2021 List of Scholarships and Career Resources for Underrepresented Students (2023)

In our pursuit of a more equitable profession, we are providing a list of resources for prospective students of color. It is our hope that the list of resources below will help students of color who aspire to become architects find networks and opportunities that help them to achieve their goals.

The following list is not all-inclusive, so if you would like for us to add others, please do not hesitate to contact us to add them.

Fellowships and Scholarships

American Indian Science and Engineering Society Scholarships

The American Indian Science and Engineering Society (AISES) helps students move forward in their educational journeys by providing a wide range of programs and scholarship opportunities for American Indians, Alaska Natives, Native Hawaiians, Pacific Islanders, and Indigenous peoples of Canada. To apply, you must be an AISES member.

Deadline to Apply: Varies by Scholarship

AIA Chicago Foundation Diversity Scholarship

AIA Chicago Foundation Diversity Scholarship Initiative, managed by the AIA Chicago Foundation, is an opportunity to attract and retain diverse, talented young professionals in Chicago and recognizes the value of new and unique voices in the profession. One $10,000 graduate scholarship and one $10,000 undergraduate scholarship are awarded each year.

Applications accepted through May 3, 2022

American Institute of Architecture Students (AIAS)

AIAS has a great list of scholarships and fellowship opportunities for students.

Deadline to Apply: Varies by Scholarship

American Institute of Graphic Arts (AIGA) Worldstudio Scholarships

AIGA Worldstudio Scholarships benefit minority and economically disadvantaged students who are studying photography, illustration, and design disciplines in colleges and universities in the United States. Scholarships are awarded annually to encourage social and environmental responsibility and cultural awareness in the next generation of artists and designers.

Deadline to Apply: Varies by Scholarship

Architects Foundation – The Diversity Advancement Scholarship

This scholarship—$4,000 per year and up to $20,000 total—supports undergraduate minority students who are entering, enrolled in, or transferring into a NAAB-accredited undergraduate architecture program. Scholarships may be renewed every year until your degree is completed, for up to 5 years.

We’re looking for minority students whose imagination and design thinking will influence the future of the architecture profession and the built environment.

Applications for the 2023 awards will open in November 2022.

Association for Women in Architecture Scholarship

The Association for Women in Architecture Foundation offers annual cash awards to women students studying Architecture, Landscape Architecture, Urban and/or Land Planning, Interior Design, or Environmental Design leading to a college degree.

Applicants must be residents of California or attending a California school, and must be enrolled in one of the qualifying majors for the current school term. Applicants must have completed a minimum of 18 units in their major by the application due date.

Deadline to Apply: April 25, 2022

CBC Spouses Visual Arts Scholarship

The Congressional Black Caucus Foundation’s Spouses Visual Arts Scholarship was established to provide financial assistance to African-American or Black students who are pursuing a degree in the visual arts.

This award is for full-time African-American or Black students pursuing a degree in visual arts including, but not limited to, architecture, ceramics, drawing, fashion, graphic design, illustration, interior design, painting, photography, sketching, video production and other decorative arts.

Deadline to Apply: April 30, 2022

CINTAS Foundation Fellowship in Architecture & Design

Candidates in the fields of architectural design, interior design, urban design and urban planning may submit applications for the CINTAS Foundation Fellowship in Architecture. For the purpose of historical value and documentation, architectural award recipients are encouraged to submit architectural drawings (i.e., representative samples of their work) to be added to the CINTAS Fellows Collection after the grant period. To be eligible, applicants must have either Cuban citizenship or direct lineage.

Eligibility for this fellowship: Creative artists of Cuban citizenship or direct lineage (having a Cuban parent or grandparent). Applicants engaged in research, students, or performing artists are not eligible to apply for CINTAS Fellowships.

Deadline to Apply: May 1, 2022

College Raptor Scholarship

To help students take a thoughtful approach to the college decision process and pay for college, College Raptor is awarding a $2,500 scholarship.

For eligibility, applicants must:

• Be legal residents of the United States, District of Columbia, or a U.S. Territory.
• Be age 16 or older.
• Be enrolled (or enroll no later than the fall of 2023) in an accredited post-secondary institution of higher learning (college, university or trade school).

Deadline to Apply: March 31, 2022

FORAship

At FORA we believe one of the most important contributions we can make to our profession is an equitable and diverse practice that promotes belonging. Improving representation in architecture won’t happen through passive means; underrepresented minority students deserve robust, active, and sustained support. We created the FORAship to do just that, by combining a substantial financial scholarship with a year-long internship program that may be renewed throughout a student’s academic journey.

Deadline to Apply: April 15, 2022

Fontana Transport Inc. Scholars Program

The Fontana Transport Inc. Scholars Program is open to underrepresented, low-income and first-generation college-bound students. Students must be pursuing an undergraduate degree full-time in transportation, math, science, engineering, architecture, environmental design, PreMed, psychology, Spanish language/literature. The applicant does not have to be a U.S. citizen but must have a minimum 3.5 GPA and proof of attending college beginning in the fall semester. Recommendation by a faculty member is optional but highly suggested.

