Scholarships

GIA offers many opportunities for students to receive a scholarship. Scholarship offerings are made available to assist eligible students in reducing their financial burden and focusing on completing their chosen credentials for those who qualify.

NEEDS-BASED SCHOLARSHIPS

These scholarships are available year-round. A scholarship application is not required; however, you will be required to complete a Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA®) application and/or provide proof of eligibility. If eligible, our Financial Assistance team will assist with awarding.

View our needs-based scholarships
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MERIT-BASED / COMPETITIVE SCHOLARSHIPS

Merit-based scholarships are competitive and ranked based on the answers submitted and reference letters in the application. The application period to apply for these scholarships is open for one month, twice a year. Awards are based on the overall application score. Scholarship recipients can only receive one scholarship award per year.

View our merit-based scholarships

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GIA MERIT-BASED SCHOLARSHIPS 

• Fall Application Cycle - September 1 – September 30 

  • For programs/courses that begin from January 1 to June 30 of the following year

• Spring Application Cycle - March 1 – March 31 

  • For programs/courses that begin from July 1 to December 31 of the current year

U.S. Citizens and U.S. Permanent residents

• On-campus programs at GIA Carlsbad or New York Campuses 
• Gemology Lab Classes at GIA Carlsbad or New York Campuses 
• Online Courses

Non-U.S. Citizens with a country of residency outside the U.S. 

• On-campus programs at GIA Carlsbad, New York, Hong Kong, London, India, Taiwan, Thailand Campuses
• Lab Classes at GIA Carlsbad, New York, Hong Kong, London, India, Taiwan, Thailand Campuses
• Online Courses 

GIA staff and their immediate family members are not eligible for the GIA scholarship awards.

TO APPLY
Complete one online application through the GIA application portal to be considered for all available scholarships¹. Answer all questions, including the short essay answers, and attach the required reference letter.  

Applicants must specify the study method (on-campus, lab class, or online course) and indicate the program of study they intend to pursue. Learning preferences will be taken into account during the scholarship award selection process.

Applicants must transparently disclose any business connections with GIA, including any client relationships with the GIA Laboratory.

Scholarship applications must be submitted by the specified application deadline. No deadline extensions will be granted. 

Technical assistance will be available during normal U.S. business hours (PST) for applicants experiencing technical issues. For Technical Support, submit your form through https://www.gia.edu/education-support². 

ESSAY 
Applicants must complete 5 short Essays in response to the prompts listed below. Each essay answer must meet a minimum of 100 words and a maximum of 300 words. Applicants applying for the Taiwan campus can submit essay answers in Chinese. Each essay answer must meet a minimum of 300 Chinese characters and a maximum of 900 Chinese characters. Duplicating answers and adding extra spacing may result in application rejection. 

1. What motivated your decision to take a course/program at GIA?
2. What do you expect to achieve during your time at GIA?
3. How does your education at GIA align with your long-term career aspirations?
4. Share a personal achievement that makes you proud.
5. What sets you apart from other qualified candidates?

REFERENCE LETTER
The reference letter must be typed in English or accompanied by an English language translation. Applicants applying for the Taiwan campus can submit reference letter in Chinese. The writer should be from a professional company; other acceptable writers are; employers, church staff or members, former or current teachers, and community or non-profit organizations that applicants volunteer with. The writer cannot be a family member, relative, or GIA staff. The writer must include their full name, contact information, the relationship with the applicant, and the reason for recommending GIA scholarships with a wet or electronic signature. A letter should be written on company letterhead where available. Acceptable document formats are PDF, Word Document, or Jpeg. Not acceptable document formats are rtf, txt, odt files, or zip folders and will not be considered. 

Reference Letter Guidance

• Introduction:  Provide a brief introduction with details about the applicant and the nature and length of the relationship
• Overview:  Describe the applicant's strengths and why the applicant is a good candidate 
• Examples:  Provide concrete examples that support your claims. Writing about quantitative examples will help the applicant's application stand out. An applicant's accomplishments show they're a motivated individual with a great work ethic
• Conclusion:  A strong statement emphasizing the endorsement of the applicant and a reiteration of the recommendation

ADDITIONAL DOCUMENT
Applicants also have the option to submit an additional document, such as a second reference letter, a portfolio, or awards/honors received with brief information about the awards, news, and trade articles that they've written or highlighted. Acceptable document formats are PDF, Word Document, or Jpeg. Not acceptable document formats are rtf, txt, odt files, or zip folders and will not be considered. 

AWARDING INFORMATION

GIA Scholarship awards are directly credited to the recipient's GIA student account. Scholarship funds may only be applied to the total charges and cannot be used for the cost of optional books, materials, equipment, shipping, housing, meals, travel, fees, or miscellaneous expenses.

Recipients are advised to retain a copy of the award acceptance letter. 

Scholarship funds cannot be used toward the completed courses or courses that are already in progress. 

Scholarship recipients are accountable for any applicable tax obligations. For inquiries, contact GIA Accounting Department at Educationacctsrec@gia.edu. 

AVAILABLE SCHOLARSHIPS

General U.S. and International Scholarships
GIA offers on-campus program, lab course, and online course scholarships at U.S. and global campus locations to assist with the cost of tuition.

GIA Innovators Scholarships
Each year, GIA awards scholarships to honor the memory of GIA stalwarts who helped build and promote gem and jewelry education and left an indelible mark on GIA and our industry.

Donor-Funded Scholarships
GIA is grateful to the donors who have helped to support GIA and for recognizing an educated workforce is essential to our great industry.

2024 Available Scholarship List 

QUESTIONS

If you require assistance or have inquiries, contact us at scholarship@gia.edu or call +1 760 603 4131. To facilitate effective communication and support, please provide the following information:

• Full Name
• Student ID Number (if applicable)
• Contact Information
• Brief Message about your inquiry

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GIA NEEDS-BASED SCHOLARSHIPS

Opportunity Scholarship (Carlsbad and New York On Campus)
GIA's Opportunity scholarship is a need-and program-based award available for students who wish to enroll in an on-campus program. Eligible recipients of the Opportunity Scholarship will be awarded varying amounts up to $15,000.00 depending on the program and calculated need. This benefit, in combination with any federal and state financial aid, employer tuition assistance, and student income the recipient is eligible for, cannot exceed the cost of tuition, fees, and books. Awards are credited directly to the financial accounts of recipients. The number of scholarships disbursed depends upon the availability of allocated funds.

A GIA scholarship application is not required for the Opportunity Scholarship; however, it is required you file a Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA®) application. If eligible, our Financial Assistance team will assist with awarding.

Military Scholarship (Carlsbad, New York, and Online)
GIA's Military scholarship is designed to reduce tuition expenses for veteran or active duty members and their dependent family members whose benefits do not cover the cost of tuition, fees, and books. Eligible recipients of the Military Scholarship will be awarded varying amounts up to $5,000.00 depending on the program, not to exceed total charges.

There is no application required for the Military Scholarship. If you meet the eligibility criteria, our Scholarship team will work with you to award the scholarship. The veteran or active duty member needs to provide a copy of their DD-214 or appropriate service verification document, along with a statement that this is provided to substantiate their spouse or dependent qualifies for the scholarship.