AIGA Worldstudio Scholarships
AIGA Worldstudio Scholarships benefit underrepresented 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.

In the News
AIGA announces call for scholarship applications for the 2022/2023 academic year.
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AIGA Worldstudio Scholarships
Past Recipients
Work by Miriam Flores. “Cruzando” “Crossing” (2019), Digital/Photoshop.
View the GalleryThe AIGA Worldstudio Scholarship will allow me to enter my senior year without the worry of paying my tuition out of pocket. I can solely focus on completing my senior thesis, rather than juggling work, my studies, and the most important project of my college career.
Jonai Gibson-Selix
2021–2022 AIGA Worldstudio Scholarship Recipient
![Jonai Gibson-Selix, Senior, The University of the Arts [field.undefined]](/sites/default/files/styles/one_fourth_width_320/public/Jonai%20Gibson-Selix-03-self-portrait.png?itok=ZuVVKvi8)
Application Process
Since its inception in 1995, more than $1.3 million has been awarded to 800+ college students of art and design. Our primary aims are to increase diversity in the creative professions, and to foster social and environmental responsibility in the artists, designers, studios, and companies of tomorrow. Scholarship recipients are selected not only for their talent and their need, but also for their demonstrated commitment to giving back to the larger community through their work.
Scholarships are awarded in amounts of $2,000–$3,000. One or two top awards may be given in an amount up to $5,000 at the jury’s discretion. Honorable mention prizes in the amount of $500 cash are also awarded. Each scholarship is paid directly to the recipient’s school and applied toward tuition. A one-year AIGA membership is also awarded to recipients.
Each year, the application cycle opens in February and closes in April.
Students must have at least a 2.0 GPA.
Applicants must be pursuing undergraduate or graduate degrees in one of the following disciplines:
- Graphic design
- Illustration
- Photography
AIGA Worldstudio Scholarships do not support: industrial design, interior design, film, architecture, landscape design, theater design, fashion design, costume design, fine art, etc.
Please keep in mind that decisions are made based on how your work compares to students in your category (graphic design, illustration, photography). If your major/area of study can be clearly considered within one of these three categories, you may proceed with the application.
Applicants must be citizens of the United States or be in possession of a Green Card (formally known as a Permanent Resident Card or Form I-551).
Applicants must be matriculated (or planning to matriculate) at accredited colleges and universities in the United States for the Fall 2022/Spring 2023 academic year and must maintain full-time status for the entire year.
Please read the Application Guide and FAQs for more information.
Financial need and talent are primary factors in the review and selection process. Applicants must also provide:
- Complete financial aid information with confirmation from the school’s financial aid officer. Get ready now! Free Application for Federal Student Aid: FAFSA
- Official transcript, including current GPA from most recently attended college or high school transcript
- A Portfolio of work samples and a written statement of purpose is required to demonstrate talent and commitment to giving back to the community.
- Two letters of recommendation from individuals who know the applicant and the applicant's work—teachers, employers, counselors, etc.
- Though not a requirement, diversity is a significant factor considered in jury decisions. AIGA considers race, ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, ability and disability, age, and other factors (e.g., military service) that shape creative perspective and professional experience when reviewing applications.
All Students Deserve Access to Design Education
Support student scholarships and honorable mention awards for the 2022/2023 academic year.
Donate Now2021–2022 Scholarship and Honorable Mention Recipients
This year, 16 scholarships and 7 honorable mentions awards were granted to applicants whose work focuses on social, environmental, and cultural impact. Each student has demonstrated talent along with a commitment to giving back to their community through their work. They are capturing moments of resistance and resilience that exist within marginalized communities; creating video games and teaching younger kids how to code; designing for social change with a focus on disability and diversity; evoking joy through design to positively impact youth; using fantasy to create spaces of acceptance; bringing positive representation to the table by spotlighting hidden perspectives; utilizing methods used by marginalized interdisciplinary artists to resist structures of oppression; depicting Blackness, struggle, joy, and family, and making art accessible to all; and more. We are thrilled to announce this year's recipients!

Graphic Design
Kofi Bazzell-Smith
Graduate Student, University of Illinois

Graphic Design
Camrien Cooper
Junior, University of California Berkeley

Graphic Design
Miriam Flores
Junior, University of Utah

Graphic Design
Jonai Gibson-Selix
Senior, The University of the Arts

Graphic Design
Sulaiman Jackson
Sophomore, Baker College

Graphic Design
Gawon Lee
Graduate Student, George Mason University

Graphic Design
Olivia Quesada
Senior, University of Washington - Seattle

Graphic Design
Olivia Santangelo
Freshman, North Carolina State University College of Design

