Scholarships, like grants, do not need to be paid back. They are awarded to students who meet a combination of eligibility requirements, such as financial need, academic achievement, or other criteria. Design Institute offers the following scholarships:

DESIGN INSTITUTE OF SAN DIEGO BUILDING THE LEGACY SCHOLARSHIP

Each semester, Design Institute will grant two one-time $1,500 scholarships. One scholarship may be awarded to an eligible entering freshman who is a first-time college student, and the other scholarship may be awarded to an eligible college transfer student entering Design Institute for the first time. These scholarships are designed to help make attendance at Design Institute of San Diego obtainable.

To be eligible for the scholarship, applicants must meet all the requirements of one of the categories below:

• Be an entering freshman without previous postsecondary education.
• Have a cumulative GPA of 3.0 or higher in high school.
• Compose a 500- to 1000-word essay about an "Aha!" moment or other life experience that led them to pursue an education in interior design.
• If available, provide a portfolio of relevant art or design work for review.
• Submit a complete admission application to Design Institute of San Diego. The candidate's required application documents will also be evaluated and considered in awarding scholarships.
• Be accepted into the program and attend Design Institute for the semester the scholarship is awarded.

Or

• Be a transfer student with previous postsecondary education.
• Have a GPA of 3.0 or higher in courses taken at a postsecondary institution.
• Compose a 500- to 1000-word essay about an "Aha!" moment or other life experience that led them to pursue an education in interior design.
• If available, provide a portfolio of relevant art or design work for review.
• Submit a complete admission application to Design Institute of San Diego. The candidate's required application documents will also be evaluated and considered in awarding scholarships.
• Be accepted into the program and attend Design Institute for the semester the scholarship is awarded.

Scholarship Guidelines:

• Scholarship materials and the complete admission application to Design Institute of San Diego must be received no later than August 15th (for fall semester start), December 15th (for spring semester start), or April 15th (for summer semester start). The essay must be submitted electronically to scholarships@disd.edu by the due date and the remainder of the scholarship materials should be submitted with the admission application.
• Up to two DISD sponsored scholarships per semester may be awarded, one scholarship for each category.
• All scholarship applicants and their materials will be reviewed by a committee using a numeric scoring evaluation form. Completeness of the scholarship requirements, GPA, scholarship essay, and application materials will be considered.
• Each scholarship recipient will receive the same scholarship amount.
• Acceptance into the program and attendance at Design Institute for the semester the scholarship was awarded is required.
• If a student withdraws during the semester, the scholarship will be included in "other sources of aid" in the refund calculation.

ACADEMIC ACHIEVEMENT SCHOLARSHIP

Each semester Design Institute of San Diego will grant up to two scholarships of $1,500 for a fulltime student or $1,000 for a part-time student. Once awarded, scholarships will be automatically renewed so long as recipients remain enrolled in 12 units or more per semester if a full-time student, or 9 units or more per semester if a part-time or evening student. A cumulative GPA of 3.5 or higher must also be maintained in order for the scholarship to be renewed. An exception can be made for students who, due to transferred credits and curriculum restrictions, require a reduced course load. The course load reduction exception does not apply to students who take a reduced curriculum due to the failure and/or repetition of a course or courses.

To be eligible for the scholarship applicants must:

• Be an entering student for the first time at Design Institute of San Diego with a cumulative GPA of 3.50 or higher.
• Have financial need and be financial aid eligible.
• Prepare a 500- to 1000-word essay in which they describe a character in fiction, a historical figure, or a creative work in design, art or music, and explain how this has had an influence on them as a person.
• Provide a list of all academic achievement awards and/or extracurricular activities.

Scholarship guidelines:

• Scholarship materials and the complete admission application to Design Institute of San Diego must be received no later than August 15th (for fall semester start), December 15th (for spring semester start), or April 15th (for summer semester start). The essay must be submitted electronically to scholarships@disd.edu by the due date and the remainder of the scholarship materials should be submitted with the admission application.
• Scholarship recipients must be studying on a full-time basis: 12 units or more per semester if a full-time student, or 9 units or more per semester if a part-time or evening student.
• Once awarded, scholarship recipients must maintain a cumulative GPA of 3.5 or higher during their studies at Design Institute.
• If an awarded student withdraws during the semester, the scholarship will be included in "other sources of aid" in the refund calculation.
• Should an awarded student drop below the eligibility guidelines regarding cumulative GPA or course load requirements, scholarship eligibility will discontinue for future semesters. An exception can be made for students who, due to transferred credits and curriculum restrictions, require a reduced load. The course load reduction exception does not apply to students who take a reduced curriculum due to the failure and/or repetition of a course or courses.
• All scholarship applicants and their materials will be reviewed by a committee using a numeric scoring evaluation form. Completeness of the scholarship requirements, GPA, scholarship essay, and application materials will be considered.

DIRECTOR'S GRANT

Each semester Design Institute of San Diego will award up to two Director’s Grants of $1,500 for a full-time student or $1,000 for a part-time or evening student. Once awarded, grants will be automatically renewed so long as recipients remain enrolled in 12 units or more per semester if a full-time student, or 9 units or more per semester if a part-time or evening student. An exception can be made for students who, due to transferred credits and curriculum restrictions, require a reduced load. The course load reduction exception does not apply to students who take a reduced curriculum due to the failure and/or repetition of a course or courses.

To be eligible for the grant, applicants must:

• Be a current student with at least one full semester completed and with a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.50 or higher for courses taken at Design Institute.
• Have financial need and be financial aid eligible.
• Prepare a 500- to 1000-word essay addressing how they will apply their knowledge, skills and abilities to enrich the profession, the environment, and the global community.
• Submit a 6-page portfolio of creative work that best represents the development of their design skills at Design Institute of San Diego (must be submitted as a PDF file). All personally identifying information (e.g. name, logo, headshot) must be removed from the portfolio and its contents.

Grant guidelines:

• Grant application materials must be submitted electronically to scholarships@disd.edu and received no later than July 15th (for fall semester start), November 15th (for spring semester start), or April 15th (for summer semester start). Up to two DISD sponsored grants per semester may be awarded, one grant for each category.
• Grant recipients must be studying on a full-time basis: 12 units or more per semester if a fulltime student, or 9 units or more per semester if a part-time or evening student. Each grant recipient will receive the same grant amount.
• Once awarded, grant recipients must maintain a cumulative GPA of 3.5 or higher during their studies at Design Institute.
• If an awarded student withdraws during the semester, the grant will be included in "other sources of aid" in the refund calculation.
• Should an awarded student drop below the eligibility guidelines regarding cumulative GPA or course load requirements, grant eligibility will discontinue for future semesters. An exception can be made for students who, due to transferred credits and curriculum restrictions, require a reduced load. The course load reduction exception does not apply to students who take a reduced curriculum due to the failure and/or repetition of a course or courses.
• All grant applications and their materials will be reviewed by a committee using a numeric scoring evaluation form. Completeness of the grant requirements, GPA, grant essay, and application materials will be considered.

For more information contact scholarships@disd.edu.