Scholarships

Scholarships

Unloading wood for a wood firing at the kiln pad

Penland’s scholarship program exists to make our workshops accessible to those who are not able to participate without financial assistance and to create educational opportunities for people who have been underrepresented at Penland and in the craft world.  Every year, roughly 50 percent of Penland students attend with some form of financial assistance, including scholarships and tuition discounts.

Scholarships are funded by auctions of student and instructor work, annual giving, targeted foundation requests, and endowments that provide a permanent source of scholarship support. See a full list of scholarships and their generous donors here. 

SUMMER SCHOLARSHIPS
All full scholarships have been awarded.
Additional scholarships are now available for select workshops

FALL SCHOLARSHIPS
Accepting applications February 15th – March 15th

Scholarship Categories

  • Partial Scholarship: students pay a discounted tuition rate and receive free hostel housing and all meals.
  • Full Scholarship with Work Requirement: students work for the school before and during their session. They receive meals, housing, and tuition.
  • Full Scholarship with No Work Requirement: students receive meals, housing, and tuition with no work requirement.
  • $1000/$500 Scholarship: students receive $1,000, or $500 toward the cost of their workshop. If you receive one of these scholarships, the scholarship amount will be deducted from your bill.
  • Studio Assistantships: Studio assistants work in the studio assisting the instructor and the studio coordinator before, during, and after their workshop. They receive room, meals, and tuition. More information here.
  • The Pines Scholarship: This is an opportunity for a limited number of people to work at Penland for one or two weeks and then take a workshop.

Standby Program

Current K-12 teachers, college, university, and community college faculty, and all active, retired, and veteran military personnel, as well as residents of several local counties in North Carolina and Tennessee who take unfilled spaces in Penland workshops four weeks or less before the class begins receive half-price tuition.  Standby information is here.