Scholarships & Awards

The Department of Art + Design, Art History, Art Education offers a variety of scholarships and awards based on merit and/or need for incoming freshman or existing students.

College of Fine Arts and Communication scholarship awards

COFAC scholarships are determined by merit and/or need. Not all scholarships are available to the department every year. 

The following scholarships are chosen each December based on student applications with work sample (see below for application deadline and process): 

  • McConnell-Brungardt Scholarship Fund
  • The COFAC Fine Arts and Performing Arts Scholarship
  • Alex Sidorowicz Memorial Fund
  • Beulah Price Scholarship
  • Franklin and Alice Cooley Scholarship
  • Mary Fyffe Chiswell Scholarship
  • Jack Tolbert Memorial Scholarship
  • Ira and Mary Basler Scholarship
  • Merritt Family Scholarship

These scholarships are chosen by faculty nomination: 

  • Thao Nguyen Memorial Scholarship
  • Arwady/Broadwater Scholarship in Art Education
  • Sam Holden Photography Award
  • Three Arts Club of Homeland Award (art history) 

A number of awards are given for work in the annual Juried Student Exhibition and Senior Exhibition (all students exhibiting are considered for awards), with prize money coming from the following funds:

  • Art Department Scholarship Endowment 
  • Doris H. and Raymond L. Markley Art Enhancement Fund 
  • Ro and Marius P. Johnson Scholarship Endowment Fund 
  • Joan Nevins Fund

Undergraduate and Graduate Travel and Research Awards

For more information and deadlines please view the following resources: 

Outstanding Maryland High School Student Scholarship (based on portfolio review)

Each fall, the department invites Maryland high schools to nominate up to two outstanding seniors to compete for Towson University’s Department of Art + Design, Art History, Art Education Scholarships. Upon their recommendation, these nominees are invited to compete for art scholarships by having their portfolios reviewed.

The department faculty evaluate the portfolios and award the top portfolios the Department of Art + Design, Art History, Art Education Scholarships, in varying amounts. These awards are renewable for a total of four years of undergraduate study at Towson for Art + Design and Art History or for five years for Art Education. The students must remain a continuous full-time declared Art + Design, Art History or Art Education major and must maintain a high cumulative GPA.

Participating high schools submit their nominations in early January. Nominated students are invited to participate by sending their portfolio to the Department of Art + Design in February. Participants are notified in March of the results.

For more information about the high school scholarship, please contact the Art Office at or 410-704-2808.


Applying for a Scholarship

To apply for one or more of the COFAC scholarships, you must be currently enrolled as an art major. Please complete the Department of Art + Design's scholarship application form and submit both the form and a work sample (a paper written for a course in the major or a portfolio of 8 pieces). Only one application is necessary.  All applications are due by Dec. 1st.

For more information about College of Fine Arts scholarships please contact:

Professor Nora Sturges
Chair, Scholarship Committee 
Department of Art + Design, Art History, Art Education

General Information about Financial Aid

For information on other financial aid options, please visit the Financial Aid Office website.