Youngarts Foundation
Before you spend hours on this
Will this scholarship actually lower your cost?
Not always. Many colleges reduce your financial-aid package when you win an outside scholarship — sometimes dollar-for-dollar — so the money can end up saving the school instead of you. It's called scholarship displacement. Two free tools tell you where you actually stand:
General guidance, not financial advice — your school's financial aid office is the only authority on how they treat outside awards. Always confirm with them before deciding.
Best fit for
Serious teenage artists in any discipline at the level where they're already producing work at college-portfolio or audition-ready quality. NOT for casual hobbyists — YoungArts genuinely evaluates work at a professional-trajectory level.
What they actually look for
YoungArts (formerly NFAA) is the most prestigious arts recognition for US high schoolers — the pipeline to U.S. Presidential Scholars in the Arts (top 20 YoungArts Award winners get nominated for this honor). Awards $250 to $10,000 + invitation to National YoungArts Week in Miami (all expenses paid, with the country's top working artists as teachers). About 700 Awards Winners per year across all 10 disciplines.
What you'll need
- Aged 15-18 at time of application
- Original creative work in one of 10 disciplines: visual arts, design arts, photography, film, classical music, jazz, voice, theater, dance, writing
- Submit portfolio/audition tape via YoungArts online portal
- Application fee: $35 (waivers available for documented financial need)
- Optional short essay on your artistic practice
- No academic-stats minimum — YoungArts is portfolio-only
When to start
Application opens June, closes October 14 (firm). Notification November-December. National YoungArts Week is mid-January in Miami.
Watch out for
October 14 is FIRM — no extensions, no exceptions, even for school orchestra trips or AP testing conflicts. Submit by October 1 to avoid technical glitches at deadline. Also: discipline-specific submission requirements are strict (writing wants 10-15 pages typed, music wants specific repertoire requirements, etc.) — read your discipline's requirements in JUNE, not at deadline.