Scholarships
The Association for Women in Architecture Foundation offers annual cash awards to women students studying Architecture, Landscape Architecture, Urban Design and/or Land Planning, Interior Design, Historic Preservation or Environmental Design leading to a college degree.
Applicants must meet the following qualifications to be eligible (see application form for details):
Applicants must be female residents of California or attending a California school, and must be enrolled in one of the qualifying majors for the current school term.
Applicants must have completed a minimum of 18 units in their major by the application due date, OR current community college students shall have a minimum of 10 units completed in their major.
The 2027 awards cycle will open in fall of 2026.
See 2026 Scholarship Application
For questions, contact Diana Perez, Scholarship Co-Chair at awards@awa-foundation.org
Sponsoring an AWAF Scholarship reflects a commitment to supporting and encouraging female students as they strive to achieve their educational goals and enter the design professions. For information on becoming a sponsor and gaining a unique opportunity to be involved, please contact our Foundation President.
2026 Scholarship Awardees
Thanks to the support of our amazing donors and underwriters, the AWA Foundation awarded eight scholarships in 2026 to outstanding women shaping the future of our profession. Their efforts and passions highlight diversity, creativity, and the power of design to uplift and transform.
Sarah Hays Social Impact Award – $10,000
Julia Lindner
California State University, Northridge
Master of Urban Planning
Barbara Bestor Scholarship – $5,000
Sihui Lin
University of California, Los Angeles
Architecture
AWA Foundation Scholarship – $5,000
Veronica Rangel
ArtCenter College of Design
Environmental Design
Sarah Hays Community College Awards – $3,000 each
Liliia Skitsak
Fresno City College
Architecture
Rebecca Hise
Ventura College
Architectural Design & Architectural Science
Helms Design District Scholarship – $3,000
May Ritter
CalPoly, San Luis Obispo
Architecture
AWAF Board Scholarship – $3,000
Danielle Khoury Gregorio
California College of the Arts
Master of Advanced Architectural Design
AWAF Board Scholarship – $3,000
Ana Sofia Botero Cely
CalPoly, Pomona
Architecture
2025 Sarah Hays Scholarships
The AWA Foundation is proud to continue Sarah Hays’s legacy of design excellence and social engagement. Her transformative bequest in 2021 has allowed us to offer awards that recognize community-minded leadership and exceptional resilience, and begin a grant program affecting change outside the bounds of our own award programs.
Read Sarah Hays – Remembered for a personal reflection about her work in her own community, as well as her spirit of generosity and strength.
Sarah Hays Social Impact Award ($7,500)
Georgie Ampudia (UCLA)
Passionate about addressing housing insecurity, the reviewers were highly impressed by Georgie as the student lead on the LuminOCity Project, her already impressive impacts on the profession and community, and her work in sustainable, affordable design.
Sarah Hays Community College Awards ($3,000 each)
Esperanza Herrera (ELAC → USC)
Andrea Factor (El Camino College → Cal Poly Pomona)
Both recipients shine through their storytelling, sketching, and commitment to inclusive, sustainable design as they transition to four-year architecture programs.
Thank You to our 2025 Scholarship Jurors
Scholarship Jury:
Angela Ball, Ashley Morales Diaz, Ashley Margo, Eden Ferry, Jana Wehby, Jeanmarie Zimmerman, JT Chieh-Ting Chuang, Karin Najarian, Mehrnoosh Mojallali, Murjani Oseguera , Naoko Miyano, Simone Drucker, Yifei Yan
Committee Member Reviewers:
Christina Monti, Diana Perez, Isa Mattia