Available scholarships - Department of Art and Design

The Daniel Vollmer Scholarship is for outstanding students majoring in Studio Art, Art Education and Graphic Design. This scholarship is awarded to new incoming first year students. The scholarship recognizes students who have shown talent and promise in art and design during their high school years. 

1. It is a $5,000 talent-based scholarship, which is combined with the Provost’s or Messiah University Scholarship awarded upon acceptance to Messiah University. 
2. Vollmer scholarships are awarded on the basis of artistic and/or scholastic achievement in art and design and a student’s written statement. 
3. One-half of the annual scholarship amount is applied to each semester of the year of award. 
4. Vollmer scholarships are renewable for each of the three years after the initial year of award for the original dollar amount, as long as the recipient exhibits satisfactory progress in their area of study and maintains a 3.0 grade point average in their major. An artistic and academic review will be done by Art and Design faculty at the end of each year to determine renewal of this scholarship.

Eligibility: 

1. A student must be enrolled in one of the following majors within the Department of Art and Design: Studio Art (B.A. or B.F.A.), Art Education or Graphic Design. Students majoring in Digital Media are not eligible to apply.
2. The student must remain enrolled in any of these majors over the course of their four years. Students who change their major from this list will lose their Vollmer Scholarship.
3. This scholarship is intended for new first year students. A first year student may transfer up to 12 art credits from any other college and still be eligible. 
4. The review is based on work created during their high school years.  
5. Students must maintain a 3.0 grade average in the major over the 4 years of enrollment.

The Shaffer-Goodling Scholarship for the Arts is awarded on the basis of talent in art and design and a student’s written statement. The awards are renewable each year provided the student exhibits satisfactory academic progress in their area of study and meets any other requirements for the continuation of the award as defined by the department.

1. The amount of a Shaffer/Goodling Scholarship in the Arts is $3,500, which can be combined with the Provost’s or Messiah University Scholarship awarded upon acceptance to Messiah University.
2. Applicants must exhibit good stewardship of their talents in art and art history, as well as artistic activities in co-curricular, church, and/or community endeavors.
3. One-half of the annual scholarship amount is applied to each semester of the year of award. 
4. Shaffer/Goodling Scholarships are renewable for each of the three years after the initial year of award for the original dollar amount, as long as the recipient exhibits continuing stewardship of talents at Messiah University and maintains a 3.0 overall grade point average in your major. An artistic and academic review will be done by Art and Design

Dean’s Scholarships in the Arts are part of a larger institutional program and are available to new applicants and transfer students in any of our undergraduate art and design majors: Art Education, Graphic Design, Studio Art (B.A. or B.F.A.) or Digital Media with a concentration in Interactive Design.

1. The amount of a Dean’s Scholarship in the Arts is $1,000, which is combined with the Provost’s or Messiah University Scholarship awarded upon acceptance to Messiah University.
2. Applicants must exhibit good stewardship of their talents in art and art history, as well as artistic activities in co-curricular, church, and/or community endeavors.
3. One-half of the annual scholarship amount is applied to each semester of the year of award. 
4. Dean’s Scholarships are renewable for each of the three years after the initial year of award for the original dollar amount, as long as the recipient exhibits continuing stewardship of talents at Messiah University and maintains a 2.8 overall grade point average. An artistic and academic review will be done by Art and Design faculty at the end of each year to determine renewal of this scholarship.

Eligibility:  

1. The applicant must exceed the academic requirements for admission to Messiah University as demonstrated by meeting at least one of the following criteria:   
   1. ACT score of 25 or higher,  
   2. SAT score of 1210 or higher, 
   3. high school GPA of 3.5 or higher (on a 4-point scale), 
   4. rank in the top 20% of their high school graduating class, or 
   5. exhibit outstanding artistic merit. 
2. Information about activities and involvements during high school is also considered.  
3. The student must remain enrolled in one of the Art and Design majors over the course of their four years. Students who change their major from this list will lose their Dean’s Scholarship.  

You must submit a digital portfolio: 

1. Art Images:  Applicants must submit a digital portfolio consisting of 10-12 images of work done during your high school years. Please limit your images to no more than 12 pieces of art/design work. Arrange all of your images into one multi-page PDF document (ie., one image per page). However, animations may be sent as separate Mp4 files.
   1. Images may be of any 2D or 3D media. These projects may have been made to complete a school assignment or something created on your own initiative.  
   2. You may include 2 views of 3D work to count as one image.
   3. Digital Portfolios should be saved to an online site such as Dropbox or Google Drive. The portfolio link should be emailed/shared with the Department of Art and Design's administrative assistant, Alisa Sentz, at asentz@messiah.edu. 


2. Image List:  Images must be accompanied by a list/description of the work in Word or PDF format. It should include the following information:
   1. Indicate your name and which major you are expecting to choose when you enroll,
   2. title of each work as they are ordered in your digital portfolio,
   3. date that the piece was created,
   4. media—the materials used to make the work,
   5. size (H, W, D), and
   6. a very brief description of the class assignment (if applicable).


3. Written Statement:  Please respond to one of the options below and submit a 250-350 word written statement. This file should also be included in your digital portfolio (in Word or PDF format). Portfolios submitted without the essay will not be considered for a scholarship. The statement should examine one of the following:
   1. Select one historical and one contemporary nationally recognized artist/designer that have inspired your decision to pursue a degree in art and design. The artist/designer must be referenced from art/design textbooks or other scholarly publications specific to the discipline. Provide examples of why your chosen artists/designers have been motivational in your decision making. Please include works sited.
   2. Compare and contrast two nationally recognized artists/designers, one historical and one contemporary that relate to the discipline you are interested in pursuing. The essay can reflect upon specific works of art but other possible topics may include art mediums, genres of art, content or subject matter. Please include works cited.


4. Background Summary:  Provide a background summary (in Word or PDF format) which includes the following information:
   1. the course work you have taken in high school related to art and design,
   2. additional course work you have taken or private lessons,
   3. exhibits of your work,
   4. honors that you have won in art and design, and
   5. additional special projects related to art and design.

How to Apply for the Art and Design Scholarships: 

1. Complete the Messiah University application for admission before January 15th.


2. The digital portfolio link must be submitted to the department’s administrative assistant, Alisa Sentz at asentz@messiah.edu, no later than February 14th. 


3. One submission will be considered for all three scholarship types. 


4. Please note that the scholarships are awarded on the basis of meritorious achievement in the arts. However, the award of these scholarships is used by the school to help meet the documented need of a student’s financial package.