The Art & Design Program in the School of the Arts is proud to award diversity scholarships for incoming students.
To encourage diversity and inclusion in Art and Design, this award defines diversity in broad terms (ethnicity, race, gender identity, age, abilities, or socio- economic status).
To further embrace diversity and inclusion in the Art and Design Program, this scholarship is open to incoming freshman, international, and transfer students.
Craig Haskins was an African American student who made a large impact on the Art and Design Program. He was an exceptional student who was kind and diligent in his studies. Craig showed great courage in pursuing his degree at NKU while battling several health conditions. Many students and faculty did not know of his health issues as he focused on a strong work ethic, not letting his health stand in the way of his studies. Craig’s father brought him to campus in a wheelchair so he could turn in his final art and design projects the day before his passing. This scholarship serves as a memorial to Craig’s life and his creative pursuits.
Incoming students majoring in Art and Design who have officially applied at NKU and meet the diversity criteria stated above may compete for this scholarship support. Students may apply for either, or both, the Incoming Student and Diversity Scholarships. The amount of the award varies and is determined by available funds. Eligibility for this award is for one academic year.
NKU believes that a diverse student body enhances the quality of the living and learning environment. Please describe how your life experiences and aspects of your identity define who you are, influence your academic pursuits, and inform your creative process. (Up to 200 words)
Submit your unofficial high school transcript and/or transcripts from any other prior post-secondary institution attended (community college, other university after high school, etc.). Name the PDF as follows: lastname_ firstname_schoolabbreviation_transcript.pdf (for example: Smith_Morgan_CCHS_transcript.pdf, Smith_Morgan_GCTC_transcript.pdf, etc.).
Note: The portfolio samples and accompanying image list described below can be used for both the Diversity Scholarship and the Incoming Student Scholarship, and only need to be submitted once in the online application:
A portfolio of 5–10 individual artworks and/or design samples must be submitted for scholarship consideration. Work may be in a single discipline or a combination of work from 2D, 3D, and 4D areas. If a student is working in a series, each work counts as one individual work.
An image list (PDF) showing small thumbnail images of the works submitted (including the optional detail images) and this corresponding label information for each artwork/design:
— Title
— Medium
— Dimensions (W x H x D in inches) / duration (in minutes for videos/motion pieces)
— Year
Name the Image List PDF file: lastname_ firstname_schoolabbreviation_ImageList.pdf (for ex., Smith_Morgan_CCHS_ImageList.pdf). Example image list for reference:
The application process involves creating a OneDrive folder that will contain all of your portfolio images and the Image List, then sharing a link to that folder within the digital application, which is accessible via NKU’s Canvas > “ArtDesign Scholarship Application Portal.” The digital application will also prompt you to answer informational questions and the essays mentioned above.
Gather application materials: Gather your required application content listed above into a Word file to easily copy and paste into the online application fields. The portfolio images and Image List should be gathered into in a single OneDrive folder* (name this folder: Lastname_FirstName_Scholarship_currentyear; for example, Smith_Morgan_Scholarship_2023). You will paste a link to the OneDrive folder into the application when prompted. *Technical note: The OneDrive folder CANNOT BE A SUBFOLDER of any other folder. First-time users of OneDrive: Information on how to use OneDrive
Access the digital application portal: Visit to access Canvas > “ArtDesign Scholarship Application Portal,” which contains the application where you will answer the questions, paste information, and share your portfolio OneDrive link with portfolio materials. Your email from the Program Head (Dr. Kim Allen-Kattus at kattus@nku.edu) will contain an invitation to the Canvas page leading to the application portal; you will need to accept the invitation to be able to fill out a scholarship application.
Once the Jan. 16 application deadline passes, the Art & Design scholarship committee (composed of faculty members) will review all qualifying applications. Applications that did not meet all the qualifications will receive notification from the Art & Design Program explaining why. Late and/or incomplete applications will not be considered. After the faculty determine the scholarship recipients and award amounts (including alternates), the Art & Design Program Head will send a letter of notification to all qualifying applicants. Those awarded scholarships will then need to sign and return their letter of acceptance to the Office of Student Financial Assistance at NKU by the stated deadline in the letter.
For questions regarding the scholarship application process, contact:
Dr. Kim Allen-Kattus
Art & Design Program Head
859-572-5641
Students are also encouraged to apply for the NKU Educational Diversity Scholarship if applicable for additional scholarship award funding. The scholarship essay questions mirror one another and can be used for Visual Arts Diversity Scholarships and the NKU Educational Diversity Scholarship.
The Educational Diversity Scholarship is awarded up to full tuition.
Complete the NKU on-line freshman scholarship application to be considered for this award along with your:
