Film School Scholarships: Everything You Need To Know

Make Your Indy Film Hobby a Reality

There are many film scholarships that can help students pay for film studies degrees. For a film school scholarship, applicants are typically required to submit a short film in the genre of their choice. Some popular film genres include:

Animation
Narrative
Documentary
Experimental/Alternative

Video Contests

Some film school scholarships are more like contests, open to anyone who submits a video on a certain topic. These often don’t look at your financial needs and school credits, but instead look at the message in your video.

Film Scholarships

Scholarship Name	Award	Date	Additional Parameters
Audition/Portfolio Review Scholarship	Vary	Vary	N/A
Austin Alliance for Women in Media Scholarship	$5,000	March 1	Women applicants
Betty Harlan Memorial Art Scholarship	Vary	February 1	N/A
BSU Letterman Telecommunications Scholarship	$6,111	April 10	Rising juniors and seniors at BSU
Camera Ready Award	$50	Vary	N/A
CBC Spouses Visual Arts Scholarship	$3,000	April 30	African American students pursuing a degree in visual arts
Don and Gee Nicholl Fellowships in Screenwriting	$35,000 fellowship	April 9	N/A
Express To De-Stress Video Contest	$175	July 31	Five winners
Film Grant Scholarships	$30,000	August 31	N/A
Francis D. Lyon Scholarship	$2,500	March 29	Graduate students
Frank Capra Jr. Film Studies Scholarship	$1,000	May 31	UNCW students
Interpublic Group Scholarship and Internship	Vary	January 31	BIPOC students
IP Video Contest	$5,000	April 30	N/A
Jack G. Shaheen Mass Communications Scholarship Award	$2,500	April 1	Arab-American students
Jim McKay and Mike Wallace Memorial Scholarship	$10,000	March 15	Graduating high school seniors
John L. Dales Scholarship	Vary	Vary	N/A
Kodak Professional Photography Scholarship	Up to $1,000	Vary	N/A
NATAS Lone Star Scholarship	$10,000	October 15	Texas students
NATAS-PSW Scholarship	$1,250	March 31	Undergraduate students from the Pacific Southwest
One Earth Young Filmmakers Contest	$1,000	January 5	25 and under
Post-9/11 GI Bill	Vary	Vary	Veterans
Princess Grace Foundation Awards for Film	Vary	August 31	No self-nominations
Scholars Helping Collars Scholarship	$1,500	February 28	High school seniors
Scripted Film Lab	$10,000	March 12	N/A
Student Academy Awards	Up to $5,000	June 1	N/A
Support Creativity Scholarship	Awards 3 $1,000 scholarships	May 1	N/A
The Charles & Lucille King Family Foundation Scholarship	$3,500	April 1	Undergraduate juniors and seniors
The James Alan Cox Foundation for Student Photojournalists	$2,500	November 15	N/A
The Floyd Mayweather Jr. Foundation: Advancement of Women in Sports & Entertainment Scholarship	$1,000	Vary	Women applicants
The National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences Scholarships	Vary	March	N/A
The Steven & Alexandra Cohen Fund for Student Support	Awards $5,000,000	Fall	USC undergraduate students
Upper Midwest Emmy Chapter/Foundation Scholarships	$3,000	February 5	Students living in North Dakota, South Dakota, Minnesota, Iowa, and western Wisconsin
Women in Film Foundation Scholarship	$3,000	Multiple	Women film students
American Film Institute	Financial Aid	Vary	N/A
Kodak Student Cinematography Scholarship Awards	Up to $9,000	Unknown	N/A
College Board	Scholarship Database	Scholarship Database	Scholarship Database
Fastweb	Scholarship Database	Scholarship Database	Scholarship Database
Finaid	Scholarship and Financial Aid Guide	Scholarship and Financial Aid Guide	Scholarship and Financial Aid Guide
IEFA International	Scholarship Database	Scholarship Database	Scholarship Database
Monterey County Film Commission	Vary	Vary	N/A
National Society of High School Scholars	$2,000,000 to multiple students	Vary	High school students
Steve Kaplan TV & Film Studies Scholarship	N/A	N/A	N/A
Calliope Workshop and MFA Scholarship	Up to $4,000	Vary	N/A
Carole Fielding Student Grants	$5,000	Vary	Undergraduate and graduate students in film
Congress-Bundestag Youth Exchange for Young Professionals	German study abroad program	Vary	Students age 18-24
Evalee C. Schwarz Charitable Trust for Education Scholarship	$15,000	Vary	Financial aid
New York Women in Communications Inc. Foundation Scholarship Program	$10,000	Vary	High school seniors who are residents of New York, New Jersey, Connecticut, or Pennsylvania
PEGTV Courcelle Scholarship	$2,000	Vary	Rutland County students
Support Creativity Scholarship	$1,000	Vary	N/A
The Beinecke Scholarship Program	$34,000	Vary	College juniors
The National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences Scholarships	$10,000	Vary	N/A
Scholarships for International Baccalaureate Holders	Scholarship Database	Scholarship Database	Scholarship Database
Federal Pell Grant	Financial Aid	Financial Aid	Financial Aid
State Financial Aid Programs	Financial Aid	Financial Aid	Financial Aid

Photography, Cinematography and Videography Internships

How To Find Scholarships for Film School

Film professionals are in greater demand than ever before. However, the first step is to become a professional candidate by getting an education. You may want to consider piecing together different types of financial aid to cover the cost of your education. Start by searching for film and media scholarships for the following occupations:

Art direction
Cinematography
Digital video
Documentary filmmaking
Production
Screenwriting
Storyboarding

Why Consider Film Scholarships

While a career in film is exciting and can pay a great income, it takes money to get a film career off the ground. Film scholarships can help you get the money you need to pay for college. They can also fund projects to help you build a portfolio.

New York Film Academy Assistance, Awards, and Scholarships

Need-based tuition assistance: This is designed for students who have a financial need to help reduce the cost of obtaining an education from the New York Film Academy’s long-term programs.
Talent-based tuition award: This program is designed to find applicants who are exceptionally talented in their program of study. Awards are based on the applicant’s portfolio or audition during the admissions process.
Merit-based tuition award: This award provides financial aid to qualified candidates within the college’s Bachelor of Arts and Bachelor of Fine Arts programs. Students have to demonstrate a history of academic achievement in addition to a commitment to the arts, leadership, and community service.
Matthew Modine Masters Scholarship: This scholarship program provides financial assistance to students who are in the Master of Fine Arts programs in Filmmaking and Acting for Film.

State Grants

Many states have grant programs available to qualified residents. To be eligible, most grant programs require residency and attendance at a school in that state.

Veterans

Many film schools are approved for veterans’ education benefits. Those who aren’t covered by the Post-9/11 GI bill may receive a tuition discount.

Grants for Film Makers

If you’re pursuing a film or media degree, you may want to consider applying for a grant to offset production costs. While a grant may not pay your tuition, it could help you get the money you need for filming.

All aspiring film students are also encouraged to complete the FAFSA, which determines student eligibility for the Pell grant, direct loans, and other student aid. If you need help finding scholarships and financing, the staff at NFI is happy to help. Contact us today to let us help make your dreams a reality.