AEF Scholarship

The AEF Scholarship, sponsored by ASIFA-Hollywood’s Animation Educators Forum, offers awards of up to $5,000 to support undergraduate students (entering their second year or higher) and graduate students at all levels who are studying animation. The scholarship aims to assist students in pursuing their educational and career goals in the field of animation.

Scholarship funds, up to $5,000, can be applied towards tuition, books and supplies, formal academic research (including travel expenses), animation equipment (such as computer hardware and software), and senior or graduate projects. All scholarship awardees will also receive a one-year Student level membership to ASIFA-Hollywood.

This scholarship is open to international students. Applicants must be undergraduate students entering their second year or higher, or graduate students at any level. A minimum GPA of 2.5 is required. Applicants must be attending a college, university, or trade program in the field of animation that is accredited by a recognized national or professional accrediting agency. Students must plan to attend both semesters of the USA standard academic year (Fall: August to December and Spring: January to June). Special considerations may be made for academic institutions not based in the United States regarding their academic calendars. Students planning to attend only a portion of the year are not eligible. Recipients of the scholarship in the previous academic year are ineligible to apply for the current year.

Application materials include: - A short biography (maximum 250 words) detailing the applicant’s experience as an animation major. - A proposal (maximum 250 words) describing how the scholarship award will be utilized and its contribution to the applicant’s animation goals. - A detailed estimated budget (maximum 1,000 words) outlining how the funds will be spent, including itemized costs for equipment, travel, or tuition. - Supporting documents based on the application type (only one type is required): - For creative animation proposals: up to 10 pieces of still artwork and/or an animation reel (maximum 2 minutes) demonstrating artistic strengths. - For animation study/research proposals: a formal abstract for an academic paper. - Two letters of recommendation: - One from a faculty member familiar with the applicant’s work. - One from a current ASIFA member OR an individual with verifiable professional animation experience. - Proof of Enrollment for the initial semester of the award year (e.g., Fall in the USA) is required to receive scholarship funds.

Applications for the 2026-27 academic year will open on April 20, 2026, and will close at 11:59 PM PDT on August 1, 2026. All required application materials must be completed and submitted by the deadline. If an applicant faces difficulty securing a recommendation from an ASIFA member or animation professional, they should contact the Scholarship Committee at [email protected] to discuss an alternate solution.

Scholarship criteria may be subject to change each year. Awards cannot be reserved for future semesters or during a Leave of Absence. Information regarding the status of applications will not be released until the awards have been formally announced. Awardees will be required to provide midyear and final reports documenting scholarship utilization, including a final itemized budget and supporting evidence. They must also submit a brief essay describing how the award supported their educational goals, provide access to (and/or a copy of) work created during the scholarship year for promotional use, and supply a photographic image (headshot) for promotion. Permission to use the awardee’s artwork and/or scholarly writings for scholarship promotion is also required.