Scholarship
Scholarship Programs
The Handweavers Guild of America, Inc. (HGA) offers two scholarships (HGA and the Dendel) for students enrolled in accredited academic programs in the United States and Canada. The scholarships fund students furthering their education in the field of fiber arts, including textile research, history, and conservation. Rather than financial need, scholarship funds are awarded based on artistic and technical excellence and/or on demonstrated excellence in research of textiles, textile history, and textile conservation.
Scholarship funds of $4,000 or more are awarded annually for the academic year.
HGA Scholarship
HGA Scholarship funds can only be applied to tuition and is open to applicants that fall into one of two categories:
- artistic merit
- scholarly research in the fiber arts/textile industry
The artistic merit category is recommended for those applicants focused on producing advanced, artistic textile artwork.
The scholarly research category is recommended for those applicants focused more in textile arts education, textile conservation, textile history, etc.
Dendel Scholarship
The Dendel Scholarship is made possible by a generous donation in honor of the late Gerald and Ester Dendel to foster studies in handweaving.
Dendel Scholarship funds can be used for tuition as well as materials or travel determined on a case-by-case basis. Applicants will be judged on their skill and dedication to handweaving.
APPLICATION GUIDELINES
Eligibility
- Applicants must be enrolled in an accredited undergraduate or graduate fiber arts academic program in the United States or Canada.
- Scholarship funds will only be applied towards expenses directly tied to your study at the accredited institution you are currently enrolled. Scholarship funds can not be applied to an independent workshop.
- Only one scholarship is awarded per individual per year.
- Applicants are not required to be members of HGA.
- Application and all support materials must be received on or before the February 1 deadline.
Incomplete or late applications will not be considered.
How to Apply
| Step 1 |
Complete Application |
Applications must be submitted online through the HGA website, www.WeaveSpinDye.org HGA Scholarship for Artistic Merit & Dendel Scholarship application. |
| Step 2 | Submit Support Materials |
Support materials will only be accepted via email to Programs@WeaveSpinDye.org with the Subject Line: Scholarship Support Materials – Your Name. Support materials include: 1. Unofficial Transcript from your institution documenting enrollment, course work, academic strength, etc.
Scholarly Research Applicants
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Step 3: |
Request Letters of Recommendation |
Two (2) letters of recommendation must be submitted on your behalf by and from people who are knowledgeable about your work and work habits.
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SCHOLARSHIP DECISION PROCESS
The HGA Program Coordinator reviews each application for completeness and ensures that they meet the eligibility requirements. Next the applications are forwarded to the scholarship selection committee, a group of HGA members who will review and score each submission. The results are forwarded to the Program Coordinator who will then compile the scores to determine the winner. Individual committee member scores are kept confidential.
Notification
All applicants will be notified by email no later than April 1st. HGA does not provide explanation regarding selection of recipients.
Additional Recipient Recognition and Benefits
- Complimentary one-year student membership to HGA
- Feature in the Winter issue of Shuttle, Spindle & Dyepot magazine
- Press release announcing recipient to HGA membership
Recipient Follow Up and Final Report
Within 30 days of their award notice, recipient agrees to complete an online questionnaire that will be used for an article featuring the recipient and their work in HGA’s Shuttle, Spindle & Dyepot magazine.
Recipient agrees to submit to HGA within one year a written final report detailing the recipient’s learning and experiences, including the use of the scholarship funds, along with receipts and digital images/files of work completed to date.
Distribution and Use of Funds
Scholarship funds will be distributed by September and released only after notification of the recipient’s enrollment in the accredited institution. Funds may be sent either to the student or to the bursar’s office. If funds are sent directly to the student, the student may bear an income tax liability.
All conditions of the scholarship must be met by their respective deadlines or the recipient may be required to return the funds. Scholarship funds must be spent within one year of the issue date on the check. Recipients agree to return all unspent money.
For more information contact:
Whitney Young, HGA Program Coordinator
(678) 730-0010
