Why are there no scholarship for Animation.

[BuddyB309]

I joined FIRST originally for the engineering aspect of the program. But once I got in I realized that engineering didn't really interest me and that when I took up advertising for the team. Thats when I fell in love with animation. And now I'm going to collage for communications (computer animation and film). My parents didn't start a collage fund for me so I'm on my own and I'm desperate for grants and scholarships. So I checked out usfirst.org for help and they only have scholarships for engineering. I went on fastweb.com and all the scholarships there are essay competition. I am the worst at essays. I apply to four essays competitions and didn't get any. I'm wondering if there is a scholarship or grant out there for animation.

[Timothy D. Ginn]

Try looking directly on the College/University website of the place you're applying to. There can be some pretty odd/diverse ones. I know that, for example, at Queen's there is (or at least was) a sizable scholarship awarded to the person who goes to their high school prom in a duct tape suit/dress with their date doing the same. The scholarship/bursary page of your College/University should also have more information about how they deal with financial aid for those who require it.

http://www.scholarships.com/ is also a good place to look.

Finally, many departments offer entrance bursaries; check the department website for whatever school you're applying to.

Good luck.

[Alexander McGee]

Ah, I ask myself this question every single year. Unfortunately, the animation program is not held in as high of an esteem as the actual robot is, with respect to college recruiters. However, there are some options you have and some benefits as well with a lot of good animation skill.

I was hired as a design engineer because of my familiarity with 3ds max and pro/E (similar to Inventor), and work on Industrial Design projects coming up with prototype products and designs. I work with max every day.

However, closer to the college-zone as far as money is concerned, there are plenty of FIRST scholarships that are not “skill specific” and generally are awarded for performance and leadership on a team. I would shoot for one of those and work my way towards a degree as a design engineer. One of my animators tested out of his $2500 freshman Mechanical Design (CAD) class because he proved efficient in the material. This was all thanks to his experience on the team, and it ended up getting him 4 credits here at Kettering.

If you don’t want to be an engineer, and want to lean more towards what my current animation students want (video game design), I would suggest some creative arts universities, or DigiPen in Washington. I would also definitely contact Ted Boardman about scholarships and help with colleges. He has written several books about Max, is active in the FIRST community and has been for years. Check out his website and email him. http://www.tbmax.com/

Also feel free to contact me about any specifics you might need help with, I can try to help and offer suggestions about schools.

-Alex McGee

[TimCraig]

Well, it may sound harsh and since I'm in something of a harsh mood tonight, FIRST is about ENGINEERING. Animation is about using the tools that engineers (although most "software engineers" aren't anywhere near real engineers) produce much as artists use the brushes and canvases that engineers help manufacture. Animation artists are no more engineers than brush and canvas artists are.

[Rick TYler]

Originally Posted by TimCraig

although most "software engineers" aren't anywhere near real engineers

Windows XP may be the single most complex artifact ever created by humans -- and it wasn't built by MEs.

[TimCraig]

And the way it performs, it's apparent that most of it wasn't built by software "engineers" either although most who append the title "software engineer" to their names aren't engineers and haven't a clue as to what engineering means. But the point is that creating an animation isn't engineering anymore more that using a word processor is "engineering" a document.