Scholarships for College Students in the field of Architecture

Scholarships for Architecture Students are saviors, given the elite nature of the profession, a myriad of elite schools, and curriculums leading to high costs and above-average tuition fees. Moreover, free scholarships to study abroad serve as an opportunity for the students to experience in person the global architectural masterpieces that they only explored in books and international architectural concepts that they learned in lectures. 

These scholarships and grants are windows for budding architects and architecture students to mingle with the international architectural community becoming a part of the global knowledge society. Some of the scholarships for college students are university-specific, while others are country-specific. This article enlists and describes a few arbitrarily selected scholarships among the plenty out there, serving as a beginner’s guide to students and young architects looking for scholarships to pursue a master’s, doctorate, or research in a topic of personal interest in Architecture.

Inlaks Shivdasani Scholarship- 10 Private Sector Sponsored Scholarships for Architecture Students

Inlaks Shivdasani Foundation has granted scholarships to over 480 Indian students to pursue their studies abroad, since 1976. The target recipients of this scholarship are Indian students willing to do a full-time Master’s, MPhil, or Doctoral program in universities in the USA, UK, and Europe. In order to qualify for the scholarship, students must have a minimum academic grade of 65%, a CGPA of 6.8/10, or a GPA of 2.6/4 from a recognized university.

The scholarship aims to empower the selected candidate by offering a monetary award up to $100,000 to manage program tuition, living expenses, healthcare, and one-way airfare. However, if the candidate is pursuing study at the Imperial College, London, the Royal College of Art (RCA), London, the University of Cambridge (Cambridge Trust), Paris and King’s College London or Hertie School, Berlin, the Scholarship mat exceeds the limit mentioned above due to the Foundation’s joint scholarships with these institutions. More information about this scholarship for college students is available at https://www.inlaksfoundation.org/scholarships/how-to-apply/   

J N Tata Endowment Scholarship

As over a century-old establishment, J N Tata Endowment has awarded scholarships to more than 5700 Indian students from all over India since 1892. Interestingly, renowned Indian Architect, Architect Rahul Mehrotra is a J N Tata Scholar. The loan scholarship intends to support students willing to pursue Master’s, Doctorate, and Post-doctorate fellowships in foreign countries. The students applying for the scholarship are expected to have graduated from a university recognized by India with at least 60% marks and apply for a postgraduate degree abroad also recognized in India. More information about this scholarship for college students can be found at https://jntataendowment.org/     

Swami Dayanand Education Foundation Scholarship

This scholarship intends to support students with merit from economically weaker sections of society pursuing undergraduate courses. The eligibility criteria state that the student must have studied in government or government-aided schools, secured at least 85% in CBSE Board or 75% or above Marks in Other Boards in 12th Class and the Annual Family Income should be between 1.2 Lacs to 8 Lacs per annum. Concerning undergraduate architecture courses, the India Overall Rank of the applying student should be less than 90,000. More information can be found at https://www.swamidayanand.org/scholarship-india     

DAAD Scholarship Germany

DAAD Scholarship Germany facilitates students who are willing to pursue a Master’s degree or a course in the field of architecture at German public universities or German state-recognized universities with financial aid. Students who have completed an undergraduate degree in the field of Architecture, Interior Design, Monument Conservation, Reconditioning of Old Buildings, Urban Planning Landscape Architecture, or Landscape Planning are eligible for this scholarship. Students are required to display their proficiency in German by taking the DSH or TestDaF or English by taking the TOEFL or IELTS exam, depending on the medium of instruction.

The scholarship provides comprehensive coverage for health, accident, and personal liability insurance, ensuring that recipients are protected in various situations in addition to a travel allowance and a one-time study allowance to support educational endeavors. Furthermore, recipients will receive a monthly stipend of 934 euros to assist with living expenses.

This is an amazing opportunity for students, as apart from architecture, DAAD Scholarship Germany promotes learning German and helps students enhance their German language skills to ease their stay in Germany during the course of study with incentives like funding for a personally chosen German language course and reimbursement of the fee for a TestDaF or DSH test. More information about the scholarships for college students willing to pursue Postgraduate Studies in the Field of Architecture in Germany is available at DAAD Scholarship Germany.

