Costume College Scholarships

Costumer's Guild West, Inc. offers tuition-only and full (including hotel and event tickets) scholarships to Costume College. Skill-based scholarships are awarded as part of our Outreach events, including entries from the costume competition at the Los Angeles County Fair and masquerade winners from certain Southern California conventions. Essay-based scholarships are awarded by a CGW committee for service to CGW or financial hardship or encouragement of beginning costumers. Service scholarships are awarded to volunteers of Costumer's Guild West, Inc. in recognition of their service.

Essay - for service, hardship, education, or skill

Essay scholarships are awarded by the CGW Scholarship Committee so that the individual may be rewarded for their service to the organization; OR be assisted due to hardship; OR be exposed to resources, gain experience and be encouraged in their costuming life. Scholarships may be awarded based on a combination of of these criteria or on a single one.

• Read the CGW Scholarship Committe Procedures
• September 30 - Scholarship application available on the CGW website
• November 30 - deadline for postmark or email of scholarship application
• January 1 - All scholarship applicants will be notified of their status by email or telephone
• January 15 - Scholarship winner list will be posted to the CGW website
• January 15 - Scholarship winners will be sent a letter by US Mail
• March - Scholarship winners will be published in Squeals

Outreach - skill-based scholarships
CGW participates in certain events to raise awareness of CGW in the community, as well as to assist costumers or organizations that involve costuming. The current list of outreach events are located on the CGW Events page, as they occur. Outreach events which have provided Costume College scholarships in the past include the Los Angeles County Fair (July-October), Loscon Science Fiction Convention masquerade (November), Anime Los Angeles (January), and Costume Con (May).

Future Link: CGW Judging guidelines for skill-based competitions

General Rules for Los Angeles County Fair

• You do not have to reside in Los Angeles County
• Entries are $2 each
• You may enter as many costumes as you would like
• All costumes must have been completed after August of the previous year- this does not limit the start date of the costume
• Categories are Historical Interpretation, Historical Reproduction, Theatrical, and Science Fiction/Fantasy/Anime/Video Game.
• Up to 8 scholarships are awarded, a possible of 2 in each category
• Costumes must be delivered to the fair on the L.A. County Fair's schedule. They are usually kept from mid-July to early October.
• If you are not able to deliver or pick up your costume, contact the CGW events coordinator to find out if there is a mail-in option or someone that can deliver your costume for you.
• See the CGW Events page for further details.

General masquerade rules for conventions:

• You must be a member of the convention to enter the masquerade
• Masquerades are generally on Friday or Saturday nights
• You may usually enter as many costumes as you can find persons to wear them
• There are usually two competitions: presentation and workmanship. Costume College scholarships are awarded for workmanship
• There is usually one Costume College scholarship offered per masquerade
• Loscon is Thanksgiving weekend; Anime L.A. is the first week in January; Costume Con is in April or May
• See the CGW Events page for further details

Service - for working volunteers

These Scholarships are granted in recognition of all the time and work donated to the Guild and/or College during the year to help create the events or guide the group as a whole.

• Member of the Year
• President of Costumer's Guild West, Inc.
• Dean of Costume College
• Programming chairs of Costume College

Note that President, Dean, and Programming Chairs are awarded the membership during their working year, and sometimes may be unable to take classes due to their working schedule.

Funding

Tuition Scholarship pays for College Registration.
Tuition Plus Scholarship pays for College Registration and one class.
Full Scholarship pays for College Registration, one class, two nights at the hotel, one Gala ticket and one tea ticket.

Tuition and Tuition Plus scholarships are paid for through Donations, Raffle tickets, Early Bird Marketplace Tickets, Bargain Basement sales and the CGW General Fund. Full Scholarships are sometimes completely funded by a single donation, and they are sometimes given from the general fund.

Memorial Scholarships are usually full scholarships, given in the name of a person dedicated to the service of CGW or costuming.