As the hospitality industry continues to grow, so does the demand for qualified and skilled professionals. Pursuing a degree in hospitality can be a costly endeavor, but fortunately, there are many scholarships available to help offset the financial burden. Whether you’re interested in hotel management, culinary arts, or event planning, there are numerous opportunities for hospitality students to receive financial aid. In this article, we have compiled a list of 21 scholarships specifically designed for those pursuing a career in the hospitality industry. From national organizations to local foundations, these scholarships offer a variety of benefits and requirements, providing a wide range of options for students to explore. If you’re a hospitality student looking for ways to fund your education, read on to discover the scholarships that could help make your dreams a reality.
NEWH BrandED Scholarship – $7,500
The NEWH BrandED Scholarship awards $7,500 to hospitality management students. Applicants must be actively enrolled in a two-year, four-year, or graduate program, meet a minimum overall GPA requirement of 3.0 (or 83-86% equivalent), and demonstrate financial need. Scholarship recipients must be able to attend the awards event in NYC with paid airfare/lodging provided.
NEWH Clifford R. Tuttle Scholarship – $5,000
The NEWH Clifford R. Tuttle Scholarship, sponsored by ForrestPerkins/Perkins Eastman, awards $5,000 to interior design students with a hospitality focus. Applicants must be actively enrolled in a two-year, four-year, or graduate program, meet a minimum overall GPA requirement of 3.0 (or 83-86% equivalent), and demonstrate financial need. Scholarship recipients must be able to attend the awards event in NYC with paid airfare/lodging provided.
NEWH Fabric Innovations Legacy Scholarship – $10,000
The NEWH Fabric Innovations Legacy Scholarship, sponsored by Fabric Innovations, awards $10,000 to hospitality management or interior design students attending college in Florida or at Cornell or New York University. Applicants must be actively enrolled in a two-year, four-year, or graduate program, meet a minimum overall GPA requirement of 3.0 (or 83-86% equivalent), and demonstrate financial need. Scholarship recipients must be able to attend the awards event in NYC with paid airfare/lodging provided.
NEWH Green Voice Design Competition – $7,500
The NEWH Green Voice Design Competition is an annual contest that provides students with a chance to create projects that show off their sustainable design skills. Applicants must be interior design or architecture students. Undergraduate applicants must be enrolled in a four-year program, and graduate applicants must be enrolled in an accredited college. Students may work individually or in teams of two. In addition to scholarship money, winners receive a paid trip to an awards event in New York.
NEWH Harvey Nudelman Scholarship – $5,000
The NEWH Harvey Nudelman Scholarship, sponsored by Fabricut Contract and FR One, awards $5,000 to interior design students pursuing a career in hospitality. Applicants must be actively enrolled in a two-year, four-year, or graduate program, meet a minimum overall GPA requirement of 3.0 (or 83-86% equivalent), and demonstrate financial need. Scholarship recipients must be able to attend the awards event at HD EXPO in Las Vegas, Nevada. with paid airfare/lodging provided.
NEWH ICON of Industry Scholarship – $7,500
The NEWH ICON of Industry Scholarship awards $7,500 to interior design student with a hospitality career focus. Applicants must be actively enrolled in a two-year, four-year, or graduate program, meet a minimum overall GPA requirement of 3.0 (or 83-86% equivalent), and demonstrate financial need. Scholarship recipients must be able to attend the awards event in NYC with paid airfare/lodging provided.
NEWH Interior Design Scholarship – $10,000
The NEWH Interior Design Scholarship, sponsored by P/Kaufmann Contract, awards $10,000 to interior design students (with a career focus in hospitality) at Fashion Institute of Technology-NY, Pace University, Parsons School of Design-The New School, Paul Smith’s College, New York School of Interior Design, or Pratt Institute. Applicants must be actively enrolled in a two-year, four-year, or graduate program, meet a minimum overall GPA requirement of 3.0 (or 83-86% equivalent), and demonstrate financial need. Scholarship recipients must be able to attend the awards event in NYC with paid airfare/lodging provided.
