Up to $5,000 Per Year | Renewed Annually | Priority Review by May 1
Invest in Your Creative Future
Students pursuing majors in Art, Art Education, Art Therapy, Graphic Design, Film & Video Production, Multimedia Communication, or Arts Technology may qualify for renewable College of Fine Arts Talent Scholarships. Scholarship awards recognize creative achievement, artistic potential, academic accomplishment, and a commitment to growth as a creative professional.
We welcome applicants working in visual art, design, film, photography, media production, storytelling, audio, creative technology, and other forms of creative expression.
How to Apply
1. Apply to Millikin University
Students must first be admitted to Millikin University in one of the eligible School of Art & Creative Media majors. Once admitted, students may access the scholarship application through their myVIP page.
2. Submit a Personal Statement
Write a personal statement (200–500 words) that reflects your creative interests, artistic vision, and passion for art and creative media.
Your statement does not need to answer every question below. Instead, use the prompts to help tell your story and introduce yourself to the review committee.
Creative Inspiration
- Why did you start creating art, media, or creative work?
- What themes, experiences, ideas, or issues inspire your work?
- What artists, designers, storytellers, movements, or cultural experiences have influenced you?
Creative Practice
- What materials, tools, technologies, or techniques do you enjoy working with?
- How do innovation, experimentation, or emerging technologies influence your creative process?
- How are storytelling, publishing, design, media production, or technology integrated into your work (if applicable)?
Creative Goals
- What message, experience, or emotion do you hope your work communicates?
- How do you hope your creative work connects with others?
- What do you hope to achieve through your education in the School of Art & Creative Media?
- How does your intended major connect to your future goals?
Leadership & Growth
- What does it mean to be a leader within your discipline, classroom, school, or community?
- How have creativity, collaboration, curiosity, or initiative shaped your experiences?
- What opportunities are you most excited to pursue as a Millikin student?
3. Submit Your Portfolio
Submit 6–20 examples of creative work that demonstrate your skills, interests, and potential. Quality is more important than quantity.
Portfolio submissions may include artwork, design projects, photography, film and video, journalism, podcasts, audio projects, websites, interactive media, or other creative work related to your intended major. Arts Technology and Multimedia Communication students are encouraged to submit work connected to their areas of interest.
Portfolio Guidelines
- All materials must be submitted digitally.
- Physical artwork should be photographed or scanned.
- Include a title and brief description for each project.
- Portfolios may be submitted as a PDF, ZIP file, website, Google Drive folder (set to public) Behance portfolio, or similar platform.
- One can quickly create a free digital portfolio on Behance.net
- Behance allows for users to embed images, videos, sound files etc from the following third party sites and should cover most display needs: Vimeo, YouTube, SoundCloud, Issuu, InVision and more.
AI-Assisted Work
One portfolio piece may incorporate AI tools. Any AI-assisted work must clearly identify the tool used and explain how it contributed to the creative process. Undisclosed AI-generated work may be disqualified.
What We're Looking For
There is no perfect portfolio. We are looking for creativity, curiosity, initiative, technical growth, and the potential to thrive in a collaborative and innovative creative community. Our goal is to invest in students who are ready to develop their talents through Performance Learning and prepare for a life and living in the arts, advertising, and entertainment industries.