Interior Design Scholarships with 2024 Deadlines

Earning an interior design degree from an accredited institution is one of the best ways to find your footing in the competitive and ever-evolving interior design field. Interior design scholarships can help you fund your undergraduate or graduate studies and equip you with the tools you need for a rewarding career.

While some interior designers have taken a non-traditional path, getting a formal education through an interior design major will help you gain the foundational skills for polishing your design process. Furthermore, attending an accredited school can open the door to myriad internship and co-op opportunities that lead to future career success.

Learning from well-known design professionals in a classroom environment will also prepare you to become a licensed interior designer. Licensure allows you to practice in multiple locations as more and more states require a formal license for professional interior designers. Some schools may also educate you about building your own business practice if you hope to establish your own interior design company.

In this article, Bold.org has organized all the information aspiring interior design majors need about interior design scholarships and how to become a successful interior designer, including the best interior design schools where you can earn an undergraduate or graduate degree.

Don't forget to check out our scholarship blog to learn more about funding your undergraduate or graduate education and create a free Bold.org account to search for more design scholarships through our scholarship search engine.

What Does an Interior Designer Do?

On the surface level, interior designers are responsible for planning, furnishing, and decorating various indoor spaces. Most commonly, interior designers may work on individual homes, offices, or businesses, but they can also be involved with larger commercial buildings or even hospitals!

At the heart of interior design is fostering a deep sense of empathy for the individuals and communities an interior designer serves. An interior designer needs to understand the unique needs of their client and how a particular interior space can make life easier for the community or individual who uses the space. Accessibility, compliance, safety, and inclusivity are all extremely important aspects of an interior designer's work.

On the day-to-day, an interior designer may create construction drawings or floor plans, oversee construction projects, or collaborate with engineers. Ultimately, the client's interests and needs are at the forefront of an interior designer's work.

As you can see, interior design goes so much further beyond creating aesthetically pleasing homes! Interior design centers around the human experience and an increasing sense of well-being by creating a functional, safe, and collaborative environment.

How Do I Become an Interior Designer?

There are many different pathways for aspiring interior designers to take, and many interior design professionals transition into the field later in life. However, expert interior designers still recommend an interior design degree from an accredited school as the best path to becoming a successful interior designer.

Interior design majors allow you to build a solid foundation in your knowledge of interior design concepts and teach you how to navigate the interior design industry. You can also earn real-world work experience by participating in study abroad, internships, or co-op programs.

Empathy, project management skills, and creativity are some of the most important skill sets for aspiring interior design students. Whether an interior designer works on residential or commercial spaces, being able to understand the everyday experience of the people who live and work in the spaces you design will set you up for success.

Furthermore, interior designers are responsible for managing large-scale projects and interfacing with various professionals, including construction workers, engineers, and other designers. Being able to project manage and time manage multifaceted projects with lengthy timelines is essential to thriving in the daily work environment of an interior designer.

Best Interior Design Scholarships to Apply To in 2023

ASID Foundation Legacy Scholarships

The ASID Foundation Legacy Scholarships is one interior design scholarship program offered by the American Society of Interior Designers, the largest interior design organization in the United States.

The Legacy Scholarship for Undergraduate Students is open to junior or senior undergraduate students who are currently enrolled in a three-year or longer program in interior design. The corresponding Legacy Scholarship for Graduate Students accepts application from students who are currently enrolled or have been accepted to a graduate-level interior design program.

Scholarship applicants are judged based on academic accomplishment, creative achievement, and a 1000-word maximum personal statement essay. Both the undergraduate and graduate scholarships award $4,000 to scholarship recipients, and applications will close on April 19th, 2023.

The Association for Women in Architecture Foundation Scholarship

The Association for Women in Architecture and Design is a nonprofit, professional organization that seeks to support women in architecture and related design fields. Each year, the association rewards three $5,000 scholarships and four $2,500 scholarships to women-identifying students studying architecture, landscape architecture, urban design, historical preservation, or interior design.

Applicants must be a resident of California or currently attending a school in California and must have completed at least 18 units in their major when applying. The deadline for this scholarship is April 14th, 2023.

