Scholarships & Financial Aid

Explore IU Indianapolis scholarships

Learn about scholarships awarded by the university.

By receiving scholarship support, my financial burden is lightened, allowing me to focus on the most important aspect of school — my creative development.

Anthony Carranza (B.F.A. Visual Communication Design '18)

Undergraduate scholarships and aid

Undergraduate scholarships are awarded to incoming students entering Herron in the fall and spring semesters.

You wll need to be admitted to IU Indianapolis before you can apply for scholarships via the online system. To be considered for incoming first-year scholarships, submit your portfolio and complete the IU Indianapolis "General Scholarship" application by the deadline of February 1.

Alpha Blackburn Scholarship for the Arts
Award amount: Up to $500

The Alpha Blackburn Scholarship for the Arts was established in 2013 to support undergraduate scholarships for full-time incoming freshmen enrolled in any area of study at Herron School of Art and Design. The recipient must have a minimum GPA of 3.0 and demonstrate outstanding talent, as determined by Herron faculty. Special consideration will be given to underrepresented populations including, but not limited to, financially challenged students and/or students with diverse cultural experiences. Preference will be given to African American students who demonstrate financial need.

David K. Rubins Scholarship
Award amount: Up to $1,600

Established in 1986, the David K. Rubins Scholarship is awarded annually to incoming freshmen who will be enrolled full-time. Recipients must meet criteria that includes scholastic record, financial need, and a portfolio which emphasizes an ability to draw from life as opposed to drawing from photographs, in addition to other drawings or two-dimensional work. Students applying to the David K. Rubins Scholarship must submit a separate application and five additional images demonstrating their ability to draw from life.

Douglas L. Tillman Scholarship
Award amount: Up to $1,700

Established in 2007, the Douglas L. Tillman Scholarship goes to an incoming freshman or current undergraduate or graduate student currently enrolled in Herron School of Art and Design who is in good academic standing with a minimum GPA of 2.5. Preference will be given to a minority student.

Frank A. Vietor Scholarship
Award amount: Up to $2,000

The Frank A. Vietor Scholarship is awarded to one full-time incoming freshman student. Recipient is determined by consideration of his/her scholastic record, portfolio, or performance in a structured competition that indicates the student’s potential to benefit from continued attendance at Herron School of Art and Design.

Joseph L. Van Sickle Scholarship
Award amount: Up to $3,000

Established in 1990, the Joseph L. Van Sickle Scholarship supports undergraduate students in memory of Orval Scott and Martha Rhodus Van Sickle. Recipient is determined by consideration of her/her scholastic record and/or portfolio.

Shared Heritage Scholarship
Award amount: $2,500 per year, renewable for up to 4 years

The Shared Heritage Scholarship was established in 1996 in conjunction with the Shared Heritage exhibition at the Indianapolis Museum of Art in recognition of four African American artists: John W. Hardrick, William Majors, William E. Scott, and Hale Woodruff. Incoming freshmen or transfer students applying to be full-time students to Herron School of Art and Design are eligible for this scholarship. Preference will be given to minority students. This scholarship is renewable for students who maintain good academic standing with a minimum GPA of 2.5. Students that add to the diversity at Herron are encouraged to apply.

Walter and Helen Mowrey Scholarship
Award amount: Up to $2,700

Established in 1996, the Walter and Helen Mowrey Scholarship gives preference to students who have graduated from high school in either Lawrence or Warren townships in Marion County, Indiana. Students must pursue further education in art or design at Herron School of Art and Design.

Herron Nonresident Award Program

The Herron Nonresident Award Program will allow certain nonresident Herron students currently seeking an undergraduate baccalaureate degree who meet the following requirements and residency restrictions to study at IUPUI for no more than 150% of the in-state resident tuition rate. The estimated tuition rates for this award program can be found on our Tuition and Fees page.

Residents of the following states are eligible for this award: Alabama, Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Idaho, Illinois, Iowa, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Mississippi, Montana, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Vermont, Virginia, Washington, West Virginia, and Wyoming. In order to be eligible, the student must have a cumulative GPA of 3.0 on a 4-point scale.

Midwest Student Exchange Program

IUPUI participates in the Midwest Student Exchange Program (MSEP), a multi-state tuition reciprocity program established by the Midwestern Higher Education Compact. Residents of Kansas, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, Ohio, and Wisconsin who have a minimum GPA of 2.75 or higher and are admitted as nonresident students can enroll at IUPUI with a 56.9% reduction in tuition.

Student Excellence Awards

Student Excellence Awards are available for Illinois, Kentucky, Michigan, and Puerto Rico residents admitted to IUPUI with a minimum GPA of 3.0. Like the Midwest Student Exchange Program, Student Excellence Awards account for a 56.9% reduction in nonresident tuition.

Students who have been admitted to IUPUI and meet the MSEP or Student Excellence Award eligibility will be automatically considered for the tuition benefit.

Learn more about reduced tuition for nonresidents

Admission-based scholarships

Admission-based scholarships are automatically awarded based by your high school GPA and SAT or ACT scores. No separate scholarship applications are required for these awards. Some admission-based scholarships are based on need, so be sure to complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) by the priority deadline of Nov. 1 for fullest consideration.

Honors College scholarships

Competitive scholarships to high-achieving incoming freshmen who apply to IUPUI and the IU Indianapolis Honors College by Nov. 15.

