AIB Merit Scholarships

The Art Institute of Boston at Lesley University offers a wide range of scholarships for undergraduate study. These scholarships are awarded to students based on the strength of academic record and/or artistic portfolio, and can significantly lower your cost of an AIB education.  Whether you are applying as a first-time freshman or transferring from another college, you should explore the many scholarship opportunities available to you. Approximately 65 percent of newly enrolled students receive AIB Scholarship awards. 

Merit Scholarships range from $1,000 to full tuition.
To be eligible, you must submit an application for admission and all other required credentials to the AIB Office of Admission.  You are automatically considered for these scholarships during the application review process and will be notified of your selection as a merit scholar at the same time you are notified of your admission decision. 

All of the scholarships/awards listed below are available to students who are U.S. citizens or Permanent Residents applying for admission to AIB for Fall 2012 and Spring 2013.  The scholarships/awards (with the exception of the YAR Scholarship and Pre-College Scholarship) are also renewable for the four years you attend AIB, provided you maintain full-time enrollment of at least 12 credits and remain in good academic standing as defined by the AIB catalog.
 

Guaranteed Freshman Scholarships

AIB guarantees that you, as a first-year applicant, will be awarded a merit scholarship if you are accepted for admission and meet the following criteria. Your eligibility is based on your academic GPA, standardized test scores (SAT or ACT) on file at the time of your admission decision, and/or the artistic strength of your portfolio. Except where noted, these scholarships are renewable for up to four years, provided that you maintain full-time enrollment (at least 12 credits) and remain in good academic standing as defined by the Lesley Student handbook.

If you have:

• both a High School GPA of 3.0 or higher and a SAT-CR + SAT-Math + SAT-Writing score of 1650 or higher (or ACT Composite of 24 or higher), you will receive an $13,000 Dean's Scholarship.

• both an exceptional portfolio (as determined by the admissions staff) and a High School GPA of 3.0 or higher, you will receive an $13,000 Dean's Scholarship.

• a High School GPA of 3.5 or higher, you will receive a $10,000 AIB Scholarship.

• a SAT-CR + SAT-Math + SAT-Writing score of 1650 or higher (or ACT Composite of 24 or higher), you will receive a $10,000 AIB Scholarship.

• both an exceptional portfolio (as determined by the admissions staff) and a High School GPA of 2.7 or higher, you will receive a $10,000 AIB Scholarship.
• an exceptional portfolio (as determined by the admissions staff), you will receive a $8,000 Portfolio Scholarship.

• graduated (or will graduate) from a High School in the Massachusetts cities of Boston, Brockton, Cambridge, Chelsea, Lawrence, Lowell, Lynn or Somerville, you will receive an $9,000 Urban Scholarship.

• previously attended AIB's Young Artist Residency Program, you will receive a one-time $1,000 YAR Scholarship.

• previously attended three or more pre-college classes at AIB, you will receive a one-time $1,000 Pre-College Scholarship.

In addition, select students are eligible for the $5,000 Centennial Scholarship.

Please note that qualified applicants are eligible to receive only one award from among the Dean's Scholarship, AIB Scholarship, or Urban Scholarship—whichever is the largest award. Students cannot receive more than one of these awards in combination.

To ensure equitable merit scholarship decisions, all freshman applicant high school grade point averages (GPAs) are recalculated.  We use an un-weighted 4.0 scale where an A equals 4.0, B equals 3.0, C equals 2.0 etc.  Only final full-year and semester grades available at the time of the admission decision, from academic and artistic course work beginning with grade nine, are considered.  Certain courses, including but not limited to Physical Education and Health, are not considered in this recalculation. 

Presidential Scholarship
Each year, one freshman is selected as an AIB Presidential Scholar. This award is given to a student who has demonstrated extraordinary artistic talent and exceptional academic strength. The Presidential Scholarship amount for students entering in the fall of 2012 will be $20,000 per year for four years. A student who takes a leave of absence for more than one semester will lose the ability to have their Presidential Scholarship renewed. In order to be considered for the AIB Presidential Scholarship, please complete your application for admission prior to February 15th. Several Presidential Scholar runners-up will receive small grants in addition to the other merit awards for which they qualify. Presidential Scholar recipients will be given two weeks from the date of their award letter to accept this award.

