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From Home Furnishing Business
February 10, 2025 by Karen Parrish in Business Strategy, Industry 
Applications will be accepted between March 1— 31 for nine scholarships from the Educational Foundation (EF) of IFDA, the International Furnishings and Design Association.
Since the early years of this 78-year-old global design industry alliance, arguably the most diverse organization of its kind with membership that includes designers, media and marketers, EF has awarded scholarships to high-achieving design students as well as grants to talented professionals, internationally. This year there are nine scholarships available for a total of $20,500.
“Supporting today’s students and enhancing public awareness of design through educational and philanthropic programs is our goal,” said Karen Dzendolet, chairman of the board of the Educational Foundation of IFDA. “Students are our future.”
Applicants must be currently enrolled, and scholarships are paid to the school for the 2025 fall semester tuition. Applicants are not eligible to apply if their graduation date is either the spring or summer semester of 2025. Scholarships are for undergraduate and graduate students attending U.S. institutions and all applications must be in English. IFDA membership is not required to apply (with the exception of the IFDA Student Member Scholarship).
The nine scholarships are as follows and the scholarship application forms may be found on the website at www.ifdaef.org.
FBN Leaders Commemorative Scholarship — $3,000. Open to currently enrolled interior design or related program, full-time undergraduate students; extra credit for volunteer work/leadership.
Part-Time Student Scholarship — $1,500. Open to currently enrolled interior design or related program, part-time students.
IFDA Student Member Scholarship — $2,000. Open to currently enrolled interior design or related program, full-time undergraduate IFDA student members. Link to join IFDA: https://ifda.com/join-ifda/.
Vercille Voss IFDA Graduate Student Scholarship — $2,000. Open to currently enrolled interior design or related program, full- or part-time graduate students.
Ruth Clark Furniture Design Scholarship — $4,000. Open to currently enrolled, full- or part-time undergraduate or graduate students with a course emphasis on Furniture Design.
Tricia LeVangie Green/Sustainable Design Scholarship — $1,500. Open to currently enrolled interior design or related program, full- or part-time undergraduate students.
Barbara Beckmann Textile Design Scholarship — $3,000. Open to currently enrolled full- or part-time undergraduate and graduate students with course emphasis on Textile or related design.
IFDA Philadelphia Scholarship — $2,500. Open to currently enrolled, two-, three- or four-year interior design or related program students. Focus rotates annually between design in Textile, Graphic, Furniture and Interior Design. This year’s focus is Textile Design.
Window Fashion Certified Professionals Fast Track Scholarship One Full Registration — $1,000. Open to currently enrolled, two-, three- of four-year interior design or related program students.
Applications for all 2025 EF scholarships will only be accepted during the month of March, with winners promised notification in July. For details, please consult the Educational Foundation website www.ifdaef.org. Or for answers to specific questions about these or any of EF's other scholarships and grants, contact Earline Feldman, Director of Scholarships & Grants, at ef.ifda@tapestries.org or 770-378-7221
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