Design scholarships

 
 

Portfolio Scholarship COMPETITION

The Department of Design is pleased to announce the 2026-2027 Design Scholarship Competition (Dean's Meritorious Awards) for Prospective Design Students. who plan to attend Winthrop University's Department of Design for the first time (freshman and transfer students) during the 2026-2027 academic year. Students must declare a major within the Department of Design: Game Design, Interior Design, Graphic Design, or Illustration.

Scholarship amounts will vary based on the decision of the Design Scholarship Committee. Students selected for an award have the opportunity to renew their scholarship for up to three years after the initial award year providing they remain in good academic standing as a full-time student in the Department of Design. Out-of-state students selected for this award are eligible to receive the scholarship amount in addition to an out-of-state tuition waiver.

This scholarship is contingent on admission to Winthrop University. An online application can be found at www.winthrop.edu/admissions. Acceptance of this award does not impact eligibility for other Winthrop academic scholarships offered by the Office of Admissions.

 

Priority Submission Deadline Date:

MARCH 1st, 2026

Submission of a digital portfolio for review and critique by our internationally acclaimed faculty is open to students planning to pursue degrees in Design. Awards will be disseminated on a rolling basis until available funds are exhausted.

 

    • Prospective students should submit a Letter of Intent (250 words) stating which degree program they are interested in and why.
    • Include 7–10 Images of your work. Images can include black & white, color, mixed media, two-dimensional and three-dimensional work.
    • All portfolios must be submitted as multi-page PDFs. Please include your Letter of Intent as the first page of your PDF portfolio. Don’t forget to add your name and contact information in your Letter of Intent. Portfolios may not exceed 10MB.

 

DESIGN ENDOWED SCHOLARSHIPS 

DEADLINE FOR 2026-2027: April 18, 2026

The Department of Design invited current majors to apply for merit-based scholarships. Awards will be based on the quality of portfolio or written work submitted during the application process. The next call for submissions is currently open an will be applied to the 2026-27 academic year. Please follow the guideline below, and apply via the submission portal.        NOTE-THIS PORTAL AND AWARD NAMES ARE FORTHCOMING.

*Scholarships are offered each Spring and vary in amounts depending on available funds each year. 

 

Notification of Awards:

The first round of scholarship notifications will be sent to all participants approximately two weeks after the March 1st priority deadline. Remaining award amounts will be disseminated until available funds are exhausted.

 

Questions about the Design Scholarship Competition?

Contact Chris Doehling doehlingc@winthrop.edu