Merit Scholarship 2026: Watercolor Painting

The Art Students League of New York is delighted to offer this scholarship opportunity through the annual Merit Competition. Open to all current students and prospective new students working in the medium of watercolor, this award provides a tuition scholarship of $1,000 to be applied towards any watercolor painting class at the Art Students League of New York for the next Regular Session (September 2026-May 2027). 

MERIT SCHOLARSHIP ELIGIBILITY

• Open to students working in watercolor. 
• League Membership is not required. 
• There are no minimum registration hours required. 
• Previous Merit Scholarship recipients are not eligible. 
• New students applying for a scholarship must create a League account to obtain an Art Students League ID Number by clicking here.
• Recipients of a tuition scholarship must enroll in classes for the 2026/27 Regular Session and fully use the scholarship by May 31, 2027. 
• Mandatory participation in the League's annual Scholarships & Grants Exhibition next year. Recipient is expected to produce artwork for this exhibition while on scholarship.
• Scholarships may not be deferred. 
• Scholarships may be used for both online and/or in-person classes.
• For in-person study, international students must have a visa status permitting full-time study at time of application and for the 2026/27 Regular Session. 
• Temporary international visitors to the United States are not eligible for merit scholarships. 

 APPLICATION PROCEDURE APPLICATION DUE DATE: Sunday, April 19, 2026 

• Required fields are marked with a red asterisk (*).
• Email Address Validation is required. You will receive an email from Submittable asking you to confirm your email address.
• Completed and signed application form.
• Art Students League ID number is required; jurors will only be able to identify entrants by ID number.
• New students must create a League account to obtain a Student ID Number by clicking here.
• Optional Information: The Art Students League is able to designate certain scholarships based on donor intent. Providing the information in this section is voluntary, but can help the Art Students League distribute awards more effectively. This information has no bearing on the competition itself, which is judged solely on the basis of presented artwork.

SUBMISSION REQUIREMENTS 

• Submit three (3) digital images of artwork to be judged.
• Artworks in multiple panels (diptych, triptych) must be submitted as single image files.
• Save each file in JPEG format, no larger than 2 MB (megabytes).