Deadline to Apply: March 14, 2022

Gensler Diversity Scholarship

Gensler offers two U.S. scholarships annually, including the Diversity Scholarship, which awards African-American students enrolled in a U.S. not-for-profit educational institution beginning their final year of a NAAB-accredited architecture program. Recipients will win academic scholarships as well as summer internship opportunities.

The Scholarships open in October and close in January of the following year.

HEEF Architecture and Engineering Scholarship

The Orange County (OC) Hispanic Educational Endowment Fund (HEEF) serves US Citizens, Permanent Residents, and Dream Act/ AB 540 students who live in Orange County, California only. HEEF offers competitive academic scholarships for OC high school and community college transfers who qualify for need-based financial aid and who enroll at a 4-year college or university.

This scholarship is open to Orange County-based Latino/a high school students who have been accepted or are returning to an accredited post-secondary educational program majoring in architecture or engineering and who have a minimum 3.0 GPA.

Deadline to Apply: The Scholarships Application is open from October through December each year.

Hispanic Scholarship Fund

The HSF Scholarship is offered to students by the Hispanic Scholarship Fund. Founded in 1975, the Hispanic Scholarship Fund was created in order to empower Latino families with the information and resources that they need in order to earn a higher education. The HSF Scholarship does not require students to choose a particular major or graduate field to be eligible for the money, however, it does place emphasis on STEM majors.

Deadline to Apply: Varies by Scholarship

Houzz Scholarship Program

Houzz offers four different architecture scholarships—Women in Architecture, Residential Design, Sustainable Residential Design, and Residential Construction Management—each for $2,500. Scholarships are open to current undergraduate or graduate students enrolled in interior design, architecture, landscape architecture, architectural engineering, or construction management programs.

Deadline to Apply: March 31, 2022

IA Interior Architects Diversity in Design Scholarship

In partnership with the IIDA Foundation, the IA Interior Architects Diversity in Design Scholarship seeks to recognize that creating a diverse design community is paramount in making the world of design a more inclusive and innovative place. This scholarship is open to graduate and undergraduate students worldwide. There will be one $5,000 scholarship, one $3,000 scholarship and four $500 scholarships awarded.

Deadline to Apply: To Be Announced

John J. Nelson Sr. Legacy Scholarship

The John J. Nelson Sr. Legacy Scholarship Fund was created to benefit and further the study of interior design and architecture by students of African American descent. The scholarship fund is administered through the IIDA Foundation.

Deadline to Apply: To Be Announced

Landscape Architecture Foundation EDSA Minority Scholarship

The EDSA Minority Scholarship was established to help African American, Hispanic, Native American and minority students of other cultural and ethnic backgrounds continue their landscape architecture education. Eligible candidates are in their final two years of undergraduate study or pursuing a graduate degree in landscape architecture. Recipients are awarded $5,000.

Deadline to Apply: February 1, 2022

Mildred Colodny Diversity Scholarship

The Mildred Colodny Diversity Scholarship program provides financial assistance and experiential learning opportunities to individuals preparing for careers in historic preservation. The purpose of the Colodny Scholarship is to increase the diversity of people pursuing degrees and careers in historic preservation in the United States. The National Trust is seeking culturally diverse applicants whose commitment to historic preservation will be strengthened by obtaining a graduate degree in preservation, who will benefit from the internship and mentorship opportunities provided by the Trust, and who ultimately will contribute valuable, diverse perspectives to — and become leaders in — the field of preservation.

The National Trust defines diversity as inclusive, embracing people of all races, creeds, genders, ages, sexual orientations, religions, physical characteristics and abilities, veteran status, and economic or social backgrounds. It also encompasses historic places, communities and geographical areas that represent the full range of unique characteristics, experiences, and cultures.

Awarded up to $15,000 towards graduate school tuition; a paid summer internship with the National Trust following the student’s first year of study; and support of the student’s attendance at a National Preservation Conference or other National Trust training opportunity. One scholarship package per year will be awarded.

Deadline to Apply: February 28, 2022.

National Action Council for Minority Engineers Scholarships

To be eligible to be named for any of the NACME administered scholarships students must either be a high school senior applying to an engineering or computer science program at a NACME Partner Institution, or be currently matriculating in an engineering or computer science program at a NACME Partner Institution, a US citizen or permanent resident, and have a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.0. NACME’s mission is to increase the representation of Black/African American, Latinx/Hispanic-American, and Native/American Indian in the fields of engineering and computer science.

