Hattie Edwards & Samuel Smith Annual Scholarships
Costumers of Color, Inc. has two scholarship programs to support inclusion and equity in historical and/or fashion design-focused academic pursuits. These scholarships are awarded annually to students that meet our eligibility requirements. This educational initiative helps us meet our mission providing monetary support for Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC) who are enrolled in a degree program in the United States (including territories).
Program Details
The Hattie S. Edwards scholarship was created to honor the memory and educational legacy of Hattie Smith Edwards, our founder’s great-grandmother. Mrs. Edwards was born at the beginning of the 20th-century in Dallas County, Alabama and was the daughter of a sharecropper. She went on to attend Tuskegee University and raise a family with her husband in Selma, Alabama. Our founder and executive director’s zeal for education came from this beloved ancestor.
The Samuel Smith scholarship was created to honor the memory and educational legacy of Samuel Smith, Sr, our founder’s grandfather. Mr. Smith was born in Baton Rouge, Louisiana and raised his four children with the goal of them pursuing higher education. He was attentive to the educational needs of his family, to the point of running for, winning, and holding the office of President of the Parent Teacher Association (PTA) at Greenville Elementary in the 1950’s. Mr. Smith’s children went on to earn degrees at the Southern University and work in the fields of speech therapy, engineering, education, and trucking. Mr. Smith left a lasting impact as he has 8 grandchildren, two of which are medical doctors, and almost all attended university and earned degrees. Our founder. Gigi, has a rich educational legacy and is honored to pay homage to her ancestors with these scholarship opportunities.
Award Criteria
Applicants must be a Black, Indigenous, or Person of Color (BIPOC) undergraduate or graduate student attending a community college or university with an expected graduation date or Spring 2027 or later. Our scholarships are open to students studying any discipline related to history, fashion, or costuming. The deadline to apply is April 15, 2026, with the recipient announced on June 15, 2026. The award amounts for 2026 will be between $500-$1500.
Apply Now
The link to application form is https://forms.gle/XjQxvPWgdv7PNq2s6
Donate
To donate towards our annual scholarships click a link below to go to our verified Stripe nonprofit account or to head over to our verified 501(c)(3) page on Deed and donate via their trusted platform.
Past Winners
The 2024 Hattie Edwards Scholarship recipient, Cian, was announced via this Instagram post. She is known on Instagram as @hyliancream — and is a costumer of color majoring in Fashion Design set to graduate in 2025. Cian is also a cosplayer who actively works to make the scene more inclusive for the next generation. Cian wrote this to us as part of her entry, “I’m super grateful to be a finalist for this scholarship award. Being someone of mixed African American & Mexican descent, you don’t see people like me in our industries too often. Being able to study and continue into the costuming industry is a goal for future generations to have POC costumers & costuming educators be a prominent part of this industry!”
Costumers of Color 