Scholarships

Scholarships launching in September 2024!

Available for January Full-time and February Part-time 2025 courses!

GBP £4,975

Other Currencies

Shillington Scholarships add to the evolving efforts to support and strengthen equity by cultivating diverse and inclusive representation in the design industry—within our studios and beyond.

The program includes an annual half scholarship program for the Shillington graphic design course open to budding graphic designers from underrepresented backgrounds. This may include but is not limited to race, ethnicity, gender, gender identity, sexual orientation, age, social class, physical ability or attributes.

Recipients receive 50% reduction on course fees for any Shillington course.

Scholarship Community

Sam Fraser

“Separate from the practical skills I’ve learnt, the course prepared me for the industry by improving my confidence as a designer through working in an empowering learning environment with super supportive teachers and creative people.”

Url Grant

“As a Black, queer, non-binary designer, Diversity in Design means representation. I should not be selected for a project with the intent to create diversity. I should be one of multiple different identities that make up a team.”

Georgina Charles

“Before finding out I won the scholarship—I had already made my peace with being passed over, but when they said that they all loved my janky little comic I nearly cried. Things like this don’t happen to me.”

Val Miranda

“Accessibility to design education is crucial as it provides equal opportunities to acquire the skills needed to create impactful designs. It helps give a voice to underrepresented communities in the design industry, bringing in new perspectives, leading to better design outcomes and a more inclusive society.”

Dyonna Potter

“Stop overthinking and don’t put a price on your future!!! Just apply and the rest will sort itself out after, IF it’s meant to be! If you are ready to put your creative skills to use in a practical career, apply! You can learn ANY skill these days on YouTube but the one-on-one mentoring and critique you’ll get, the classroom camaraderie, the experience of being pushed to your creative limits, etc. is priceless”

Uzma Padia

“Shillington has a studio atmosphere close to how a design agency would operate and the valuable knowledge I gained has helped prepare me for life as a designer.”

Jia-Yi Liu

“Design has been such a mystery to me even though I worked next door to the industry as an illustrator, and Shillington has given me the tools to understand it. I would also say to be prepared to care about font serifs. Don’t say graphic design isn’t wild.”

Arnold Omanyo

“The scholarship was God’s/the universe’s way of saying “this is the direction you should be heading”. Not only that but it was an opportunity to prove to myself, my friends and family, and to Shillington that this is what I was born to do!”

Mason El Hage

“The reason I decided to study at Shillington was in an effort to curb these bad habits and instill a reliable creative process—something I was sorely lacking—that I could use to tackle any design challenge with full confidence.”

Ella Caseley

“As someone who has always wanted to study design but never getting the opportunity, winning the scholarship was such an honour. I was unhappy in my current job and was determined to do something I loved and with a lot of hard work, it finally happened.”

Cindy Cheng

“Take your time to really reflect on the questions before fleshing out your answers or diving into the brief and do this first and foremost for yourself. Crystallizing your ‘reasons why’ will help fuel your creative submission and it will also help to communicate your one-of-a-kind point of view. Most importantly, treat the creative submission as an opportunity to go on an adventure and learn something new.”

Darsh Seneviratne

“So originally I was going to make a board game called Cluedarsh where you race to the end of the map by correctly answering questions about my life and design interests. I scrapped that idea because I only had one weekend to make it and instead decided to shoot a short video about who I am, what I do, and why I wanted to study at Shillington.”

Molly Webster

“Scholarship or not, it’s a big financial investment, so I reached out to lots of Shillumni who had a background in creative studies to gain some perspective. Along with all the great feedback, the main thing that drew me to the course was how high the standard of the work produced was just from 3 months.”

Niamh Tulley

“Winning was literally the best feeling (I don’t think I have ever really won anything in my life). Also, at the point of applying, I had felt really trapped and lost in the situation I was in so it was a massive relief and I was so proud of myself. I think I read the congratulations email about 10 times before I told anyone.”

Why?

As design educators, we have a unique opportunity to shape and foster a more inclusive and diverse creative industry. Our diversity scholarships and industry mentoring are steps towards creating more opportunities for underrepresented groups to enter and excel in the creative field.

We believe that a curriculum that reflects diverse perspectives and voices is crucial in creating an inclusive environment where every student feels valued and welcomed and promotes collaboration, innovation and creativity.

Our goal is to inspire our graduates with these values and to become leaders in championing a more diverse and inclusive industry.

Application Process

Answers to six questions: What do you currently do? Why do you want to study design? Why Shillington? What would be your dream job after graduating from Shillington? What impact would this scholarship have on your life and career? And, what’s your hidden talent?
Brief description of how you are eligible for the scholarship.
Show us what this design scholarship would mean to you. This can be in the form of your choice! We're looking for a great idea, and something showcasing your personality. Two submission options: Video <2 minutes or PDF <5 pages.

Applications will be reviewed by Shillington Ambassadors.

FAQs

How many scholarships will be awarded?

Half scholarships will be given based on the quality of applications—we’re planning to provide as many as possible.

What do you mean by "show us your passion for design"?

We keep the application criteria very open so you can express your creativity! It’s more about showing us your personality and why you want to study at Shillington, so concentrate on the idea and don’t worry as much about the technical aspects.

I've already enrolled, am I still eligible to apply for a scholarship?

Absolutely! We encourage you to apply even if you are already enrolled in the course. If your scholarship application is successful, we will refund any course fees you’ve already paid.

Should I wait to enrol until I hear if I've won the scholarship?

We recommend you enrol as soon as possible to secure your spot, as spots can fill quickly and we don’t want you to miss out.

If you’re successful, & have paid in full—we’ll refund 50% of the course fees.

What do you mean by underrepresented groups?

We hope to award scholarships to applicants with a wide range of identities and experiences. Underrepresented groups may include (but is not limited to) race, ethnicity, gender, gender identity, sexual orientation, age, social class, physical ability or attributes. We recognise that underrepresentation manifests differently across circumstance, location and context, so we encourage applicants to self-identify and explain.

If I’m unsuccessful, will I get feedback on my application?

Unfortunately due to the number of applications, we can’t provide individual feedback.