Deadline to Apply: Varies by Scholarship

OHA Native Hawaiian Scholarships

The UH-OHA Hoʻonaʻauao Higher Education Scholarship Program helps fund tuition and fees for Native Hawaiian students pursuing an undergraduate degree or vocational education certificate at any of the 10 campuses within the University of Hawaiʻi System. The program will provide scholarship recipients with advising and mentoring, professional and leadership development, and cultural-based workshops.

Deadline to Apply: March 1, 2022

Payette Sho-Ping Chin Memorial Academic Scholarship

The partners at Payette established this annual memorial scholarship to honor their friend, colleague and fellow partner, Sho-Ping Chin FAIA. This scholarship fund, developed in collaboration with the American Institute of Architects Foundation, will award a scholarship of $10,000 each year to a woman for the study of architecture.

Eligibility to third- and fourth-year women architecture students in a NAAB- accredited undergraduate degree program, as well as women in any level of graduate study in a NAAB-accredited program.

Deadline to Apply: Varies by Year

SmithGroup Equity, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) Scholarship Program

We have created the SmithGroup Equity, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) Scholarship Program to support and mentor students from historically underrepresented demographics in architecture, interior design, planning, landscape architecture and engineering.  The program’s mission is to provide these students with the opportunity to attain their professional goals while advancing the architecture/engineering/construction (AEC) industry and improving the built environment.

Deadline to Apply: October 30, 2022

Networks and Organizations

400 FORWARD

Launched in 2017 when the 400th living African American woman achieved licensure, 400 Forward aims to boost the next generation of African American women architects—who currently make up only 0.2 percent of all licensed architects—through exposure to architecture, mentorship, and financial assistance

ArchiteXX

A non-profit organization for Gender Equity in architecture transforming the profession by bridging the academy and practice. We are a Cross-Generational group of academics and practitioners, and our organization is dedicated to the advancement of all women-identified, non-binary, gender non-conforming, and allied individuals.

Beverly Willis Architecture Foundation.

The Beverly Willis Architecture Foundation (BWAF) is an advocacy group committed to changing the culture of the building industry for women working in architecture, landscape, engineering, and construction—market sectors where only about 17 percent of the leaders are women. Founded in 2002 by Willis, a pioneering woman in the field, the New York-based nonprofit advances the recognition of women’s contributions to architecture through grants and research and supports current professionals and students through educational and social initiatives.

Black Females in Architecture

Black Females in Architecture (BFA) is a network and enterprise founded to increase the visibility of black and black mixed heritage females within the architectural industry and other built environment fields. In so doing, BFA actively addresses issues of inequality and diversity within the industry

BFA supports its growing membership through the provision of a support network within which members benefit from shared knowledge, advice, guidance, access to the personal networks of fellow members, job opportunities, and much more.

Black Interior Designers Network

The Black Interior Designers Network’s mission is to promote diversity and inclusion within the interior design industry by highlighting designers of color and supporting black designers with business development opportunities and resources to help Black designers thrive.

Female Design Council

With the mission of establishing a strong support network for female and female-identifying design professionals—through events, exhibitions, discussions, programming, business development opportunities, and community outreach with industry partners.

National Organization of Minority Architects

Founded in 1971 by 12 African-American architects, who met at the national AIA Convention in Detroit that year and recognized the need to help foster the development of minority architects, NOMA showcases the work of Black architects through its publications and conferences. This national group relies on the strength of its local chapters for advocacy, community outreach, and professional development.

Organization of Black Designers

The Organization of Black Designers is a national professional organization of interior, industrial/product, architectural, fashion, UX, UI and graphic designers dedicated to promoting the visibility, empowerment, education and interaction of its membership and the understanding and value that diverse design perspectives contribute to world culture and commerce.

The Designer’s Workshop

Associate interior designer at Rockwell Group Kamille Glenn founded the Designer’s Workshop as a collective to unite people of color in any 3D-design disciplines, including architecture and design, and to shine a light on this underrepresented population through connectivity and collaboration.

Resources

Best Colleges
Many organizations and schools offer college scholarships for Black and African American students. Learn about the top scholarships for these learners.

Financial Aid, Scholarships, and Resources for African American Students

This resource is for African American Students, and it details information about different types of financial assistance available to African American students, including historically Black university scholarships, field-specific scholarships, and scholarships for women.

College Scholarships For Minorities

Student-Specific Scholarships support individual groups of college students like women and minorities.

45+ College Scholarships for Minority Students

Published by Purdue University Global, this resource shares 45+ financial aid scholarships for future and current students as well as potential graduate students to supplement the cost of education or professional development endeavors. Information on where to find scholarships and grants is supplied. Also highlighted within the resource are opportunities dedicated to specific demographics such as African Americans, Asian Americans, Latino Students, Native Americans, and much more. The featured scholarships are current and are provided by trusted organizations. The resource will constantly be updated to ensure students can apply to the most accurate scholarships available.

Contact us at info@acsa-arch.org to add your Scholarship, Organization, or Resource for Underrepresented students to this page.