Scholarships
About our Scholarships
Napa Valley Wine Academy holds the belief that education is the cornerstone of a better career and a higher level of hospitality. Everyone deserves access to education regardless of their financial situation. Through our partnerships, we are, from time to time, able to offer our students the chance to apply for scholarships and tuition assistance programs to support their wine and spirits education. The primary goals of our scholarships are to promote diversity in the wine industry. The majority of our scholarships are awarded on a combination of a student’s financial need and merit.
Somm Foundation
SommFoundation’s mission is to assist in the education and professional development of people working in the wine and spirits business. We help professionals develop their skills, knowledge, and competency through scholarships, mentorships and enrichment opportunities. Sixteen WSET scholarships will be awarded in 2024.
Scholarship 1 (Spring): April 5, 2024, deadline May 13th, 2024 11 pm pst
Scholarship 2 (Fall): August 1, 2024, deadline October 1, 2024 11 pm pst
Pink Boots Society
The Pink Boots Society was created to empower women and/or non-binary individuals in the fermented and alcoholic beverage industry to advance their careers through education. While primarily focused on beer, they are expanding to offer members a broader range of education through thirty WSET scholarships in wine, sake and spirits. Application period April-June, July-September and October-December 2024. Please contact Pink Boots Society directly for more information.
ASSOCIATION OF AFRICAN AMERICAN VINTNERS SCHOLARSHIPS
Association of African American Vintners offers scholarships to assist and support the path for minority students to begin their journeys pursuing an education or career in the wine industry. Thirty-four scholarships are available at all WSET levels, plus Business of Wine and American Wine Expert.
The application period ends September 30, 2023.
Wine Unify champions diversity and inclusion for underrepresented minorities in the wine industry. With the generous assistance of sponsors, including Napa Valley Wine Academy, Wine.com, Coravin, and Jancisrobinson.com, among others, Wine Unify is able to offer a variety of education-based awards for aspiring and existing minority wine professionals and help strengthen the diverse community in our industry.
New rounds of scholarships open year-round in 2023/2024. For more information and to apply:
Completed Scholarships in 2022
Orvieto DOC
Orvieto DOC, located in Umbria, is the region’s spiritual center. Orvieto’s wines, all white and produced in different styles, are known for their expression of terroir. In spite of the centuries of production – the written knowledge of Orvieto is scarce. The Consorzio is inspiring future educators and scholars of Italian wines to learn more about the wines by offering one WSET Diploma level student a full scholarship for Unit D3 – Wines of the World.DEADLINE TO APPLY IS JUNE 1, 2022
Sorry, the application period is closed.
Other Completed Scholarship Programs
WINE ACCESS DIVERSITY IN WINE SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAM WITH JOSH HART
Napa Valley Wine Academy teams up with NBA star and wine lover Josh Hart to offer 100 scholarships to aspiring wine experts in the BIPOC community, with the goal of discovering tomorrow’s wine industry stars.
PRIVATE DONATIONS
If you are interested in making a tax-deductible donation to the NVWA Education Foundation scholarship fund please use the “Donate” button.
SPONSORING CORPORATE SCHOLARSHIPS
The NVWA Education Foundation a 501c3 scholarship fund is now providing organizations, companies, and individuals the opportunity to fund a scholarship in their name. These named scholarships will support the formal education of future wine and hospitality industry professionals and further support our growing base of students. Scholarship naming opportunities exist for organizations, companies, or individuals that donate $2,000 or more to support the education of the next generation of wine professionals. In appreciation for their contributions, scholarship sponsors will have the opportunity to request qualification criteria, be introduced to the recipients and have to option to be named in all NVWA Education Foundation press releases and promotion materials. For more details, please contactNina Sventitskyat 855-513-9738