NMUART Incoming First-Year Scholarships
The School of Art and Design has six scholarships available to high school seniors planning on attending the School of Art & Design at Northern Michigan University. Please review the eligibility requirements below before applying. The scholarships are competitive and awarded on merit. Students must comply with the eligibility and application requirements. Awards are dependent on availability of funding.
- Six Scholarships $1000 each
- Due Date Monday, February 16, 2026
Eligibility
- High school senior graduating in June or a high school graduate who has not yet attended a 2 or 4-year college or university.
- Must have a GPA of 2.5 or ACT composite score of 19
- High School Transcript Required
- Teacher Recommendation
- Portfolio of 6-10 images or videos available online.
- See digital portfolio guidelines listed below
Application
Art & Design Undergraduate Scholarships
The School of Art and Design has eight undergraduate scholarships available for returning Art & Design majors. Please review the eligibility requirements below before applying. The scholarships are competitive and awarded on merit. Students must comply with the eligibility and application requirements. Awards are dependent on availability of funding.
- Eight Scholarships $1000 each
- Due Date Monday, February 16, 2026
Eligibility
- Recipient must have completed one semester in the Art Department
- Recipient must be majoring in Art & Design with 12 credits per semester
- Student portfolio of 6-10 images digital submission
- See digital portfolio guidelines listed below
- Resume listing Art & Design Classes with Grades
Application
Digital Portfolio Guidelines
Prepare images for PDF
- All layers must be flattened
- Images should save at no larger than 2000 pixels on the largest side at 72ppi.
- Save images as a JPEG
Save images to one PDF file
- One artwork per page, multiple views are fine (both Word and PowerPoint can do this). Please include any relevant information for each piece such as title, year, media, and any other information you would like the scholarship committee to know. Portfolio must be saved as PDF and named as such: lastname-port.pdf.
- NOTE: If you are submitting a video as part of your portfolio, please include a link to your video on the web (suggested sites: youtube or vimeo). Along with the link you should include any relevant information such as Title, Year, etc.
If the PDF is too large to upload use ilovepdf.com to compress your file and retain quality.
Video Tutorials
Here are a couple of video tutorials to assit you with the process of building your digital portfolio for scholarship applications.
Foundation Scholarships
Scholarships provide the widest possible access to an affordable and excellent education. Private scholarships have played an invaluable role in helping NMU graduates become leaders in the arts, the sciences, business and industry, and their communities.
Scholarship application window
for 25-26 academic year:
Monday, January 19, 2026 - Monday, February 16, 2025
Apply for scholarships by logging in to MyNMU and find the Financial Aid/ Donor-Funded Scholarships link.
PDF file should be directly uploaded to the NMU Donor-Funded Scholarships by logging in to MyNMU and find the Financial Aid : Donor-Funded Scholarships link on the left hand side under Student Services, along with any other required information.
* If you are submitting a video as part of your portfolio, please include a link to your video on the web (suggested sites: youtube or vimeo). Along with the link you should include any relevant information such as Title, Year, etc.
Lake Superior Art Association Scholarship
One Scholarship - Award Amount varies based on earnings.
Eligibility
- Recipient must be a resident of the Upper Peninsula
- Enrolled as a full time student at Northern Michigan University
- Sophomore Status: majoring in Art & Design
- Student portfolio of 6-10 images digital submission
- Must have a GPA of 2.7
- Must be enrolled in at least one course in their area of concentration and provide name of supporting faculty member
Bobbi Ameen Art Education Memorial Scholarship
One Scholarship - Award Amount varies based on earnings.
Eligibility
- Enrolled as a full time student at Northern Michigan University
- Recipient must have completed one semester in the Art Department
- Student portfolio of 6-10 images digital submission
- Must have a GPA of 3.0
- Must be of junior, senior status working on certification in Art K-12th grade majoring in Art Education
- Must have a letter with the name of the supporting faculty member and transcripts
Thomas & Carol Cappuccio Illustration Scholarship
One Scholarship - Award Amount varies based on earnings.
Eligibility
- Enrolled as a full time student at Northern Michigan University
- Enrolled as a Art & Design Major
- Must have a GPA of 3.0
- Student portfolio of 6-10 images digital submission
- Class level - junior or senior status
- Must Demonstrate Financial Need
- Preference will be given to an Illustration Concentration
Signuld Buck Endowed Scholarship
One Scholarship - Award Amount varies based on earnings.
Eligibility
- Resident of Upper Peninsula, Michigan
- Enrolled as a full time student at Northern Michigan University
- Enrolled as a Art & Design Major
- Must have a GPA of 3.0
- Must Demonstrate Financial Need
Tyyne Maria (Kauppila) Ostlund Scholarship
One Scholarship - Award Amount varies based on earnings.
Eligibility
- Enrolled as a full time student at Northern Michigan University
- Enrolled as a Art & Design Major
- Must have a GPA of 3.0
- Class level - junior or senior status
- Preference will be given to a student of Finnish descent
Need-Based Awards
Note: If you wish to be considered for need-based awards, you will need to file a Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) with the Financial Aid Office. Visit the Financial Aid Website for information on the FAFSA application process.