Pursuing a degree at Parsons School of Design can open doors to an exciting career in art and design. However, the cost of attending this prestigious school can be prohibitive for many talented students. Thankfully, Parsons offers over $45 million in scholarships each year to make achieving your creative dreams more financially feasible.
In this detailed guide, you will discover the different types of Parsons scholarships available, eligibility requirements, application tips, deadlines, and additional funding opportunities. With proper planning and preparation, you can alleviate the financial burden of attending one of the world‘s top art and design schools.
Types of Parsons Scholarships
Parsons School of Design provides a range of scholarship opportunities based on merit, financial need, area of study, and other factors. Understanding the different types can help you identify which scholarships best fit your situation.
Merit-Based Scholarships
For students who demonstrate exceptional creative talent and academic achievements, Parsons offers prestigious merit-based scholarships. These highly competitive awards can cover up to the full cost of tuition and are renewable annually.
Eligibility is based on criteria such as GPA, test scores, portfolio quality, essays, leadership experience, and extracurricular activities. Many merit scholarships also provide mentoring, networking opportunities, and other perks.
Need-Based Scholarships
Parsons strives to make its world-class education accessible to deserving students of all backgrounds through substantial need-based aid. By submitting the FAFSA and documenting financial need, you may qualify for scholarships covering tuition and other expenses.
Some examples are the Opportunity Scholarship for underrepresented groups and the International Student Scholarship for overseas applicants facing increased costs.
Specialty Scholarships
Parsons also offers many specialty scholarships for students pursuing particular majors or sharing common interests/backgrounds. These include scholarships for fashion design, architecture, sustainability focuses, LGBTQ+ students, veterans, and more.
Connecting with campus groups related to your specialty area can reveal additional chances for funding not found in general listings.
Eligibility Requirements
Meeting basic Parsons scholarship eligibility requires full-time enrollment in an undergraduate program, but most funders impose additional standards you must satisfy.
Academic Achievement
For merit-based aid, the primary eligibility benchmark is prior academic success. Factors like standardized test scores, rigorous coursework, and an upward GPA trend are closely evaluated to identify top students worthy of scholarship investment.
Maintaining performance standards is also required for renewal of scholarships after the first year.
Artistic Portfolio
The artistic portfolio showcases your creative talents and potential—vital factors in assessing merit scholarship eligibility. Portfolios are judged on technical skill, style, concept originality, composition, and diversity of works displayed.
Take time to thoughtfully curate your best and most representative work when applying.
Financial Need
Need-based scholarships demand you thoroughly demonstrate an inability to cover Parsons‘ costs without significant aid, including through FAFSA completion. Be prepared to provide household financial statements proving your limited resources.
Additional Requirements
Beyond basic criteria, individual scholarship providers may specify requirements related to residence, major, leadership credentials, identities, and more. Carefully reviewing qualifications before applying helps ensure you present an eligible candidacy.
Application Tips
With sound preparation, you can submit Parsons scholarship applications positioned to impress reviewers. Here are some top tips:
Start early – Begin researching and applying for scholarships at least six months before enrollment deadlines. This provides more options and better chances versus last-minute efforts.
Get organized – Track scholarship deadlines, requirements, and application question prompts in organized files to effectively manage multiple applications.
Follow instructions – Carefully abiding by all formatting, content, and submission rules shows discipline and seriousness.
Make essays personal – Share who you are as an individual and artist beyond test scores and grades through engaging essays.
Highlight achievements – Demonstrating artistic, academic, extracurricular, and leadership accomplishments can give your portfolio and activities list needed polish.
Revise thoroughly – Avoid spelling and grammatical mistakes by reviewing essays and full applications multiple times before submission.
Key Deadlines
Parsons scholarship deadlines generally align with the school‘s admission application deadlines. Earlier submission provides the best opportunities for more and larger awards.
Early Action – November 1
Meeting the Early Action deadline offers prime access to Parsons merit scholarships. Announcement of these awards happens on a rolling basis from December to February.
Regular Decision – January 1
Students who apply Regular Decision can still qualify for specialty scholarships and some lower-tier merit awards distributed in the spring after admission decisions.
Spring Semester – November 1
For spring enrollment commencing in January, the scholarship application deadline is November 1. Spring merit awards are extremely limited, but some need-based aid is accessible.
Additional Funding Options
Beyond Parsons-specific scholarships, you can expand possibilities for financial assistance by pursuing external scholarships and other governmental aid resources.
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External scholarships – Various philanthropic groups and companies offer art & design scholarships. Seek out options in your hometown, ethnic background, parent employers, extracurriculars, and other affinity areas.
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Federal & state student aid – Complete the FAFSA to access Pell Grants, subsidized loans, work study opportunities and more based on calculated need. Also research grants and aid programs in your state.
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Private loans – If necessary, private student loans through banks and credit unions can provide access to financing beyond your government aid limits. Compare terms carefully first.
The combination of Parsons scholarships, external funding, and federal/state aid obtained through hours of determined research and application completion can make achieving your art and design ambitions at Parsons possible, no matter your financial resources.