The sphere of interior designer’s activity is extremely broad, as it is more complicated thing than just making rooms and offices, choosing appropriate furniture and color of surfaces. The professional must have knowledge about such features as lighting, materials, climate control in buildings. In other words, the best designer may be called a person who is well versed in architecture too. Choosing the way of being the interior designer students will have to master their project management skills and learn technical illustrations, graphic design, material science and many other subjects. In order to help and support talented and promising students many state and private organizations offer scholarships.
The ASID Foundation is a part of the American Society of Interior Designers. Its work has a philanthropic direction and runs different student design competitions with cash prizes and scholarships. The one of them is the ASID Student Design Award Competition; it takes place one a year. For example, as the part of this competition $2,000 was given for the most impressive design that gives the second life to an existing building.
The International Furnishings and Design Association Educational Foundation offers the following options
The David Barrett Memorial Scholarship covers $12,000 and is given once in two years to an undergraduate or graduate student for brilliant work. The work must unite two points in design and materials, which are usually called “classical” and “traditional”. Classical means the usage of balance and harmony of Greco-Roman art, and traditional nothing extremely modern.
The Legacy Scholarships give a chance to undergraduate and graduate students. Being successful and creative in works is the main condition to get the scholarship, besides undergraduates need to submit their portfolio, and graduate students’ academic records will be considered in addition to their creativity.
The Daltile Interior Design Scholarship is a big cash reward for a victory in a design competition. Requirements for participants are very strict, as they must know all applicable building codes, and, in general, the competition is very high.
Nowadays IFDA/EF is also a sponsor of six interior design major scholarships (three for undergraduates or graduate students, two for full-time undergraduates, one for student volunteers and student volunteers). Attendance in accredited school, at least four completed design courses, a reference letter from a teacher and student’s samples of designs the compulsory points applicants must follow.
College scholarships are also a great chance for students of design major, and Iowa State University is a place where you can get one of 4 offered. The first thing you should pay attention is that all of them are available only for the first year students (the Chi and Pam Chiu Design Scholarship and the DAC Scholarship nonrenewable and the Clair B. Watson Design Scholarship may be renewable). The College of Design Diversity Scholarship for First-Year Undergraduate Students is aimed to encourage students of minorities to prefer a major of architecture, graphic design and studio in the university.
The Dorothy G. Helmer scholarship at Indian University Bloomington is another opportunity for a junior whose major is interior design. The independent and professional jury selects several the brightest portfolios and then makes a final decision on the winner. In addition, applicants must have 3.0 GPA for majors and 2.3 for others.
Mount Mary College encourages students to do their best and show their talents in order to obtain the Frederick R. Layton Art Scholarship. It covers a tuition aid of $3,000 for new students majoring in arts and design (it includes interior design, architecture and some others). Current students are offered a similar scholarship, but they must meet some requirements to be allowed to apply 3.0 GPA and be a full-time student.