The Headmaster and guidance team will nominate six students for consideration. Nominations should be in the form of a letter of recommendation. Minimum academic criteria include a 3.3 academic GPA in a strong college prep curriculum, with a combined SAT CR + Math + Writing score of at least 1650, or an ACT Composite score of at least 24.

Nominations and all admission application materials should be received no later than February 28th. The University Scholarship Committee reviews all nominations and selects finalists. Finalists are interviewed by members of the University Scholarship Committee together with the Headmaster. Up to two Lesley University Cambridge Rindge and Latin Merit Scholars and one alternate are selected.

Boston Arts Academy Merit Scholarship
One full tuition, four-year scholarship will be awarded to graduates of the Boston Arts Academy (BAA) to pursue studies at The Art Institute of Boston at Lesley University. Recipients must enroll full-time at The Art Institute of Boston (AIB).

BAA's Headmaster and Visual Arts faculty will nominate two or three students for consideration. Nominations should be in the form of a letter of recommendation. Minimum academic criteria include a 3.0 GPA while taking a college preparatory curriculum, a 1500 or better SAT Math plus Verbal plus Writing score (or a 21 or better ACT Composite score). Most importantly, students admitted to the Art Institute of Boston will need to demonstrate significant artistic promise, as evidenced by a portfolio submitted for admission.

Nominations should be received no later than February 15 of each year. Students' admission application materials will need to be submitted by this date as well. Nominations will be reviewed by a scholarship committee comprised of representatives from the AIB faculty, AIB Admission Office, and a Lesley University representative. The committee will interview each of the candidates during this process. Notifications of the award recipient will be sent by April 15th of each year.

Candidates who are not selected for this full scholarship do qualify for the Lesley University Urban Scholarship and may qualify for a Dean's Scholarship.
 

Guaranteed Transfer Merit Scholarships

AIB guarantees that you, as a transfer applicant, are awarded a merit scholarship if you are accepted for admission and meet the following criteria. Your eligibility is based on the strength of your academic performance as indicated by your cumulative academic GPA at your current/previous institution(s) and/or the artistic strength of your portfolio.

Members of the Phi Theta Kappa Honor Society who have graduated from an accredited two-year institution will receive an annual $12,000 Phi Theta Kappa Scholarship.

If you have both an exceptional portfolio (as determined by the admissions staff) and a cumulative academic GPA of 2.7 or higher (must have completed at least one semester of 12 credits at an accredited academic institution), you will receive a $9,000 Transfer Merit  Scholarship.

You will receive a $9,000 Lesley University Community College Scholarship if you are graduating with an Associate's Degree from any accredited Community College in the United States.  In addition, select transfer students are eligible for the $5,000 Centennial Scholarship.

While students may see themselves as eligible for more than one scholarship, they will be awarded only one - the merit scholarship which best reflects their strengths. Your merit scholarship will be applied to the cost of tuition only and cannot be used for room and board, and fees. Students selected as participants in the Tuition Exchange Program (TE) or the Council of Independent Colleges Program (CIC) and awarded a tuition scholarship via that program will receive that award only - any other Lesley Merit scholarship will be replaced by the TE or CIC tuition scholarship. Part-time students, students enrolled in Lesley’s Adult Learning Division or off-campus programs, and students with a previous bachelor’s degree are not eligible.

International Students

Art Institute of Boston Merit Scholarships are available to international students on an individualized basis. Incoming freshman and transfer students will be notified of a merit scholarship award at the point of admission.

Scholarships that Extend to Graduate Study!
The Lesley Dividend...
One Free Semester of Graduate Study!

AIB students interested in pursuing an interest in art education or art therapy often find that a master's degree is a necessary, professional credential. For those who choose to immediately continue their studies at Lesley, the Lesley Dividend provides tremendous assistance. Qualified AIB students can receive up to 12 free credits of graduate study in one of Lesley's on-campus master's programs. To qualify, you must have a minimum cumulative grade point average of 3.6 upon completion of your undergraduate studies.

For more information, visit the Lesley Dividend FAQ page.

Learn more about the need-based financial aid offered by AIB and Lesley University on our financial aid page.

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