PNCA Fall 2020 BFA Equity Scholarships

America’s structural and systemic racism has created a huge racial wealth gap, which most negatively affects Black communities and privileges White communities. Colleges and universities across our country are part of a society plagued by inequities and systemic racism since its inception.

The COVID-19 pandemic brought these racial and economic inequities to light and showed us, again, that our society is terribly unjust, built upon centuries of systemic racial oppression. The pandemic has been especially detrimental for Black Americans, who are disproportionately affected by job losses and lack of access to health care, and who are often inordinately at risk in front-line jobs.

The killings of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, Ahmaud Arbery, Tony McDade, and so many others also show us, again, the deep-rooted racism and police violence in our country. As an institution of higher education, PNCA has a particular responsibility and ability to be a component of change.

As PNCA’s Director of Admissions, I am pledging to work with PNCA’s Interim President and college leadership to ensure that we increase and strengthen our fair and equitable admissions and recruitment practices, application practices, scholarship programs, and representation on outward facing college sponsored forums. My Admissions team and I acknowledge the inequities in higher education due to racial differences and socioeconomic class. I have been working with PNCA’s Interim President, Chris Maples, and PNCA’s VP of Student Affairs, Darby Knox, to implement scholarships that are solely dedicated to Black and African American artists as well as Indigenous, Native American, or non-Black students of color.

Interim President Chris Maples, Darby Knox and I are thrilled to announce a scholarship program geared toward our incoming Black and Indigenous, Native American, or non- Black students of color with scholarships ranging from $5,000 to full tuition coverage per year renewable for five years. The details of these scholarships are as follows:

• One full tuition scholarship (renewable each year for up to five years) will be awarded to a Black or African American student.
• One full tuition scholarship (renewable each year for up to five years) will be awarded to an Indigenous, Native American, or non-Black student of color.
• One scholarship of $5,000 (renewable each year for up to five years) will be awarded to a Black or African American student. This scholarship is in addition to the initial merit and portfolio based scholarship that students receive upon admission into PNCA which ranges from between $10,000-$20,000, also renewable for up to five years.
• One scholarship of $5,000 (renewable each year for up to five years) will be awarded to an Indigenous, Native American, or non-Black students of color. This scholarship is in addition to the initial merit and portfolio based scholarship that students receive upon admission into PNCA which ranges from between $10,000-$20,000, also renewable for up to five years.

These scholarships will be implemented for our incoming Fall 2020 class and will be available each year moving forward. We are also currently working on creating similar scholarships for current students and graduate students at PNCA. These scholarships are definitive, measurable, and transparent starting today and moving forward each year to come. They should have been created back in 1909, when PNCA was founded. This is not a temporary performative action, but a commitment to create improved accessibility for Black students, African American students, Indigenous students, Native American students, and non-Black students of color to receive an art education. At PNCA, we have the power and the privilege that allows us to act in meaningful and actionable ways to promote equity and social justice. We acknowledge that we need to do better.

I ask that you recognize these scholarships for exactly what they are: small steps that we are committed to continuing each year moving forward. We must do better. This is one incremental step forward.

Sincerely,
Anna Miltenberger
Director of Admissions

CLICK HERE TO APPLY FOR A FALL 2020 EQUITY SCHOLARSHIP

How to apply for the PNCA Equity Scholarship:

• Submit a completed Undergraduate application for Fall 2020.
• You must be admitted into PNCA for Fall 2020 incoming class.
• Complete the online PNCA Equity Scholarship Application within one week of receiving the PNCA acceptance letter (for new students who have not already been admitted for Fall 2020).
• If you have already been admitted, all you need to do is fill out the PNCA Equity Scholarship Application.
• Fill out the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). List PNCA as one of your choices. The PNCA school code is 003227.(Note: Dreamer students including students who have Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) status or Temporary Protected Status (TPS) as well as other undocumented students who are ineligible to submit a FAFSA may submit an Oregon Student Aid Application (ORSAA), which is an alternative to the FAFSA.) For international students: Fill out the CSS profile.
• Submit all official transcripts to the PNCA Admissions Office. Unofficial transcripts can be used to apply, but we will need copies of all official transcripts as soon as you graduate from your current institution.
• Submit one letter of recommendation (this will be uploaded in the application): Please ask one person who is not related to you, but who can speak to your academic ability and potential for success in college to write a letter of recommendation on your behalf. Recommendation letters should come from people who are familiar with your academic abilities, achievements, community involvement, and/or potential for college success. Recommendations should not come from an immediate family member, classmate, peer, or friend. Please have the writer include the following information: academic capabilities, motivation, personal characteristics, experiences, and achievements. Be sure that they include the following on all letters: student’s name, own name and title, relationship to student.

Scholarship Details:

The PNCA Equity Scholarship Committee will determine the recipients of the following scholarships:

• One full tuition scholarship (renewable each year for up to five years) will be awarded to a Black/African American student.
• One full tuition scholarship (renewable each year for up to five years) will be awarded to an Indigenous, Native American, or non-Black student of color.
• One scholarship of $5,000 (renewable each year for up to five years) will be awarded to a Black/African American student. This scholarship is in addition to the initial merit and portfolio based scholarship that students receive upon admission into PNCA which ranges from between $10,000-$20,000, also renewable for up to five years.
• One scholarship of $5,000 (renewable each year for up to five years) will be awarded to an Indigenous, Native American, or non-Black student of color. This scholarship is in addition to the initial merit and portfolio based scholarship that students receive upon admission into PNCA which ranges from between $10,000-$20,000, also renewable for up to five years.

Full tuition scholarship details:

• The PNCA Equity Scholarship will cover the full amount of tuition for up to five consecutive years at PNCA. The two students who receive this scholarship must use all grants that they are eligible to receive through our Financial Aid Office, and the Equity Scholarship will cover the remaining tuition balance.
• The awarded students are responsible for their own housing costs. PNCA Students are required to live in Arthouse their freshman year. Arthouse ranges from $9,132-$14,861 per year depending on room type. Click here for more information. Students who live within 30 miles from PNCA are not required to live in Arthouse, and may fill out an exemption form.
• Students are responsible for yearly fees. Cost of fees for the 2020-21 academic year is $1,000.

Application Deadline: Friday, July 17th, 2020 at 5:00 PM PST.

Selection Criteria:

Scholarship recipients are selected based on the following:

• Preference given to students with financial need as defined by federal and state guidelines
• Preference given to first generation college students
• Participation in campus or community activities
• Academic performance (minimum 3.0 unweighted GPA)
• For international applicants: you must have your transcripts evaluated by WES, ECE or any other NACES members if you studied high school outside of the U.S. A general evaluation with GPA is required.

Scholarship Renewal:

This scholarship is renewable for up to five consecutive years at PNCA. To maintain this scholarship, you must:

• Maintain full-time student status (enroll in a minimum of 12 credits each semester)
• Demonstrate satisfactory progress toward completion of a degree

Award Notification:

Recipients of this scholarship will be notified no later than the week of July 27th, 2020.