The Association for Women in Architecture Foundation Scholarship

Supported by donors, the Association for Women in Architecture Foundation (AWAF) grants scholarships for female students pursuing architecture and related majors in California. This year at the mercy of Sarah Hay’s bequest, AWAF could increase the organization’s scholarship and fellowship programs. The scholarship can be applied by students studying in California who have completed a minimum of 10 units in their major if they are community college students or 18 credits for others. 

This year AWAF offers scholarships for 6 female students, each of a total worth between $3,000 to $7,500. More information is available at https://www.awaplusd.org/awaf-scholarships 

Chicago Roofing Council Scholarship

The Chicagoland Roofing Council Trustees have offered annual scholarships to students since 1988. High school graduates who are dependents of Chicagoland Roofing Council Contractor firm members and the United Union of Roofers, Waterproofers and Allied Workers Local 11, or CRC Contractor office personnel are eligible for this scholarship. The scholarship is granted to such graduates who are willing to pursue a 4-year accredited course in a college, community college, or vocational training center. The applicant’s inherent potential recognized via display of skill and merit fetches him/her the scholarship.  

More information is available at https://chicagoroofing.org/Resources/Scholarship   

Steedman Fellowship

James Harrison Steedman Fellowship, founded in 1926, is one of the oldest and most privileged grants for young professionals in the field of architecture in the US awarded biannually. Steedman Fellowship is a unique scholarship, a travel grant that does not fund the postgraduate degree of students but instead facilitates an emerging architect’s research abroad. With a limited eligibility restriction, this grant is open to any architect who has completed his/her undergraduate/postgraduate/ doctorate degree from a recognized University within the last 8 years of applying for the grant.  

The selected architect is awarded $75,000 to successfully complete his/her research on a topic related to global or regional built environment within 6-12 months of travel, at most 18 months from receiving the grant.  Additionally, after completing the project, the selected architect is invited to present a workshop for members of the professional community in St. Louis and a lecture on his/her research to the students at the Sam Fox School of Design and Visual Arts, Washington University. More information about the Steedman Fellowship is available at https://steedmanfellowship.wustl.edu/about-the-steedman-2/   

Al Burlini AIA Scholarship Fund 

The Cornerstone Building Foundation working towards the advancement of the architecture, engineering, and construction industries and professions sponsors the above scholarship in honor of Al Burlini, a Graduate of the University of Arizona in architecture and one of the first to receive the Cornerstone Architect of the Year award.

The candidates applying for the scholarship must be enrolled in the second year of the Bachelor of Architecture program at the University of Arizona and possess a GPA of at least 3.5. More information about the scholarship is available at  https://cbf-tucson.org/cbf-charities/scholarships/ and https://www.collegexpress.com/scholarships/al-burlini-scholarship/5004994/ 

Diversity Advancement Scholarship

Established initially in 1970 and now supported by Ford Foundation, Curry Stone Foundation, Custom Residential Architects Network, Fireclay Tile, Robert Ivy, RS&H, Safdie Architects, and Sherwin-Williams Company in response to the concern raised by civil rights leader Whitney Young Jr. to make the profession more equitable, the Scholarship grants up to $20,000. US Citizens or permanent residents enrolled or planning to enroll in an NAAB-accredited architecture program are eligible to receive this grant. This is a renewable scholarship and thus can offer up to $20,000 in 5 years. More information is available at https://architectsfoundation.org/our-programs/architecture-scholarships/the-diversity-advancement-scholarship/   

RIBA Norman Foster Travelling Scholarship

RIBA Norman Foster Travelling Scholarship supported by the Norman Foster Foundation, unlike other scholarships discussed herein, doesn’t accept individual applications from students. Out of the students nominated by the schools invited by RIBA, one student receives a scholarship of £7,000 to fund his/her research on a particular topic in a location of his/her choice. The research topic must be related to the sustenance of cities under various themes. More information about this scholarship is available at https://www.architecture.com/education-cpd-and-careers/studying-architecture/advice-on-funding-your-architectural-studies/funding-opportunities-for-students-of-architecture/riba-norman-foster-travelling-scholarship