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 NameAwardDateAdditional Parameters
Audition/Portfolio Review ScholarshipVaryVaryN/A
Austin Alliance for Women in Media Scholarship$5,000March 1Women applicants
Betty Harlan Memorial Art ScholarshipVaryFebruary 1N/A
BSU Letterman Telecommunications Scholarship$6,111April 10Rising juniors and seniors at BSU
Camera Ready Award$50VaryN/A
CBC Spouses Visual Arts Scholarship$3,000April 30African American students pursuing a degree in visual arts
Don and Gee Nicholl Fellowships in Screenwriting$35,000 fellowshipApril 9N/A
Express To De-Stress Video Contest$175July 31Five winners
Film Grant Scholarships$30,000August 31N/A
Francis D. Lyon Scholarship
$2,500March 29Graduate students
Frank Capra Jr. Film Studies Scholarship$1,000May 31UNCW students
Interpublic Group Scholarship and Internship
VaryJanuary 31BIPOC students
IP Video Contest$5,000April 30N/A
Jack G. Shaheen Mass Communications Scholarship Award$2,500April 1Arab-American students
Jim McKay and Mike Wallace Memorial Scholarship$10,000March 15Graduating high school seniors
John L. Dales ScholarshipVaryVaryN/A
Kodak Professional Photography Scholarship
Up to $1,000VaryN/A
NATAS Lone Star Scholarship$10,000October 15Texas students
NATAS-PSW Scholarship$1,250March 31Undergraduate students from the Pacific Southwest
One Earth Young Filmmakers Contest$1,000January 525 and under
Post-9/11 GI BillVaryVaryVeterans
Princess Grace Foundation Awards for FilmVaryAugust 31No self-nominations
Scholars Helping Collars Scholarship$1,500February 28High school seniors
Scripted Film Lab$10,000March 12N/A
Student Academy AwardsUp to $5,000June 1N/A
Support Creativity ScholarshipAwards 3 $1,000 scholarshipsMay 1N/A
The Charles & Lucille King Family Foundation Scholarship
$3,500April 1Undergraduate juniors and seniors
The James Alan Cox Foundation for Student Photojournalists$2,500November 15N/A
The Floyd Mayweather Jr. Foundation: Advancement of Women in Sports & Entertainment Scholarship$1,000VaryWomen applicants 
The National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences ScholarshipsVaryMarchN/A
The Steven & Alexandra Cohen Fund for Student SupportAwards $5,000,000Fall USC undergraduate students
Upper Midwest Emmy Chapter/Foundation Scholarships$3,000February 5Students living in North Dakota, South Dakota, Minnesota, Iowa, and western Wisconsin
Women in Film Foundation Scholarship$3,000MultipleWomen film students
American Film InstituteFinancial AidVaryN/A
Kodak Student Cinematography Scholarship AwardsUp to $9,000UnknownN/A
College BoardScholarship DatabaseScholarship DatabaseScholarship Database
FastwebScholarship DatabaseScholarship DatabaseScholarship Database
FinaidScholarship and Financial Aid GuideScholarship and Financial Aid GuideScholarship and Financial Aid Guide
IEFA International
Scholarship DatabaseScholarship DatabaseScholarship Database
Monterey County Film Commission
VaryVaryN/A
National Society of High School Scholars
$2,000,000 to multiple studentsVaryHigh school students
Steve Kaplan TV & Film Studies ScholarshipN/AN/AN/A
Calliope Workshop and MFA ScholarshipUp to $4,000VaryN/A
Carole Fielding Student Grants$5,000VaryUndergraduate and graduate students in film
Congress-Bundestag Youth Exchange for Young Professionals
German study abroad programVaryStudents age 18-24
Evalee C. Schwarz Charitable Trust for Education Scholarship$15,000VaryFinancial aid
New York Women in Communications Inc. Foundation Scholarship Program$10,000VaryHigh school seniors who are residents of New York, New Jersey, Connecticut, or Pennsylvania
PEGTV Courcelle Scholarship$2,000VaryRutland County students
Support Creativity Scholarship$1,000VaryN/A
The Beinecke Scholarship Program$34,000VaryCollege juniors
The National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences Scholarships
$10,000VaryN/A
Scholarships for International Baccalaureate Holders
Scholarship DatabaseScholarship DatabaseScholarship Database
Federal Pell Grant
Financial AidFinancial AidFinancial Aid
State Financial Aid ProgramsFinancial AidFinancial Aid Financial Aid

Photography, Cinematography and Videography Internships

  1. ALEXANDRIA – Internship Opportunity
  2. Conservation Photography/Biology Summer Internship
  3. Disney College Program Internship
  4. Film Internship – Museum of the Moving Image
  5. GLSEN Student Ambassador
  6. Journalism Internship
  7. Holography Internship
  8. Photography Conservation Internship
  9. Social Media Marketing Internship
  10. Production Internship
  11. Daily Herald Photojournalism Internship

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:

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.

Film Institutes

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