Scholarships

Folk School-Funded | Grant-Funded | Donor-Funded | Locate & Contact

The Folk School awards a number of scholarships each year, providing partial or full financial support for a weeklong or weekend class.

Applications for January – June 2026 class scholarships are now available. Applications will close on Tuesday, August 5.

The Folk School awards a number of scholarships each year, providing partial or full financial support for a weeklong or weekend class. Scholarships are awarded to folks who demonstrate financial need along with an admiration for the Folk School’s unique education model.

Lifelong learners, young adults, craftspeople who have never attended the Folk School, and anyone else facing financial hurdles are encouraged to apply.

Tuition-only scholarships cover the cost of tuition for any full-price, weekend, or weeklong class. We have a limited amount of scholarship funding each year and encourage applicants to apply as early as possible. Once applications are submitted, they can take several weeks to be reviewed.

Full scholarships cover the cost of tuition, housing, and meals for any full-price, weekend, or weeklong class. Some of our full scholarship funds require an applicant to meet set criteria.
To view our available scholarship funds and their qualifications, visit our Scholarships page on our website, folkschool.org.

Scholarship applicants must be age 18 or older. Selection priority will be given to first-time students. We ask those who have been part of another Folk School opportunity in the last 12 months (such as Work Study, Student Host, Mentorship, or have attended as a previous scholarship student) to delay applying for support until 2027.

Please be advised that although scholarships have the potential to cover tuition, housing, and meals, they do not cover class material fees or transportation to and from the Folk School. For questions or concerns, please email barbie@folkschool.org.

The Folk School also offers a 25% tuition discount and guaranteed seats to residents of twelve surrounding counties, along with teachers, veterans, and young adults 18-25. Click here for more details.

Apply Now

Folk School-Funded Scholarships

Folk School Tuition-Only Scholarships

Folk School Tuition-Only Scholarships provide financial support to those who need help covering the cost of tuition for any full-price, weekend or weeklong class at the Folk School.

Folk School Full Scholarships

Folk School Full Scholarships cover the cost of tuition, housing, and meals for any full-price, weekend or weeklong class. Full scholarships are intended to support individuals who are actively involved in the preservation of traditional craft, music, and dance, use craft for philanthropic purposes, are studying or teaching craft, are working towards practicing craft on a professional or semi-professional level and/or live in the Appalachian region.

Grant-Funded Scholarships

315930067_10160596338276060_5807853569786125656_n

Craft Education Scholarships

Windgate Foundation has generously provided scholarships covering tuition, housing, and meals for classes in the following program areas: basketry and gourds; beads; blacksmithing; book arts; broom making; chair seats; clay; dolls & bears; dyeing; enameling; felt making; glass; jewelry; kaleidoscopes; knitting & crochet; lace; leather; marbling; metalwork; mixed media; needlework & thread art; paper art; printmaking; quilting; rugs; sewing; soap making; spinning; stone, sculpture & mosaics; surface design; weaving; woodcarving; woodturning; and woodworking.

Donor-Funded Scholarships

Thanks to generous donors funding individual scholarships and endowing perpetual scholarships, the following scholarships are currently available.

Scholarship balances change regularly, so check back periodically for new opportunities.

2024-02-04-Weaving-Sashiko-Ori-Beth-Ross-Johnson--and-Phyllis-Miller-3

Betty Smith Weaving Scholarship

This scholarship honors a great friend and supporter of the school who also contributed to its Weaving program for many years as a beloved instructor. It covers the cost of tuition, housing, and meals to attend a weeklong or weekend weaving class.

Photo by Robert of The Cory Brown Memorial Dye Garden.

Brown Family Scholarship

Generously donated by the beloved friends of the Folk School, Donna and Cliff Brown, this scholarship covers tuition, housing, and meals for a weeklong or weekend class.

Clay Smith Blacksmithing Scholarship

This scholarship memorializes a friend of the school who made numerous contributions to its Blacksmithing program for many years as a talented instructor. It covers the cost of tuition, housing, and meals to attend a weeklong or weekend blacksmithing class.