Ruth Clark Furniture Design Scholarship

The Ruth Clark Furniture Design Scholarship is a design scholarship provided by the International Furnishings and Design Association Educational Foundation to honor the memory of Ruth Clark, one of the founding members of the Carolinas chapter. A graduate of the prestigious Rhode Island School of Design, Clark upholstered furniture for several companies during her career and mentored many young professionals and students.

Current students majoring in design focusing on upholstered and/or wood furniture design are eligible to apply. This scholarship rewards $4,000 and requires you to submit a personal statement, design portfolio, and letters of recommendation as part of your application.

Vercelli Voss Scholarship

The Vercelli Voss Scholarship is another scholarship available from the International Furnishings and Design Association Educational Foundation and was established in memory of Vercelli Voss, a longtime member of the Illinois chapter and an invaluable mentor to many students.

Any part-time or full-time graduate student currently majoring in interior design is eligible to apply, and this scholarship awards $2,000. Like the Ruth Clark scholarship, a design portfolio, personal statement, and letters of recommendation are required. Applications will close on March 31st.

Jim Boyce Memorial Scholarship

The Jim Boyce Memorial Scholarship from the Accessibility Professionals Association was established in honor of Jim Boyce and other members of the organization that was part of the accessibility compliance field. This scholarship seeks to encourage students to make accessibility an integral part of their career development and promote accessibility as part of built environments, including within interior design.

Students who are currently pursuing a degree in architecture, landscape architecture, civil engineering, construction management, interior design, and other areas of study that are related to accessibility and universal design are eligible to apply. Applications will close on March 31st, 2023.

SmithGroup Justice Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion Scholarship Program

The Justice, Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion (JEDI) Scholarship Program strives to support students from historically underrepresented communities in architecture, interior design, landscape architecture, engineering, and planning to earn their degrees and being successful in their careers.

Five lucky students receive a one-time award of $5,000 each year. Furthermore, scholarship recipients participate in an internship at a Smithgroup office in the United States as part of the scholarship.

Black/African American, Hispanic, Pacific Islander, Native Hawaiian, and Indigenous students are eligible to apply for this scholarship and internship opportunity.

Frequently Asked Questions

What are some effective ways for college students to save money on interior design expenses?

There are several ways for college students to save money on interior design expenses. DIY projects, thrifting and secondhand shopping, renting furniture, and utilizing online deals. Read How to Save Money in College for more tips on saving money! 

What Are the Best Interior Design Schools?

A number of interior design schools are highly regarded for their well-rounded and rigorous curriculum and opportunities for gaining real-world experience. Here are a few of the best interior design schools in the country.

The Pratt Institute

The Pratt Institute's interior design program was one of the first in the United States, and it remains one of the best!

As part of the School of Design, Pratt's interior design classes emphasize spatial design, texture, and surface embellishment. Beginning in their sophomore year, Bachelor of Fine Arts students also take studio classes where students learn to collaborate and actualize their design ideas.

Rhode Island School of Design

The prestigious Rhode Island School of Design, better known as RISD, also offers an interior architecture program in a small-school setting where students have the opportunity to engage in cross-disciplinary conversations around design and planning.

RISD's interior architecture curriculum prioritizes learning building design from a holistic perspective and teaches students the foundations of art and design through their core curriculum.

New York School of Interior Design

One of the only schools solely focused on interior design is the New York School of Interior Design. NYSID offers a large variety of programs, such as a one-year Basic Interior Design Certificate Program and a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Applied Science.

Fashion Institute of Technology

The Fashion Institute of Technology's interior design program teaches students about human-centered and evidence-based design through an interdisciplinary curriculum and real-world experience. Students also learn about applicable technology and business skills that can help them in the real world

Cornell University

Cornell University provides undergraduate students the opportunity to study interior design through its Design and Informational Analysis Program. Students can specialize in design innovation and strategy, sustainable futures, or health and well-being as part of the program, and the flexible curriculum combines knowledge from humanities, social sciences, and STEM to build well-rounded course offerings.

Now that you've learned about the best interior design scholarships and schools, you're ready to start applying for scholarships! Learn more about the best scholarship websites and the best scholarships for high school seniors by reading more blog posts on our scholarship blog, and be sure to create a Bold.org profile to access hundreds of scholarships.