Fashion Design Scholarships

Careers in Fashion Design, Marketing or Advertising

Your sketchpad full of trendy designs could well be the start of a promising run at a fashion related career.  Passion, inspiration and strong design sense are key components, but formal education paves the way for success in the competitive field. Fashion majors are found among large and small college programs, and at stand alone design schools that specialize in educating industry role-players.

Most programs offer opportunities in fashion design and fashion merchandising, but the wide-ranging career potential for fashion and design graduates does not end there.  A range of employment options within the industry utilizes a wide variety of skill-sets, so there is more than one ‘type’ of fashion and design student.  Consider these career options within the fashion, advertising and marketing fields:

• Designer
• Advertising Manager
• Art Director
• Editor
• Business Manager
• Buyer
• Fabric Wholesaler
• Illustrator
• Photographer
• Sales Rep
• Web Designer
• Writer
• Model
• Merchandise Planner
• Product Developer
• Tailor
• Stylist
• and more…

There are plenty of mainstream jobs for fashion graduates, so dial in your design dreams and set a course for a worthy program.  Scholarship opportunities originate on individual campuses, in support of fashion-related academic programs – and competitions also yield funding for fashion and design school.  The following entries illustrate the types of aid available for diverse fashion-industry training.

Scholarship Programs for Fashion Majors

Texas Tech University hosts a comprehensive program in Apparal Design and Manufacturing.  Several scholarship initiatives are available for promising fashion school applicants at Texas Tech.

• Elbert and Lucy Allred Scholarships are given to students with talent for fashion design and merchandising. GPA is not the primary consideration when evaluating candidates for this award.
• W.B. and Maxine Blankenship Memorial Scholarship is given to a creative fashion designer.
• Mabel Erwin Scholarships are dispensed to students who specialize in textiles and fashion materials.

Students in the Fashion Design program at Syracuse University, and other schools, are eligible for Mike Alesko Design Scholarships. Undergraduate students apply outstanding creative talent in fashion and related graphic design to compete for $1500 scholarships.

The Passion for Fashion Competition is open to talented high school students, who showcase their fashion and retail savvy in order to earn money for education. The contest is sponsored by Art Institute of Fort Lauderdale. Top winners receive up to $70,000 worth of educational credit to cover their tuition at any AI campus. Applicants submit “completed evening wear” pieces or ”marketing plans” that highlight their potential.

Talented fashion design students compete for summer sessions at the well-known Parsons School of Design, in New York. Winners receive tuition-free summer program packages that advance their design careers.  Each award includes a travel stipend and an internship-type arrangement with an experienced industry professional.

Fashion Design students enrolled at Kent State University enjoy access to several scholarships programs that also support education majors in business and other ancillary fashion-industry disciplines. Among the awards:

• Linda Allard and Herb Gallen Scholarship rewards a stand-out student for exceptional creativity.  Performance in academic areas outside fashion is also considered during the evaluation process – to promote well-rounded professional fashion graduates.
• Irene Jaffe Bachman Scholarship is academics-oriented – for design and marketing students.
• Karen and Kenneth Conley Endowed Scholarships provide travel funding for program participants studying for a semester abroad in Florence, Italy .
• JoAnn Stores, Inc. Scholarships promote sewing and marketing education.

Mount Mary College, in Wauwatosa, Wisconsin offers two fashion industry majors: Merchandising and Product Development. The small liberal arts college offers a variety of scholarships for fashion majors:

• Florence Eiseman Memorial Scholarships are given to academically outstanding students who also exhibit creative abilities in fashion design.
• Stella and Rosemary Kleffman Endowed Scholarships are awarded to students whose career trajectory includes fashion production. Those applicants who demonstrate financial need for college are given priority consideration.
• Sophie Yoerg Schroeder Memorial Scholarships are given to financially disadvantaged students who specialize in tailoring and sewing.

American Intercontinental University encourages students to study abroad. AIU supports student efforts by providing scholarships that offset costs for 5-week, 10-week and 11-week study abroad programs. Students choose study destinations that include Florence, Paris, London and Dubai. Scholarships available for fashion majors include:

• Dallas Fashion Group and Chicago Fashion Group Scholarships fund tuition for summer studies in London. Majors in design or merchandising are invited to apply, and winners demonstrate outstanding academics and creative motivation.
• Juniors and seniors qualify for International Textiles and Apparel Association Awards. ITAA Scholarships fund semester-abroad studies in London.