David and Carol Smucker Craft Scholarship

This scholarship was created by long-time Folk School friends David and Carol Smucker. It provides craft education opportunities for students ages 18-34, especially those looking to build skills in their profession. It covers tuition, housing and meals for a weeklong or weekend class.

David Kaynor Memorial Dance Musicians Week Scholarship

Provided by his many friends in memory of dance musician David Kaynor, this scholarship is dedicated to his passion for dance music and for life. It covers tuition for the school’s annual Dance Musicians Week for someone who would otherwise be unable to attend.

Music and Dance Scholarship

This scholarship supports one student and covers the cost of tuition, housing, and meals to attend a weeklong or weekend music, dance, or lutherie class.

Donna Brown Scholarship

This scholarship covers the cost of tuition, housing, and meals to attend a weeklong or weekend class for someone who would otherwise be unable to attend.

Foundrae-Broken English Enameling Scholarship

Upon taking a weekend enameling class at the Folk School, Beth Bugdaycay, Creative Director and Co-Founder of Foundrae, and Laura Freedman, Founder of Broken English, were moved to donate 10 tuition scholarships for week-long enameling classes to promote this craft to others who may otherwise be unable to attend.

Helen Gibson Woodcarving Scholarship

This scholarship donated by Jean Fliess honors Helen Gibson, a talented Brasstown Carver and long-time Folk School Resident Artist. The scholarship covers the cost of tuition, housing, and meals to attend a weeklong or weekend woodcarving class.

Jim and Janet Davis Woodcarving Scholarship

Created by Janet Davis in loving memory of her husband, Jim, to commemorate his passion for woodcarving and to foster others in the craft, this scholarship covers the cost of tuition, housing, and meals to attend a weeklong or weekend woodcarving class.

Jim Davis Woodcarving Scholarship

These woodcarving scholarships honor the memory of Jim Davis, who was a long-time supporter of the Folk School and a passionate woodcarver. They covers the cost of tuition, housing and meals to attend a weekend or weeklong woodcarving class.

Jim Davis Woodturning Scholarship

This scholarship honors the memory of Jim Davis, who was a long-time supporter of the Folk School. It covers the cost of tuition, housing and meals to attend a weekend or weeklong woodturning class.

05_01_22_Cook_Steve_WT_Lets_Turn_Some_Gifts_RAG_8031

Karen Redfern Woodturning Scholarship

This scholarship covers the cost of tuition, housing, and meals to attend a weekend woodturning class, or a tuition scholarship for a weeklong class.

Rob Bixler/Wren Smith Interpretive Naturalist Scholarship

This scholarship benefits professional interpretive naturalists and environmental educators working at local/community nature centers in the US. It covers tuition, housing, and meals for any weeklong class.

Rude Osolnik’s Kentucky/Berea Co-Op Scholarship

Created by master woodturner and generous friend of the Folk School, Rude Osolnik, this scholarship is available to residents of Kentucky and/or students, faculty, staff, and alumni of Berea College. It covers the cost of tuition, housing, and meals for any weeklong or weekend class.

The Artz Family Trust Metals Scholarship

This scholarship covers the cost of tuition, housing, and meals to attend a weeklong metals class for someone who would otherwise be unable to attend.

Lucia Patrick Book Arts Scholarship

This scholarship covers the cost of tuition, housing, and meals to attend a weeklong or weekend book arts class for someone who would otherwise be unable to attend.

Blue Ridge Potters Guild Scholarship

Thanks to the Guild, residents of Virginia in need of financial assistance to participate in a clay class may apply for a scholarship covering tuition, housing and meals.

Mike Hunter Clay Scholarship

In memory of Mike and Martha Hunter, who were long-time Folk School visitors, pottery collectors, and supporters of the arts, this scholarship covers the cost of tuition, housing, and meals to attend a weeklong or weekend clay class for someone who would otherwise be unable to attend.