Scholarship and Fellowship Applications are open through December 12/31. Click here to apply!

Overview

PBI welcomes applications from all individuals at all levels of experience who have a special interest in book arts, bookbinding, conservation, papermaking or associated areas. The mixture of experience levels amongst participants is a large part of why PBI is such a rich and productive program. There are two applications. The first, for funding opportunities, opens on December 1 and closes December 31. The second application, for general admission, opens on January 1. Tuition includes room, board, and three workshops taught by world-class practitioners.

General Application

The application period starts January 1st of each year. Applications received within the first two weeks of the application period will be given priority, so timely application is encouraged. We make an effort to accept an equitable mix of alumni and newcomers. Acceptance letters are sent out starting in early February every year. Applications are accepted through through April 15 or until all spots are confirmed and filled. Once all spots are filled, remaining applicants are put on a waiting list. Those placed on the waiting list are notified about openings as soon as one becomes available. The waiting list remains open until May 1.

Once accepted to PBI, a non-refundable deposit of $1000 is required within two weeks of accep­tance in order to reserve your place. The remain­ing bal­ance is due at reg­is­tra­tion upon arrival at Oxbow, in cash or check. PBI does not accept credit cards. Please see more about tuition below, under FEE STRUCTURE.

Fellowships, assistantship & work-study opportunities

The application period for funded opportunities runs December 1 to 31. There are several fellowship, assistantship and work-study opportunities available for those who could not otherwise attend PBI for financial reasons. Applicants may apply for all awards for which they are eligible. These awards are selected through by a jury, based on specific criteria described for each award.

  • Black, Indigenous, People of Color Full Tuition Fellowship: This fellowship is offered to a BIPOC individual whose interests align with studies in the book arts. The fellowship covers full tuition, room, and board.

  • The Book Explorer Fellowship: Awarded to an applicant with a primary interest in bookbinding and/or conservation, this fellowship is supported by Pamela Spitzmueller, conservator and long-time PBI co-director. Pam’s book work was largely inspired by historical structures and she was constantly experimenting and exploring. The fellowship covers full tuition, room, and board.

  • Nell Mel­dahl Work-Study Half Scholarship: PBI offers several half-tuition work-study awards in honor of Nell Mel­dahl. Accepted recipients will pay half of the cost of tuition to attend PBI. Work study recip­i­ents help with stu­dio set up and take down for each ses­sion, assist with var­i­ous mid-session tasks, and orga­nize the auc­tion and clos­ing banquet. Work-Study Award recipients are expected to arrive Saturday, the day before PBI general attendees do. While at PBI, work study recip­i­ents live together in charming but rustic group dormitories, with bath­room facil­i­ties in nearby buildings.

    Recipients pay half-tuition of $900, with a deposit of $450 due within two weeks upon notification of acceptance and the remaining $450 due at PBI registration in May.

    Nell Mel­dahl was an inspir­ing PBI instruc­tor and con­ser­va­tor of East Asian art who passed away far too early in her career. Her fam­ily and friends, with addi­tional funds raised each year from the PBI auc­tion and friends of PBI, have cre­ated a schol­ar­ship pro­gram in her honor to aid those who can­not afford PBI tuition.

To apply for any funding opportunity:

  • Be prepared to indicate first through last choices for all workshops for each session in priority order.

  • You will be asked to submit work samples; your resume or CV; a statement of interest; and a statement of financial need.

  • Applications must be filled out completely. Incomplete applications will not be considered, so please read the requirements of this application carefully.

  • Do not use this application if you are also applying for general admission

Deadline: December 31 at midnight CST.

Acceptance letters will mailed starting in early February.

Fee Structure

Tuition for the PBI program is $1800. This includes room and board for a shared room, work­shop tuition, basic class sup­plies and mate­ri­als. A small course fee may be added to classes with excep­tion­ally high mate­ri­als costs. This cost is indi­cated in the course description.

Tuition and Deposit: Once accepted to PBI, a non-refundable deposit of $1000 is required within two weeks of accep­tance in order to reserve your place. The remain­ing bal­ance is due at reg­is­tra­tion upon arrival at Oxbow, in cash or check. PBI does not accept credit cards.

Single Room Reservations: There are a limited number of sin­gle occu­pancy dor­mi­tory rooms available, which can be reserved for an addi­tional $300 fee, due upon arrival to PBI. You may request a single room on the online application. These rooms will be assigned through a lottery system, with priority given to individuals with special needs.

Institutional Support for Funding or Time Off

A PBI Co-director will be happy to supply a letter of support to applicants seeking funding or time away from their employers.