High School Student Scholarships

Investing in the next generation of Santa Clarita visual artists.

​At the Santa Clarita Artists Association, we believe that the visual arts are a vital lifeline for our community's future. SCAA is deeply committed to supporting, encouraging, and funding the next generation of visual creators. Through our annual fine art gala fundraisers and the incredible generosity of our local community patrons, we proudly award major annual financial grants directly to graduating high school seniors who are pursuing higher education and life-long careers in the fine arts.

Why the SCAA Scholarship Matters
This is far more than a simple financial grant—it is an elite, professional springboard for young artists. Our scholarship program mimics the real-world fine art landscape, giving local students priceless professional experience in curating a cohesive digital portfolio, crafting an official artist statement, and presenting their creative vision face-to-face to a panel of established, master gallery jurors.

​​The Annual Financial Awards:

• 🏆 1st Place: $1,000 Award Scholarship
• 🥈 2nd Place: $750 Award Scholarship
• 🥉 3rd Place: $500 Award Scholarship

Plus: Winning students receive the extraordinary honor of having their original masterpieces publicly exhibited and celebrated at our signature autumn Art Classic Competition and Awards Ceremony in front of hundreds of prominent local patrons, collectors, and city leaders!

"Sunset" - by Artist Erica Lim First Place winner

Submission Portfolio Requirements
When our active application cycle is open, students prepare a professional digital submission package consisting of three core pillars:

1. The One-Page Artist Statement: A typed personal narrative detailing your unique reason for creating art, your technical workflow, and your future educational or career aspirations in the visual arts field.
2. The Digital Portfolio: A curated collection of 3 to 5 high-resolution images of your original artwork (spanning painting, sketching, digital art, pastels, photography, or sculpture), professionally labeled with your name and artwork titles.
3. The Master Gallery Interview: Selected finalists are invited to our historic 6th Street location for an exclusive, 20-minute professional gallery interview to speak about their inspirations, processes, and artistic vision with our scholarship committee.

Elite Judging & Competition Criteria:
Our committee reviews portfolios using professional gallery standards based on six core artistic metrics:

• Creativity & Originality: How unique and imaginative the artist's conceptual take is.
• Composition: The structural mastery of elements, lines, shapes, and negative space.
• Color & Technique: The intentional use of value, tone, balance, and medium application.
• Interpretation: How powerfully the core theme communicates its message to the viewer.
• Presentation: The clean execution of the work (including framing and matting for physical pieces).
• Overall Impression: The lasting aesthetic and emotional effect the artwork has as a whole.

Current Program Status & 2027 Timeline

• Current Academic Cycle: CLOSED. Applications for the current cycle are now officially closed while our board and committee complete an extensive administrative restructure of our regional high school intake pipelines.
• Spring 2027 Application Cycle: The official 2027 prospectus, legal parental disclaimers, and interactive digital submission forms will launch live on this page in February 2027.

Are you an SCV high school student, parent of an artist, or a teacher with questions our Student Scholarship Program?

Reach out to our interim Scholarships Chair: Pat Thayer |  EMAIL PAT

2026 High School Student Scholarships:
​Applications are now CLOSED.

The Santa Clarita Artists Association (SCAA) provides scholarships to student artists in our community, available to all high school senior art students in the Santa Clarita Valley.

• Students must be graduating high school seniors with plans to continue their education in the visual arts field.
• ​The SCAA awards three monetary scholarships each year to high school seniors. First place $1,000, Second Place $750, Third Place $500. 
• Students need to apply online for the SCAA Scholarship by the deadline of Saturday April 18, 2026.  Late applications will not be accepted. 
• Finalists will be selected and notified via email on Friday, April 24, 2026 to attend a 20-minute interview by the SCAA. Students will sign up for interviews online by an email invitation. 
• During the 20-minute interview, students should be prepared by bringing some examples of their artwork and be able to speak about the process and inspiration of their artwork. If physical artwork is unavailable, it may be represented through digital images on an iPad or Laptop or photographs. Cell phones will not be accepted to show artwork at the interviews.
• Interviews will take place in person at the SCAA 6th Street Gallery in Newhall on Monday May 11,  Tuesday, May 12, and Wednesday, May 13, 2026.
• Art Scholarship Competition Judging Criteria:
  • Creativity and originality: How unique and creative the artist's take on the theme is 
  • Composition: How the artist arranges the elements of the work, including shapes, lines, and space 
  • Color/Technique: How the artist uses color, including value, tone, and balance 
  • Interpretation: How well the artist conveys the theme to the viewer 
  • Presentation: The overall cleanliness of the work, including framing and matting 
  • Overall impression: The effect the artwork has as a whole
• Winners agree to have their artwork available for display at the Art Classic Gala and Awards Ceremony in October 2026. Date TBA

Applicants should note the following important dates: 
NOTE: Deadline has been changed 

• New Application Deadline: Saturday, April 18, 2026
• Friday, April 24, 2026 – Acceptance/Rejection Emails Sent
• Tuesday, April 28, 2026 – Deadline to Register for Interviews (for accepted students)
• May 11, 12, and 13, 2026 – Interview Dates (after school hours)
• October 3, 2026 – Winners’ Art Displayed at SCAA Art Classic Gala Awards & Ceremony

Please fill out the registration form completely and submit online;
 1) Student Artist Information
​ 2) Artist Statement
​ 3) Three Digital Images of your art.

****When uploading your files, please make sure you rename them with your name and the image name TitleofArtwork_FirstLastName.jpg 
File rename example:  TheStarryNight_VincentVanGogh.jpg
This is to ensure there is no confusion in identifying your artwork.  Also, enter your phone number in the following format: (xxx) xxx-xxxx.*
Reminder: three digital images of your art are required to submit with your application.