Chicago Graffiti Scholarships

Unique annual scholarships exclusively for Chicago graffiti artists to help pay for college or classes at accredited educational institutions.

Continuing Education and College Scholarships

ChicagoGraffiti.org is proud to announce Chicago’s first scholarships designed for and by Chicago graffiti artists. We award two scholarships yearly to help local adult artists attend college or take continuing education classes at an accredited institute of learning.

The continuing education scholarship award is $500, and the college scholarship award is $1,000.

  • The $500, 2022 ChicagoGraffiti.org Continuing Education Scholarship application deadline is 11:59 PM Central Time on November 15th, 2022. Application window opens at 12:01 AM on September 15th, 2022.
  • The $1,000, 2023 ChicagoGraffiti.org College Scholarship application deadline is 11:59 PM Central Time on February 15th, 2023. Application window opens at 12:01 AM on December 15th, 2022.

Read “How can I prepare for my application?“ for useful suggestions.

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    Eligibility Requirements

    Applicants must have all of these experiences and qualities: 

    • Applicant’s permanent residence(s) over the past two years before submitting an application must be in Cook County, IL
    • Applicants must be 18 years of age or older at the time of application
    • Applicants must have been active as a graffiti artist for at least one year before applying using aerosol spray paint as the primary medium with a focus on stylized (blockbuster, wildstyle, pieces, productions, or throw-ups) letter forms
    • Applicants must complete and submit the application for one or both of the scholarships during each scholarship’s application window.
    • Applicants may only apply once to each scholarship during the application window.
    • Applicants must not have been previously awarded a scholarship by ChicagoGraffiti.org in the eleven months preceding the close of the application window for the scholarship they are applying to.
    • Applicants who apply for the college scholarship must attest to planning to attend (full or part-time), in the next 12 months after the scholarship is awarded, an accredited college or university for an associate, bachelor, or higher degree in any major 
    • Applicants who apply for the continuing education scholarship must attest to planning to attend, in the next 12 months after the scholarship is awarded, classes at an accredited educational institution that regularly holds classes with attending students 

    Graffiti Scholarship Application Process

    The process for applying to either of the scholarships is the same, and applicants can apply to both. Graffiti nicknames are not required to apply.

    1. The application window and deadline dates differ for each scholarship. The continuing education scholarship application window occurs in the fall, and the college application window occurs in the winter. 
    2. Applications must be submitted online using a Chicagograffiti.org designated form during (between the open and close dates) the application window for each scholarship and received before the deadline (the close date of the window).
    3. The application will contain three Chicago graffiti-related questions that each require short written (up to one paragraph) answers.
    4. A copy (photograph or scan) of an original simple graffiti sketch by the applicant that relates to the one of the questions.
    5. Submitted applications must pass screening by ChicagoGraffiti.org to determine if the applicant meets all of the eligibility requirements. 
    6. Award winners are chosen randomly from eligible applicants and are announced after fifteen days from the close of the application period.
    7. Scholarship recipients must be able to provide the contact information for the Financial Aid Office for the accredited university, college, or school where the student intends to attend. Scholarship checks are sent directly to the educational institution to be used for qualifying expenses (tuition, fees, books, supplies, and equipment). Distribution will not be made directly to scholarship recipients.
    8. If an award winner is determined to be ineligible, a new award recipient will be chosen randomly from the eligible applicants.
    9. Awards do not renew. Past award recipients must apply again to be considered for another scholarship award. space for you to answer three questions 

    How can I prepare for my application?

    • You must meet all of the eligibility requirements. Read the criteria carefully to determine if you are eligible.
    • Take note of application dates. Applications are only accepted during designated dates and times. 
    • Mentally prepare for answering the short (up to one paragraph each; roughly about the length of a tweet on Twitter) Chicago graffiti-specific screening questions (proper grammar and spelling are not criteria):
      1. Why do you do graffiti art?
      2. Name a Graffiti artist from Chicago that inspires you, and what about them inspires you?
      3. For a Chicago-based graffiti artist that has passed away, tell us their nickname and why they should be remembered.
    • Plan for or create a quick and simple graffiti letter sketch of the nickname of the deceased Chicago writer from question #3. Before submitting your application, you will need to scan or take a picture of the sketch to include with your submission. Having the scan/photo in advance of filling out your submission will be very helpful. Only JPG, PNG, GIF or BMP (No PDF) file formats will be accepted.