, drawing inspiration from their own lives as well as Louisiana's landscapes as they experience them. Students who choose the songwriting track should craft lyrics and melodies that evoke the spirit of Louisiana’s landscapes and what it means to call this place home.

General Scholarship & Contest Platforms

Niche: Niche is giving one student $40,000 to help pay for college expenses. The winner will be selected by random drawing.
SoFi: SoFi is giving away $2,500 for school every month to applicants 17 years of age or older who are enrolled or planning to enroll at an accredited institution.
Scholastic Art & Writing Awards: This is the country’s longest-running recognition program for creative teens, offering scholarships of up to $12,500 for national medalists.

Additional Contests and Opportunities

Several other contests and organizations offer opportunities for young artists:

Paradigm Challenge: This competition is open to students aged 4 to 18 from all over the world who create a project that helps solve a real-world issue. The top 100 entries win between $200 and $100,000 per team, in addition to an all-expenses-paid trip to attend the award ceremony in Los Angeles, California.
Congressional Art Competition: Each spring, the Congressional Institute sponsors a nationwide high school visual art competition to recognize and encourage artistic talent in the nation and in each congressional district. Winners are recognized both in their district and at an annual awards ceremony in Washington, DC.
The Earth Day Network: This organization offers a platform for young people to “learn about environmental issues through art-making and creative communication, explore their relationship to a changing world, and become advocates for positive change.” It’s open to global students from ages 11-18.
Bow Seat Ocean Awareness Contest: This 50-year-old program accepts artistic submissions from over 300,000 students in grades pre-K through 12th grade in response to the year’s theme.
National Geographic Student Photo Contest: Open to photographers 19 years old and younger; students may submit up to three photographs related to the theme.

Crafting a Winning Application

Applying for art scholarships requires careful preparation and attention to detail. Here are some tips to help you create a winning application:

Build a Strong Portfolio: Many art scholarships require a portfolio of your work. Take time to curate your best pieces, showcasing your skills and artistic range. California College of the Arts offers a guide to crafting an art portfolio.
Personalize Your Essays: Use your artist statement to showcase your unique voice and artistic vision. Explain what inspires you, what themes you explore, and what you hope to achieve through your art.
Research Influences: If there are specific artists or movements that inspire you, research them and name them in your applications.
Follow Instructions Carefully: Pay close attention to the application guidelines and deadlines. Make sure you meet all the eligibility requirements and submit all the required materials.
Seek Feedback: Ask teachers, mentors, or other artists to review your application materials and provide feedback.
Start Early: Don't wait until the last minute to start working on your applications. Give yourself plenty of time to research scholarships, prepare your portfolio, and write your essays.

Artist Statements: Examples and Inspiration

An artist statement is a crucial part of many scholarship applications. It provides an opportunity to articulate your artistic vision, influences, and goals. Here are some examples of artist statements from scholarship applicants, offering insights into their creative processes and inspirations:

Grace Wang: "Her work explores themes of vulnerability, resilience, and transformation, often drawing from personal experience and broader questions of identity and human connection. She trained at C&H Art Studio under Chin-Cheng Hung, specializing in realism through pastel, oil, acrylic, and charcoal."
Ava Liberace: "Ava Liberace explores ecological systems and modes of embodiment through drawing… Her final compositions involve members of family and friends and highlight ongoing explorations of the Anthropocene. She uses scientific inquiries and close academic drawing to investigate these environmental relationships such as fungal networks and climate crisis concerns."
Martin Mbuguah (TOSKA-GOI): "Through my use of symbolism along with painting in a western canon, I seek to communicate the essence of African story-telling through a more universally understood language."
Caroline Crawford: "Growing up in an artistic environment and being encouraged to make art since a very young age has allowed her to acquire a love of creating and being emersed within the art world."
Artist Inspired by the Human Psyche: "I’m inspired by the ideas and depictions of the human psyche. Portraiture and the human figure fascinate me with the numerous stories they tell with such seeming simplicity."
Miami-Based Visual Storyteller: "My mind is a mirror that constantly reflects surroundings, analyzes spaces, and creates visualizations. Art is my way of turning those ideas into reality… As a visual storyteller, my everyday commute nourished a love for my city along with all of its hidden details."
Artist Inspired by Material and Relationships: "I am inspired to create a narrative through material. I use fabric and screenprinting in a painterly fashion to produce images that represent my interpersonal relationships as well as myself. I am inspired by vivid colors and shapes."

The Importance of Creative Expression

Creative outlets, such as music and art, are not only ways to express emotions and imagination but also opportunities to destress and potentially earn scholarships. As Henri Matisse said, “another word for creativity is courage.” Releasing art into the world involves overcoming fear and self-doubt, but the rewards can be significant.

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