Do you dream of working as a photographer for the National Geographic or the NBA? Well, your dream may not be so far off with a major in photography. And if you worry about the high costs of tuition (hello, that’s why we’re here!) have no fear! There are scholarships for all majors, including photography.
Nowadays, it seems like every other person with Instagram is a photographer. It is the best time ever to pursue photography as a career. And there are many awards, scholarships, and internships to help students do so.
If you would like to study photography, scholarships are a great way to ease the stress of paying for your education. It will also allow you to get your foot in the door and develop a presence in the arts community.
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There are many organizations that make it possible for students to study photography. There are scholarships for both high school students, students who are already in college, and graduate students.
Here are some places where you can look for photography scholarships:
Your School
Many schools offer scholarships to students majoring in photography. You should check with the photography department and see what scholarships they offer.
Grants
You may be eligible for a grant. Grants are awarded to students who show financial need. There are many grants which fund specific photography projects. A good place to start your search is with the North American Nature Photography Association Foundation.
The Smithsonian has an annual photo contest in which one individual receives the grand prize of $2,500.
If you want to aim for an even bigger award, you can apply to the Sony World Photography Awards. They award 10 semi-finalists with Sony photography equipment (and a free to trip to London) and one winner with 30,000 Euro worth of equipment!
If you’re the kind of person that’s always snapping selfies and pictures of your meals, you may be missing out on some serious swag. And better swag means better pictures which can help you achieve even greater success! (and earn some money along the way)
You should download the free Foap application. Every time somebody buys your photograph, you get $5. Popular brands, like MasterCard and Sony, are also buying images. Plus, if a company likes your work, they may send you out on assignment and you’ll make even more money. More than half of Foap’s users make money. Some even as much as $2,000 from a single photo.
Other Scholarships Worth Checking Out
The National Press Photographers Foundation (NPPF) Awards six photography scholarships. Apply once to enter to win them all. The award is for $2,000 to students who show talent and financial need.
Worldstudio AIGA Scholarship– Gives minority and lower-income students up to $5,000 to pursue a degree in art or design. To win, you need to demonstrate talent, financial need, and detail a plan to give back to your community through your work.
Besides photography-specific scholarships, you can also look into scholarships for all majors. Students win scholarships for demonstrating talent and potential. So, if you have a special talent in photography, your application may attract the scholarship committee team. Remember, keep on applying to all kinds of scholarships. The more, the better.
Regardless of your major, you should start by filling out a free application at www.FAFSA.ed.gov. The application allows you to apply for different types of federal financial aid like the Federal Pell Grant.
Seek out as many opportunities as you can! The time you spend doing research and applying to scholarships is time-consuming, but the payoff is worth it.
David Tabachnikov is the CEO of ScholarshipOwl. Formerly at Waze and Google, David is an experienced CTO/R&D manager with over 10 years of experience of leading tech teams. David fervently believes that students should have greater access to education, and is passionate about using technology to help them achieve that goal.