Competitive scholarships

IU Indianapolis offers additional scholarship opportunities for a wide range of students, including under-represented populations, transfer students, and students who perform service in their community, as well as awards for certain academic majors and programs. These awards may require a separate scholarship application, an essay specific to the scholarship, or the FAFSA.

Indy Achieves

If you're a resident of Marion County, Indiana, you may qualify for Indy Achieves, a series of support programs geared to helping you achieve a lifetime of success during and after your IUPUI education. In addition to connecting students with mentors and success coaches, Indy Achieves assists qualified students receiving state financial aid with additional funds to cover remaining tuition, fees, and supplies.

External scholarships

Aside from Herron and IU Indianapolis scholarships, there is a world of other scholarship opportunities. Check out IU Indianapolis' External Scholarship Guide to see just a few examples of where to look. When reporting external scholarships, please follow the process laid out on the IU Indianapolis Scholarships webpage.

Incoming undergraduate students may apply for IU Indianapolis and Herron scholarships through IU Indianapolis' scholarship system. Simply follow the steps below.

  1. Complete IU Indianapolis' online application. You must select a Herron major in your IU Indianapolis application in order to be considered for Herron scholarships.
  2. Submit your portfolio to Herron's SlideRoom. For detailed instructions and tips on preparing your portfolio, click here.
  3. Complete the "General Scholarship" application. To access the application, go to one.iu.edu and search for "Scholarships."

Scholarship consideration deadlines are listed below. Additional Herron and IU Indianapolis scholarships are available and, each year, you can apply for as many scholarships as desired.

Graduate scholarships and aid

Graduate students are automatically considered for scholarships based on the application for admissions. To be considered, submit your IU Indianapolis online application by Jan. 15 and all supplementary materials by Jan. 22.

In addition to scholarships and fee remission, Herron graduate students can apply for graduate appointments and fellowships to fund their education.

If you are interested in scholarships and funding for our music technology graduate programs, please contact Timothy Hsu (hsut@iu.edu) for more information. If you are interested in scholarships and funding for our music therapy graduate programs, please contact Meganne Masko (mkmasko@iupui.edu) for more information.

If you are a U.S. citizen, completing the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) is the first step in funding your education. Even if you don't plan to apply for need-based aid, the FAFSA will assess your eligibility for all kinds of aid, including Herron and IUPUI scholarships. For more information, contact the Office of Student Financial Services at 317-274-4162 or finaid@iupui.edu.

Graduate scholarships

Herron offers scholarships to applicants at the time of acceptance into the program. Decisions about scholarships are based on admission applications to the program. Applicants are notified of scholarship awards when they receive their offers of admission and fee remission.

Scholarships are available to applicants of the art therapy M.A., visual art M.F.A., and visual communication design M.Des. programs.

Graduate fellowship and graduate appointment (GA) awards are available to all M.Des. and M.F.A. students in good academic standing with the school. Awards are assigned on a semester basis and may be awarded in addition to scholarships and fee remission.

You may be assigned fellowship and GA awards at any point in your academic career at Herron.

Ask an admissions advisor about fellowships and appointments

Holly Fehnel Heck Art Therapy Fellowship

The Holly Fehnel Heck Art Therapy Fellowship was established in 2011 to support full-time students in Herron's Master of Arts in art therapy degree program. Recipients will be awarded a minimum of $5,000 to impact tuition and fees significantly. The school's scholarship committee decides the number, amount(s), and the recipient(s) of the fellowship.

Kenneth E. Tyler Printmaking Fellowship

Established in 2017, the Kenneth E. Tyler Printmaking Fellowship supports graduate students enrolled in printmaking courses at Herron. The award may be used to conduct research, produce educational materials, or contribute to the discovery and dialogue of the Kenneth Tyler Collection at the National Gallery of Australia and/or other historical archives concerning Tyler's contributions to twentieth-century printmaking. The school's faculty will determine the number, amount(s), and the recipient(s) of the fellowship.

Herron offers fee remission to applicants at the time of acceptance into the program. Fee remission is a credit to a student’s bursar account. The credit is applied each semester after a student enrolls full-time in his or her graduate courses. After the fee remission is applied, the student is responsible for paying his or her bursar balance. Applicants are notified of fee remission offers when they receive their offers of admission.

Fee remission is available to applicants of the Art Therapy M.A., Communication Design M.Des., and Visual Art M.F.A. programs.

Scholarship consideration deadlines

Fall deadlines for undergraduate applicants

  • Priority date for full merit aid consideration: Nov. 15
  • Priority FAFSA deadline: Nov. 15
  • Herron scholarship deadline: Feb. 1
  • Deadline to apply for IU Indianapolis incoming first-year scholarships and competitive/diversity scholarships: Feb. 15

Spring deadlines for undergraduate applicants

  • Herron and IU Indianapolis scholarship deadline: Nov. 1

Fall deadlines for graduate applicants:

  • Submit IU Indianapolis application by Jan. 15
  • Submit materials by Jan. 22

Get started with applying for financial aid

Learn how to fill out the FAFSA and what you'll need to complete it.

Complete a FAFSA application

Submit an application by the priority deadline of Nov. 15.

Learn more about loans

Here's what you need to know about borrowing from federal versus private lenders.