Graduate Scholarship

ACC gives a small number of scholarships each year to students who have been admitted to a graduate degree program in the U.S. in an eligible field. This funding may be used for travel and living expenses, but it will not be sufficient to cover full tuition costs. Applicants who have not yet received an admissions offer are welcome to apply, but ACC must receive proof of admission before funding can be awarded. Priority is given to applicants who choose to study abroad because comparable programs are not available in their home country, and to those working in fields that are underrepresented in their home country. By enabling access to academic training for international students, ACC aims to contribute to the diversification of scholarly narratives and critical discourse.

Applicants may request up to three years of funding in their initial application. Multiyear awards will be made, but continued payments are dependent on the student remaining in good academic standing and meeting ACC reporting requirements.

ACC staff are available to offer guidance and support as needed to fill in gaps in university student services. Graduate scholarship recipients are also invited to participate in ACC’s broader community whenever possible, both during and after the period of funding.

Support may include:

• Opportunities to engage with the community of current ACC fellows and graduate students and the alumni network
• Personal introductions to relevant contacts within ACC’s network of alumni and partners throughout Asia and the U.S.
• Help accessing information related to living and studying in the U.S.

If you are eligible to apply for an ACC fellowship, your application will be reviewed by a panel of experts. The criteria below will be used to evaluate the strength of each proposal.

Criteria	Evaluation
1. Artistic / Professional Excellence (20%)	Outstanding artistic qualifications and achievements Strong potential for future success
2. Leadership Capacity (20%)	History of leadership roles Intention to continue building leadership capacity
3. Innovativeness / Creative Thinking (20%)	Demonstrated innovativeness/creative thinking in past work and in the fellowship proposal
4. Connecting Communities (20%)	Enriched community life through artistic work Engaged with communities Demonstrated potential for building community partnerships in the future
5. Contribution to Knowledge within the Field (10%)	Made significant contributions to artistic field Intends to make contributions in the future through the fellowship experience
6. Building Arts Resources and Infrastructure (10%)	Made significant contributions to the development of skills, expertise, arts infrastructure, or field in the host country or home country

To be selected, applicants must:

• Show a track record of artistic, scholarly, or professional excellence and potential for continued growth
• Be positioned to use their education to influence a larger community or field
• Represent an artistic practice, profession, or field of scholarship that is underserved by graduate programs or underrepresented in their home country
• Apply to graduate programs independently and send ACC proof of acceptance as soon as possible

If selected, graduate scholarship recipients are expected to:

• Matriculate or continue in a degree-granting graduate program during the funding period described above

Please note the following restrictions:

• Degree programs in education are not eligible, even if the focus is arts-related 
• Commercial degree programs, and applicants with a commercial arts background, are not eligible 
• ACC cannot recommend specific graduate programs or help prospective students with their applications to graduate school
• Applicants must secure other sources of funding for tuition, as ACC funding only covers living costs up to $30,000 a year.

Refer to the Fellowships & Grants page for an explanation of the allowable use of funds and other general information. Frequently asked questions are answered in the FAQ.