Scholarship Foundation of Santa Barbara Art Scholarship Program

About this scholarship

The Scholarship Foundation of Santa Barbara Art Scholarship Program recognizes high-school seniors who excel in traditional fine arts. The 2027–28 application opens October 15, 2026 and closes November 15. Eligible disciplines include painting, drawing, sketching, photography, design, furniture, and sculpture. The official rules do not accept film, video, fully computer-generated or digital art, or performance art, so applicants should confirm that their portfolio fits a listed traditional medium before starting. Applicants must be graduating seniors from a Southern Santa Barbara County high school or the Santa Ynez Valley Union High School District and must satisfy the Foundation’s school-attendance rules; separate provisions address homeschooled students, boarding-school students, and current or former wards of the county court. They must be U.S. citizens, permanent residents, or AB 540 eligible and plan full-time undergraduate, graduate, or medical enrollment at a Title IV-approved institution. Financial need is not required. The initial application includes the online profile and citizenship tasks, high-school transcript, annual art questionnaire, consent and release statement, and the program-specific application. A selected group is invited in December to participate in the January art competition. Final winners are chosen on the quality of submitted original work by a judging panel and may be asked to attend a reception where selected pieces are displayed.

Eligibility

• Be a graduating high-school senior from Southern Santa Barbara County or the Santa Ynez Valley Union High School District
• Meet the Foundation’s Santa Barbara County school-attendance requirements
• Be a United States citizen, permanent resident, or AB 540 eligible
• Plan full-time enrollment at a Title IV-approved postsecondary institution
• Work in an accepted traditional fine-art medium such as painting, drawing, sketching, photography, design, furniture, or sculpture
• Do not submit film, video, fully computer-generated or digital art, or performance art
• Provide the high-school transcript, annual art questionnaire, consent and release statement, and other required application tasks
• Submit the complete application between October 15 and November 15, 2026
• Participate in the January art competition if invited after preliminary review