NEWH Women Leaders Scholarship – $5,000
The NEWH Women Leaders Scholarship, sponsored by Boutique Design Group, awards $5,000 to female hospitality management students. Applicants must be actively enrolled in a two-year, four-year, or graduate program, meet a minimum overall GPA requirement of 3.0 (or 83-86% equivalent), and demonstrate financial need. Scholarship recipients must be able to attend the awards event in NYC with paid airfare/lodging provided.
NEWH Diversity in Hospitality Scholarship – Varies
The Diversity in Hospitality Scholarship is open to both domestic and international students pursuing a major and career objective within the hospitality industry. Applicants must be actively enrolled in a two-year, four-year, or graduate program, meet a minimum overall GPA requirement of 3.0 (or 83-86% equivalent), and demonstrate financial need. Priority will be given to students who identify with an under-represented group in the industry.
NEWH Los Angeles Founding Chapter Scholarship – Up to $25,000
The NEWH Los Angeles Founding Chapter Scholarship is annually awarded to LA-based students pursuing a major and career objective within the hospitality industry. Applicants must be actively enrolled in a two-year, four-year, or graduate program in Los Angeles, Southern California, and zip codes 900-935. Additionally, applicants must meet a minimum GPA requirement of 3.0 on a 4.0 scale (or the equivalent) and demonstrate financial need.
AHLA Foundation Self-Nominated Scholarships – Up to $7,500
The American Hotel and Lodging Association (AHLA) Foundation offers several scholarships for students studying hospitality. AHLA Foundation Self-Nominated Scholarships are open to all hospitality students, regardless of affiliation or school affiliation with the AHLA. In total, the AHLA offers six self-nominated scholarships, all with varying eligibility requirements. See the scholarship FAQ page for more information.
American Express Scholarship – $2,000 (BA full-time), $1,000 (BA part-time, Associate’s full-time), $500 (Associate’s part-time)
Offered by the American Hotel and Lodging Association (AHLA) Foundation, the American Express Scholarship was established by American Express in 1994 to support current lodging employees and their dependents. Applicants must be enrolled, full-time or part-time, in a U.S. college or university, and be either (a) working a minimum of 20 hours per week at an AHLA member hotel with at least 12 months’ hotel experience or (b) be a dependent of a qualified employee and have past employment in some capacity in the hospitality industry. Letters of recommendation are not required.
Banks Brown Graduate Scholarship – $5,000
Offered by the American Hotel and Lodging Association (AHLA) Foundation, the Banks Brown Graduate Scholarship awards $5,000 to graduate students. Applicants must be enrolled, full-time or part-time, in a U.S. college or university; be pursuing a hospitality-related graduate degree or, if the graduate degree is in anything other than a hospitality-related program, possess either an undergraduate degree in hospitality or four years’ employment in the lodging industry after graduation; meet a minimum overall GPA of 3.0; and be a U.S. citizen or permanent U.S. resident.
Ecolab Scholarship – $2,000 (BA), $1,000 (Associate’s)
Offered by the American Hotel and Lodging Association (AHLA) Foundation, the Ecolab Scholarship was established by Ecolab in 1996 to support the development of future leaders in the lodging industry. Applicants must be enrolled in at least 12 credit hours for both the upcoming fall and spring semesters, and be pursuing an undergraduate hospitality management major (associate’s or baccalaureate) at a U.S. college or university. Letters of recommendation are not required.
Hyatt Hotels Fund for Minority Lodging Management Students – $3,000
Offered by the American Hotel and Lodging Association (AHLA) Foundation, the Hyatt Hotels Fund for Minority Lodging Management Students is a scholarship program established by Hyatt in 1988 to provide financial aid to minority students pursuing a degree in hotel management. Applicants must be enrolled in at least 12 credit hours for the upcoming fall and spring semesters, or just the fall semester if graduating this December, be pursuing a baccalaureate hospitality management major at a U.S. college or university, be at least a junior for the upcoming fall semester, be a U.S. citizen or permanent U.S. resident, and be a minority student (African-American, Hispanic, Native American/Alaskan, and Asian/Pacific Islander).
