Elizabeth R. England Visual Arts Scholarship
The Elizabeth R. England Visual Arts Scholarship was established to assist high school seniors from West Philadelphia High School and the Philadelphia High School for Girls who plan to continue their education in college pursuing degrees in the arts.
Elizabeth R. England Visual Arts Scholarship
The program is administered by Scholarship America®, the nation’s largest designer and manager of scholarships and other education support programs for corporations, foundations, associations, and individuals. Eligibility for individual programs is determined at the sole discretion of the sponsor and eligible applications are reviewed by Scholarship America’s evaluation team.
Eligibility
Applicants to the Elizabeth R. England Visual Arts Scholarship must:
- Be a female 2025-2026 high school senior planning to enroll in full-time undergraduate study in an accredited school, college, or university for the entire 2026-2027 academic year.
- Have a minimum grade point average of 3.0 on a 4.0 scale (or its equivalent)
- Two awards will be available to the following schools:
- West Philadelphia High School (for John T. McCaffrey award)
- Along with the above requirements, the student must be enrolled in an arts* major. No exception.
- Philadelphia High School for Girls (for Louisa R. England award)
- Along with the above requirements, students must be enrolled in an arts* major. If a qualified female senior who plans to study art it not found, a qualified female senior who plans to pursue another course of study may be selected.
- West Philadelphia High School (for John T. McCaffrey award)
*Art majors include, but are not limited to: graphic design, art, music, photography, theater, film, interior design, visual arts, design, fashion, English, art history, etc.
BNY employees or Trust committee members, their immediate family members, and members of their households are not eligible to apply.
Awards
If selected as a recipient, the student will receive an award up to $10,000. Two awards will be granted, one per participating high school.
Awards may be renewed for up to three additional years or until a bachelor’s degree is earned, whichever occurs first. Renewal is contingent upon satisfactory academic performance in an approved course of study while continuing to demonstrate financial need and continuation of the program by BNY Mellon, N.A.
Awards are for undergraduate study only.
Notification
All applicants will be notified in late May.
Notifications are sent via email. When setting up your account, avoid using a school or work email. Instead, use an active, personal email address that you will continue to have access to.
Payment of Scholarships
BNY Mellon, N.A. processes payments of awards. Payment is made on an ongoing basis.
Selection of Recipients
Scholarship recipients are selected on the basis of:
- Academic performance
- Demonstrated leadership and participation in school and community activities
- Work experience
- A statement of educational and career goals and objectives
- Unusual personal or family circumstances
- An online recommendation
Financial need will be considered.
Selection of recipients is made by Scholarship America and BNY Mellon, N.A. Not all applicants to the program will be selected as recipients. All applicants agree to accept the decision as final.
Requirements
As part of your application, you must upload the following:
- A current, complete transcript of grades. Grade reports are not accepted. Transcripts must display:
- Student name
- School name
- Grades
- Credit hours for each course and term in which each course was taken.
NOTE: If you are providing SAT or ACT test scores, and those scores are not listed on your high school transcript, you will need to upload a copy of your test score report(s) separately. If you are uploading a college transcript, those scores are not required.
One online recommendation form must be submitted on your behalf no later than three business days after the application deadline date. Recommendations must be completed by an unrelated adult within the eligible schools. Examples include: school counselors, teachers, principals, etc.
Your application is not complete unless all required materials are submitted electronically.
