Association for Women in Architecture Scholarships

The Association for Women in Architecture Foundation offers annual cash awards to women students studying Architecture, Landscape Architecture, Urban Design and/or Land Planning, Interior Design, Historic Preservation or Environmental Design leading to a college degree.

Applicants must meet the following qualifications to be eligible (see application form for details):

Applicants must be female residents of California or attending a California school, and must be enrolled in one of the qualifying majors for the current school term.

Applicants must have completed a minimum of 18 units in their major by the application due date, OR current community college students shall have a minimum of 10 units completed in their major.

SCHOLARSHIP ELIGIBILITY

• The AWAF offers cash awards to women students who have completed the required number of units in their major, in a program granting a degree or certificate in one of the following majors:
  • Architecture
  • Landscape Architecture
  • Urban and Land Planning
  • Interior Design
  • Environmental Design
  • Urban Design
  • Historic Preservation
• Applicants MUST BE CURRENTLY ENROLLED in one of the majors listed above for the 2024-2025 academic year, and completed at least 18 units in their major by April 2025.
• EXCEPTION: Current community college students with a minimum number of 10 units in their major are also eligible to apply
• Applicants may include units earned at a previous school or applied to a previous degree, provided the units were completed as part of a qualifying major. Applicants in their final year of study are eligible, and prize money may be used for special projects or travel, or to offset expenses already incurred for study.
• Applicants must be California residents OR attending a qualifying school in California.

PRESENTATION OF AWARD:

Winners will be required to share their project and likeness on the AWAF website and invited to exhibit their work at the 2025 AWA+D Symposium and AWAF Awards event, typically held in late spring within the greater Los Angeles area. Award checks will be delivered through USPS mail.

Selection Process

Selection will be based on merit as evidenced by:

• Personal Statement - 35%
  • 1-2 pages, giving your reasons for studying your chosen field, your career objectives, and what you imagine yourself to be doing in ten years.
• Quality of Student Work - 35%
  • Portfolio of 3-4 projects, 30 pages, 15 MB max
• Teacher Recommendation - 20%
  • Recommendation consists of a survey with question prompts for the teacher to respond to, in lieu of a traditional recommendation letter
• Transcript - 10%

Following the selection committee’s review of submitted application materials, a shortlist of candidates will be invited to participate in an interview as part of the final selection process. Interviews will be held via web conference in early to mid-May. The Awards Committee will review all applications for completeness first and then for quality of work. Incomplete applications cannot be considered and will not be evaluated.