It’s time to review our scholarships for 2026! One of the benefits of entering the Scholastic Awards is the opportunity to have your work considered for national scholarships ranging from $500 to $12,500. Keep in mind that some require a written statement to go along with the work and/or that your art or writing explores a particular theme. In addition to scholarships for creative teens, educators can earn cash awards for their support of their students. These scholarships are for individual teens and will not be awarded to works created by groups of collaborators.
Educator Awards
The Scholastic Awards recognize educators at regional and national celebrations and in publications. The educators of national winners also receive medals of their own. If your student wins a National Medal or select scholarship award, you may also be eligible for a cash award.
The Herblock Award for Editorial Cartoon
Underwritten by The Herb Block Foundation, The Herblock Award for Editorial Cartoon offers $2,000 scholarships for three students whose visual art offers commentary or criticism on current events, social events, or political topics. All students who enter works in the Editorial Cartoon category, sponsored by The Herb Block Foundation, are automatically eligible for this award. A $500 cash award will be offered to the educators of The Herblock Award winners.
Portfolio Awards
The Portfolio Awards, made possible by generous donors, offer $12,500 scholarships to Gold Medal Portfolio winners and $2,000 scholarships to Silver Medal Portfolio winners. All graduating seniors who enter portfolios consisting of a collection of six works with accompanying Artist or Writer Statements and Personal Statements are automatically eligible for this award.
New York Life Award
Underwritten by the New York Life Foundation, the New York Life Award offers $2,500 scholarships/travel stipends to ten students whose works explore death and personal grief. A $500 cash award will be offered to the educators of the New York Life Award winners.
At the end of your application, opt-in to the New York Life Award. You will be prompted to include a personal statement on how your work explores the themes. The statement should be 50 words or more. All students and categories are eligible.
American Voices & Visions Award
Underwritten by Dav and Sayuri Pilkey, American Voices and Visions Award offers $500 scholarships to approximately 150 works representing each region of the Scholastic Awards. To be nominated for the American Voices Award or American Visions Award, participants must first earn a Gold Key in their region. These nominated works are then reviewed by national judges to receive American Voices Medals or American Visions Medals. All students and categories are eligible.
Best-in-Grade Award
Underwritten by Bloomberg Philanthropies, the Best-in-Grade Award recognizes 24 works at the national level (two art and two writing per grade, grades 7-12) with a $500 scholarship and a $250 cash award for their educators. All students and categories are eligible.
The Flaunt It Award
The Flaunt It Award, developed in collaboration with Don’t Hide It, Flaunt It and underwritten by Don’t Hide It, Flaunt It (DHIFI, Inc), RBC Foundation USA, and Morgan Stanley, recognizes teens who look or feel different from their peers and share their personal story about what makes them unique.
The Flaunt It Award includes two $2,000 scholarships (one for art and one for writing) for teens and a $500 cash award for their educator. Winners will be selected based on their outstanding exploration of DHIFI’s theme: “The things that make me different make me, me.” At the end of your application, opt-in to the Flaunt It Award. You will be prompted to include a personal statement on how your work explores the DHIFI theme. The statement should be 50 words or more. All students and categories are eligible.
The Alliance thanks BLICK Art Materials, Command Companies and the Merson Family, Maurice R. Robinson Fund, The New York Times, and Dav and Sayuri Pilkey, the Roome Fund, and The Destina Foundation for helping underwrite the portfolio scholarships.
All scholarships are for individual teens and will not be awarded to works created by groups of collaborators.
Jessica Alvarado Campos, School Fears, Mixed Media. Grade 10, Charles Burrell Visual and Performing Arts Campus, Aurora, CO. Mike Hanson, Educator; Colorado Art Awards Inc., Affiliate. Gold Medal, American Visions Medal