Graphic Design
Nick Tallent
Senior, University of Houston

Graphic Design
Adreenah "Dreezy" Wynn
Graduate Student, University of Florida

Illustration
Ty Campbell
Freshman, Virginia Commonwealth University

Illustration
Alex Driskell
Freshman, Ringling College of Art and Design

Illustration
Matilda Gonzales
Freshman, Northwest Vista College

Illustration
Yeala Grimes
Freshman, Virginia Commonwealth University

Illustration
Ajane Lawrence
Sophomore, North Carolina State University

Illustration
Avery Luthardt
Freshman, Minneapolis College of Art and Design

Illustration
Sydnei Pitts
Junior, Loyola Marymount University

Illustration
Duha Shreiteh
Freshman, Kansas City Art Institute

Photography
Jamil Fatti
Graduate Student, Rhode Island School of Design

Photography
Xavier Hadley
Graduate Student, New York University

Photography
Lia Latty
Senior, Maryland Institute College of Art

Photography
Marilyn Montúfar
Graduate Student, East Los Angeles College
Photography
Stevia Ndoe
Freshman, New York University
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Applications Cycle
Application opens
February 10, 2022
Application closes
April 20, 2022
Earliest notification
July 2022
Earliest announcement
September 2022
Resources
Still have questions?
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Don't be afraid to get lost in the weeds of making and producing design work for yourself based on your interests or creators that you admire. There is so much value in finding THE passion in what drives your curiosity that I encourage the indulgence of trial and errors. Your small discoveries can lead you to find some buried through lines and unexpected influences that are totally worth further investigation.
David Jon Walker
Designer, Rhealistic Design /Associate Professor, Austin Peay State University
![David Jon Walker [field.undefined]](/sites/default/files/styles/one_fourth_width_320/public/AIGA_David_Jon_Walker_1200x1200.jpg?itok=7Qk_GMsq)
2022–2023 Jurors
Thank you to our amazing jurors!

Graphic Design
Dian Holton
Senior Deputy Art Director, AARP

Graphic Design
Rose Newton
UX Design Manager, Google

Graphic Design
Tré Seals
Vocal Type

Graphic Design
David Jon Walker
Designer, Rhealistic Design /Associate Professor, Austin Peay State University

Graphic Design
Sadie Red Wing
Assistant Professor, OCAD University

Illustration
Victor Davila
Associate Professor, University of Central Florida

Illustration
Tom Koken
Designer, Worldstudio / Worldstudio Foundation

Illustration
Juana Medina
Author, Illustrator, and Assistant Professor at George Mason University’s School of Art & Design

Illustration
Sarah Siddiqui
Creative Lead, Experience Kissimmee

Photography
Jemma Dilag
Creative Consultant / Co-Founder of Queer the Lens

Photography
Reggie Tidwell
Owner, Curve Theory

Worldstudio
Mark Randall
Associate Dean + Assistant Professor, Parsons School of Design Strategies
Founder + Creative Director, Worldstudio
Give a named scholarship!
Named scholarships can be made in your name, your company’s name, or your chapter’s name when you donate $3,250 or more.
Special thanks to:
Betty Designs,
CASE Agency,
Design Continuum Fund,
Richard and Jean Coyne Family Foundation
This scholarship has also shown me that my endeavors to create cultural bridges through my artwork and scholarship are valid. This is the first step in my journey as an academic and I am very grateful to AIGA for making this opportunity possible.
Kofi Bazzell-Smith
2021–2022 AIGA Worldstudio Scholarship Recipient
![Kofi Bazzell-Smith [field.undefined]](/sites/default/files/styles/one_fourth_width_320/public/Kofi%20Bazzell-Smith-03-self-portrait.jpg?itok=F8tJtTAc)
Increasing Access to Design Education for More Than 25 Years
Your support has an immediate and lasting impact; it provides an opportunity for undergraduate and graduate students from underrepresented and economically disadvantaged backgrounds with positive social agendas to achieve their educational goals and give back to communities through their work.
I'm attracted to design, particularly interaction design, for its ability to combine art and engineering and psychology into one discipline that can create quantifiable social change. I want to leave the world a better place than I found it, and as a designer, I feel like I can do that.
Olivia Quesada
2021–2022 AIGA Worldstudio Scholarship Recipient
![Olivia Quesada, University of Washington - Seattle [field.undefined]](/sites/default/files/styles/one_fourth_width_320/public/Olivia%20Quesada-04-self-portrait.jpg?itok=a7bjdheJ)
AIGA Worldstudio Scholarships in the News
Press Release
November 16, 2021
AIGA Worldstudio Scholarship AIGATogether Fundraising Campaign
Since 1995, the well-known AIGA Worldstudio Scholarships program has awarded $1.3 million to more than 800 college students to help increase diversity in the design profession and foster social and environmental responsibility in the artists, designers, studios, and companies of tomorrow. The annual year-end fundraiser aims to raise $100,000 to support students whose work focuses on social, environmental, and cultural impact.
Press Release
October 7, 2021
AIGA Worldstudio Scholarship Winners Announced
Jurors selected 23 students to receive awards for the 2021/2022 academic year.
Webinar
December 1, 2020
Design Future Live: Giving Tuesday Edition
AIGA hosted a special edition of AIGA Worldstudio Live for #GivingTuesday. This informational, community-building, and fundraising event supported the 2021/2022 AIGA Worldstudio Scholarships. Lee-Sean Huang, AIGA Education Manager and host of Design Futures Now!, was joined by AIGA Medalist, Mark Randall of Worldstudio Foundation; Meaghan Dee and Meena Khalili, Co-Chaiirs of the AIGA Design Educators Community; and George Garrestegui, Jr. of the AIGA Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Task Force. Together, they discuss how we can transform communities and empower students.
Press Release
September 2, 2020
AIGA Worldstudio Scholarship Winners Announced
Jurors selected 24 students to receive awards for the 2020/2021 academic year.
Podcast
May 5, 2020
Design Future Live: Giving Tuesday Now Edition
During a special #GivingTuesdayNow edition of Design Future Live, Lee-Sean Huang spoke with AIGA Medalist, Mark Randall of Worldstudio Foundation about the AIGA Worldstudio Scholarship program and the state of design education amidst COVID-19.
Building Partnerships With A Vibrant Community
The National Partnership Program is about leadership, relevance, and impact—with, within, and through design—to build and sustain programs, initiatives, and resources that champion a more contemporary and inclusive profession.