Student Resources

Jean Roth Driskel Scholarship Student Information

The scholarship was established in 1971 in memory of Jean Roth Driskel, the first female President of the AIA Pasadena & Foothill Chapter, to honor her great love for, and the profession of, architecture.

Jean was a native of the State of Washington and educated at the University of Washington and the Art Center School of Design in Los Angeles. She opened her own office in South Pasadena in 1948 and joined the Chapter in 1956. After chairing a number of committees, she became President in 1968. She was also: the first woman to be elected as an officer, (Secretary), of the California Council of the AIA; President of the Association of Women in Architecture; US Delegate to the International Union of Women Architects; Chair of the South Pasadena Mayor’s Committee on Cultural Heritage; Secretary of the South Pasadena Chamber of Commerce; and the third woman to be elected to the AIA College of Fellows.

Scholarships are awarded annually to four architectural students: two to Community College students, and two University students, in recognition of their dedication, enthusiasm, and ability in the field of architecture. The more detailed selection criteria are listed below.   

Participating Schools

The participating schools are in the general geographic area of the AIAP&F Chapter. They are each asked to submit two names of candidates to be interviewed by the AIAP&F Jean Roth Driskel Scholarship Committee, in the spring for Community College students and the fall for University students.

Community Colleges, Architectural Programs: 

East Los Angeles College, Mt. San Antonio College, Pasadena City College.

Candidates shall have been accepted into a National Architectural Accrediting Board, (NAAB), accredited program for a first professional architectural degree. This may be a five year Bachelor degree, or the Masters component of a two stage Bachelor + Masters program where the Bachelor component is not accredited. The scholarship funds will be released upon the student’s enrollment into the program.

Universities, Accredited Architectural Programs: 

Cal Poly Pomona, SCI-Arc, University of California - Los Angeles, University of Southern California, Woodbury University.

Candidates shall be enrolled in the next to last year of a NAAB accredited program for a first professional architectural degree. This would be the fourth year of a five year Bachelor degree or the first year of a two year Masters degree. (This is as noted above in the Community College scholarship as this scholarship is not intended for graduate students). It is expected that the funds would therefore be part of any financial aid package assembled for the student’s final year.

California Community Foundation:

The Jean Roth Driskel Scholarship Fund is administered by the California Community Foundation, (CCF), a 501(c)(3) charity. Once the successful candidate has been selected by the Jean Roth Driskel Scholarship Committee, and approved by the CCF, all financial transactions between the student and university are handled by the CCF.

Other Scholarships:

College The Asian American Architects and Engineers (AAa/e) Foundation - The Asian American Architects and Engineers (AAa/e) Foundation is offering $30,000 in scholarships and grants ($5,000 for each award) to students and professionals studying/working in Architecture, Engineering, or Construction.

Scholarships
High School Scholarship: Senior High School students
Community College Scholarship: Community College students
Undergraduate Scholarship: Undergraduate students
Graduate Scholarship: Master’s and PhD students

Grants:
Student Loan Grant: Individuals that have graduated from a U.S. college/university & have student loans
AEC Education Grant: High School/University Architecture, Engineering, or Construction (AEC) organizations/clubs

All applicants must be an AAa/e member before the application due date. Membership is only $8.00 for students. You can apply for AAa/e here

We encourage you to share this with students and colleagues that may be eligible. The deadline to apply is May 28, 2021.

 College of Women's Club of Pasadena - The Club’s Scholarship Foundation allocates financial aid to approximately 10 full-time students each year who need financial help completing their college or graduate education. Over its lifetime, CWCPSF has granted out $1,163,500 to 596 women. The Club has 80 current members who raise funds though events, a boutique, and donations.  They gave $45,000 to 11 women college students for the 2020-2021 school year.

Architects Foundation – The philanthropic partner of The American Institute of Architects has five scholarships supporting students pursuing architecture degrees:  Diversity Advancement Scholarships; Payette Sho-Ping Chin Memorial Academic Scholarship; Yann Weymouth Graduate Scholarship; The a/e ProNet David W. Lakamp Scholarship; and The Architects Foundation / McAslan Fellowship.

The California Architectural Foundation - The Kain Scholarship - A $2,000 prize to offset costs of higher education. 

AIA California:

The Widom Scholarship

The Paul W. Welch ARE Scholarship

AIA Los Angeles: 

2 x 8 Student Competition, Exhibition and Scholarship

Internships:

Many AIA Pasadena & Foothill Chapter architectural offices offer internships for students in architectural programs.  Contact the Chapter office for a current list.