Paul R. Williams Student Scholarship

DesignClass honors the legacy of Paul R. Williams with a scholarship for African-American architecture students seeking to foster curious and creative confidence in their communities.

We do this to help, even in a very small way, create greater diversity in the architectural field where out of 115,000+ practitioners in the US, only about 2,300 are African-American.

Award

This scholarship provides financial assistance to African-American students studying or about to start studying at a NAAB-accredited architecture program.

This scholarship awards $500 per student.

We award this scholarship to as many students as funds allow.

We know that architecture school can be a long haul and that needs change over time. For this reason, applicants may reapply to this scholarship each school year if they wish to continue receiving financial assistance.

Eligibility

African-American students studying or about to start studying at a NAAB-accredited architecture program.

Must be a United States Citizen or US Permanant Resident
High school student accepted into a NAAB-accredited architecture program
College student in a NAAB-accredited architecture program,
Technical school or community college student who intends to transfer to a NAAB-accredited architecture program.

This is a rolling scholarship, which means you may apply at any time. We award scholarships as eligible applicants become available.

Application Process

First, register so we can know your intent to apply.

You may register without applying for this scholarship. We understand that you may need to plan ahead.

Next, review application requirements

After registration you will have access to the scholarship application form. This is an interactive questionnaire that will collect important information and be your gateway to receiving the scholarship. It will ask for the following things:

Name & Contact Info
School/College Email (Awards are processed through Paypal)
Name of architecture program you attend or plan to attend
CV/Resume
Small portfolio showing 2-3 creative work examples, do not have to be architecture-specific (PDF)
Letter of Recommendation. This letter must be from a professor, teacher, or mentor. (500 word max, PDF)
Contact Info for the person recommending you
Portrait photo of yourself. Please make it as professional as possible.

Then, apply for the scholarship

Once you have assembled the required components, you may apply for the Paul R. Williams Student Scholarship.

This is a rolling scholarship, which means you may apply at any time. We award scholarships as eligible applicants become available.

Timeline

After your application has been received, we will review it and may contact the person who recommended you to verify details. This may take several weeks.

Once your eligibility has been confirmed, a DesignClass representative will reach out and notify you of your scholarship status. If you have been awarded the scholarship, funds will be transferred as soon as financial details are confirmed.

Important
DesignClass is a small startup in CA. We are not venture-funded so funds for this scholarship are available on a first come, first served basis. Our goal is to grow this scholarship as our business grows so we can have a greater positive impact on the architecture community and our nation.

Paul R. Williams, FAIA

Architect + Pioneer

Williams kicked off a prolific career by becoming the first licensed African-American member of the AIA in 1923. Throughout his life he designed over 2,000 buildings in California and helped shape Los Angeles into the metropolitan city it is today. In 1957, Williams became the first African-American elected as a Fellow of the AIA.

Recipients

2020

2021

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