Incoming Freshman Scholarship – $4,000 (BA), $2,000 (Associate’s)
Offered by the American Hotel and Lodging Association (AHLA) Foundation, the Incoming Freshman Scholarship was created to encourage enrollment in hospitality-related undergraduate programs and attract more students to the lodging industry. The program is funded by the PepsiCo Foundation Scholarship Fund, proceeds from the Americas Lodging Investment Summit (ALIS), and scholarship monies set aside from the Foundation’s New Century Fund Campaign. Applicants must be an incoming freshman for the upcoming fall semester (i.e., a student who has never been enrolled in a college or university), be enrolled in at least 12 credit hours for the upcoming fall and spring semesters, be pursuing an undergraduate hospitality management major at a U.S. college or university (associate’s or bachelor’s degree), meet a minimum overall GPA of 2.0, and be a U.S. citizen or permanent U.S. resident.
Opening Doors to Opportunity Scholarship – $7,500 (BA full-time), $3,750 (BA fall only), $3,000 (Associate’s full-time), $1,500 (Associate’s fall only)
Offered by the American Hotel and Lodging Association (AHLA) Foundation, the Opening Doors to Opportunity Scholarship was created to support undergraduate hospitality students. Applicants must be enrolled in at least 12 credit hours for the upcoming fall and spring semesters, or just the fall semester if graduating this December, be pursuing an undergraduate hospitality management major at a U.S. college or university, meet a minimum overall GPA of 2.5, and be a U.S. citizen or permanent U.S. resident.
IHLAEF Scholarships – $1,000-$4,000
The Illinois Hotel & Lodging Association Educational Foundation (IHLAEF) offers a scholarship for Illinois students who are pursuing hospitality management degrees. Applicants must be a permanent resident of Illinois and a U.S. citizen OR a permanent U.S. resident for at least 12 months on the date of application; be a current undergraduate student enrolled full-time (12 credit hours or more), an undergraduate student enrolled in at least 6 credit hours per semester in an accredited college or university hotel and/or hospitality management degree granting program in the U.S. and are also employed a minimum of 20 hours per week in the hospitality industry, or a high school senior or graduate who has been accepted in an accredited college or university hotel and/or hospitality management degree granting program in the U.S.; and have a minimum GPA of at least 2.5/4.0 or 3.5/5.0 (C+).
IRAEF Scholarship – Varies
Each year, the Illinois Restaurant Association Educational Foundation (IRAEF) offers scholarships to support those pursuing culinary arts. Applicants must be a permanent resident of Illinois, be accepted or plan to apply to an accredited culinary or hospitality school, college or university; be enrolled as a full-time or substantial part-time student, taking a minimum of 9 credit hours each term; and be majoring in culinary, restaurant management, foodservice or another related program.
James Beard Foundation Scholarships – Up to $20,000
The James Beard Foundation, a nonprofit culinary arts organization based in New York City, offers scholarships for students in the culinary arts, wine studies, and related food systems fields. The scholarships are available to aspiring and established culinary professionals pursuing an education at a licensed or accredited culinary or hospitality school. Various scholarships are awarded each year with different requirements and application criteria. Awards are in the form of cash scholarships, grants, and tuition waivers. Students can access applications beginning in mid-February. Please review the scholarship provider’s website for current details.
Costa Rican Vacations Scholarship Program – $1,000
Costa Rica tourism company Costa Rican Vacations offers an annual scholarship for students who are pursuing majors related to tourism, hospitality, and sustainable development. Two students are awarded of each year. Applicants need to be enrolled as an undergraduate student at a US-based college or university. Minimum of 2.8 GPA is required.
In conclusion, the journey to finding the perfect scholarship doesn’t have to be daunting. Whether you’re just beginning your search or looking to expand your options, our comprehensive scholarship directory offers a wide range of opportunities catering to diverse academic interests and backgrounds. For a more personalized approach, consider leveraging the power of TUN AI, our innovative tool designed to match you with scholarships uniquely suited to your profile. Start exploring today and take a step closer to securing the financial support you need for your educational journey.