Advancing EQUITY in the profession by sponsoring promising students with focused and sustained financial support

Created in 1992 as the Minority Architectural Scholarship, this fund was renamed the Clarence Wigington Architectural Scholarship to recognize the extraordinary professional and civic accomplishments of the first African American municipal architect in the United States and the first licensed African American architect in Minnesota. The Fund supports underrepresented students who have a specific interest in pursuing a professional architecture degree leading toward becoming an Architect. 

Scholarship Applications for 2024/2025 Academic Year

MAF provides scholarships to individual students who identify as black, indigenous, or person of color who wish to pursue a professional education in architecture and who hold promise for succeeding in such a career pursuit. This scholarship continues to be funded to the successful student(s) for each year in the professional architecture degree program through the completion of the degree as long as a full course load of classes is successfully completed each semester and other MAF requirements are met. Additionally, assistance with finding student employment opportunities in a Minnesota architectural firm will be provided to the successful student(s). The scholarship amount provided to each recipient is $2,500 per semester ($5,000 per academic year) and is an ongoing scholarship for up to three years (as long as a full course load of classes is successful completed each semester). For the 2024-2025 academic year, MAF will award up to two new scholarships.

Eligibility Requirements

  • U. S. citizens and Permanent Residents who identify as black, indigenous, or person of color
  • Students with a demonstrable financial need
  • Students accepted into an accredited architecture degree track in Minnesota with no more than three (3) years remaining in the program
  • Students whose academic performance, as well as personal interests and aptitude, hold promise for completion of a rigorous academic and professional challenge

Application Requirements

  • Candidate Information (name, address, undergrad institution, race/ethnicity)
  • Minimum of one (1), maximum of two (2) recommendation letters
  • Financial information
    • FAFSA copy (most recent available)
    • Other Scholarships/grants received
  • Academic information (acceptance status, current unofficial transcript, expected graduation date(s), concise and readily available representation of recent design work)
  • Short personal statement communicating interest in scholarship, general interests, and other awards and/or recognitions.

Selection Process and Proposed 2024 Schedule
April 2024 – Application available through our online entry form 
May 24, 2024 – Deadline to apply
June 2024 – Finalists notified and invited to an interview
June 2024 – Interviews via Zoom scheduled based on finalists availability
July 2024 – Wigington scholars announced

APPLY TODAY!

Current Scholars

Pictured left to right, top to bottom: Mia-Rose Peters, Mateo Gonzalez, Esther Oluwalowo, Nathan Davies, Latoya Dennis, and Ruweyda Mohamed

In 2023, the Clarence Wigington Architectural Scholarship committee selected three scholarship recipients who will receive $2,000 each semester through completion of their Master of Architecture program.  These three recipients join continuing Wigington scholars Latoya Dennis, a student at Dunwoody Collage of Technology and University of Minnesota students Nathan Davies and Ruweyda Mohamed. 

  • Mateo Gonzalez, a Dunwoody College of Technology architecture student headed into his third year of the Architecture program.
  • Mia-Rose Peters, a student at Dunwoody College of Technology with two years remaining in her Bachelor of Architecture program.
  • Esther Oluwalowo, a first year Master of Architecture student at the University of Minnesota.

Best of luck to all individuals on their path toward becoming an architect. 

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The Wigington Scholarship from Ryan Siemers on Vimeo.

Past Scholarship Recipients

Samuel Fleming: M. Arch degree 2023
Faiza Ahmed Hassan Duale, Assoc. AIA: BArch degree 2023 from Dunwoody College of Technology
Laichee Yang, Assoc. AIA: M. Arch degree 2022
Jordan Strickland, Assoc. AIA: M. Arch degree 2021
Jessica Holmes: M. Arch degree 2018
Savannah Steele, Assoc. AIA: M. Arch degree 2018
Josh Ong, AIA: M. Arch. degree 2015
Namdi Alexander: M. Arch degree 2014 
Vanessa Abin-Fuentes, Assoc. AIA: M. Arch degree 2014 
Jonathon Jacobs, Assoc. AIA: M. Arch degree 2013
Keon Blasingame: M. Arch degree 2005
Pauv Thouk: M. Arch degree 2005