Education

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.

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Merit-based 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.

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.

Scholarship Application Periods

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

Eligibility

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

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

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

To Apply

Complete one online application through the GIA application portal to be considered for all available scholarships . 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.

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-support

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

Please note

Submitting multiple forms will cause a delay in response time.
Submitting more than one application will result in application rejection for the application period.

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.

What motivated your decision to take a course/program at GIA?

What do you expect to achieve during your time at GIA?

How does your education at GIA align with your long-term career aspirations?

Share a personal achievement that makes you proud.

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.

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

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

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.

2025 Available Scholarship List

Scholarship Eligibility

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; however, it is required you file a Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA®) application. 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.