Fashion Scholarship Fund

2026 - 2027 Fashion Scholarship Fund

YMA Fashion Scholarship Fund

 

 

Fashion Scholarship Fund (FSF) Case Competition

160 undergraduate students from 55 universities will win:

  • Scholarships of $10,000 (finalists $15,000-$25,000)
  • Expense paid trip to New York for FSF Gala Events
  • Access to career fairs and networking events
  • Summer fashion industry internships
  • Mentorships from industry leaders
  • Industry job placement assistance
  • Ongoing career development events and support
  • Seminars and master class sessions with industry experts


Details about the Scholarship

All Fashion Scholarship Fund (FSF) scholarship applicants will enter a case study competition. 160 students who enter this competition will win a scholarship of $10,000 - a small number of the top winners will win a scholarship between $15,000 and $25,000. Last year, 764 applicants participated in this competition, and 160 won scholarships. Over the past 9 years, 168 USC students participated in this case competition scholarship and 43 won scholarships,  for a total of $355,000 in scholarships for USC students. 

Click here for a Brief Overview of this Case Competition Scholarship.

To win a FSF Scholarship, you must complete a written case study in one of the following four areas – all four areas focus on Unlocking Hidden Potential: Identifying High Value Consumer Groups:

  • Business Strategy – Build brand appeal by engaging an existing or expanding consumer group in a new way, meeting them where they are by expanding to a new channel or platform. 
    Click here for the Business Strategy Case Study Prompt. 
     
  • Design and Product Development – Create a collection that serves unmet needs, overlooked desires, and/or the unique lifestyle of a specific, unique consumer group while maintaining a connection to your brand ethos.
    Click here for the Design and Product Development Case Study Prompt. 
     
  • Marketing – Establish a 1-year (or longer) strategic marketing plan that addresses the unique lifestyle needs of an expanding consumer group through diverse engagement tactics.
    Click here for the Marketing Case Study Prompt. 
     
  • Merchandising – Develop a new product assortment, inclusive of distribution and launch plans, to address the needs of a new or existing customer segment that is currently overlooked or underserved by your chosen brand or retailer.
    Click here for the Merchandising Case Study Prompt.

Please decide which area you would like to compete in, as you may only compete in one of the four areas listed above. Please note that both the Marketing and Merchandising areas are related to marketing issues.

Click here for the Case Studies of Last Year’s Winners.

The deadline to submit the case study is October 12, 2026. This scholarship is open to all USC undergraduate full-time students who will be sophomores, juniors, and seniors during the fall semester of 2026. Seniors must not be graduating earlier than May of 2027. If you are an international student, you must have a F-1 Visa and are encouraged to submit a CPT from any semester prior to the case study deadline. If you are a USC Progressive Degree Program (PDP) student, you must still be considered an undergraduate class level student by USC Undergraduate Financial Aid during the spring semester of 2027. This is an individual scholarship, so all case studies must be completed individually. 

Click here for details on How to Apply to participate in the FSF Case Study Competition.

If you are a student who identifies as Black or African American, you are eligible for a FSF Virgil Abloh “Post-Modern” Scholarship. The requirements for the FSF Virgil Abloh “Post-Modern” Scholarships are the same as for the other FSF Scholarships except that you need to submit a response to some additional questions with your case study and application materials. Click here for an Overview of the Virgil Abloh “Post-Modern” Scholarship.

Students who participate in this scholarship will be invited to attend the 2026 Summer Scholar Series, which consists of a variety of seminars and master classes with fashion industry leaders and experts via Zoom. Students who participate in this scholarship will also be invited to participate in the FSF University, a free, self-paced digital curriculum relevant to researching and developing this year's case study prompts. 

Students who win this scholarship will be invited to exclusive career fairs, online seminars and master class sessions, and networking events  with industry leaders, including an expense paid trip to New York City for the FSF Gala Events. The FSF helps scholarship winners find internships and jobs in the fashion industry, matches scholarship winners to mentors working in the fashion industry, and organizes ongoing career development events and support opportunities for scholarship winners throughout their careers.

Founded in 1937, the Fashion Scholarship Fund (FSF) is the foremost fashion-oriented education and workforce development nonprofit organization in the U.S. It is composed of influential members of the fashion industry. The Fashion Scholarship Fund’s goal is to advance the fashion industry by encouraging talented and enterprising college students to learn about different types of opportunities in the fashion industry.  

Click here for the Fashion Scholarship Fund Website.

If you plan to participate in this case study competition or if you are potentially interested in participating, please fill out the following short survey as soon as possible:

Click here to fill out this short survey if you plan to participate or if you are potentially interested in this Case Competition Scholarship. You are required to fill out this short survey if you are a USC student who plans to participate in this case competition scholarship. If you are not sure about whether you will participate, you are also encouraged to fill out this short survey so that you can be placed on a mailing list to receive additional information and updates.

If you have any questions, please email Professor Dennis Schorr, the USC Coordinator and Lead Faculty Advisor for the FSF Case Competition Scholarship, at dschorr@marshall.usc.edu.   


Steps and Timeline to Apply

March through May 2026 (Second Half of Spring Semester and Beginning of Summer)

  • Complete the Short Survey of USC Students who Plan to Participate or are Potentially Interested in this Case Competition Scholarship. You are required to fill out this survey if you are a USC Student participating in this Case Competition Scholarship. Click on this link for this survey.
  • Once you fill out the Short Survey of USC Students who Plan to Participate or are Potentially Interested in Participating, you will receive information and advice on a regular basis relevant to this case competition from Professor Dennis Schorr, the USC Coordinator and Lead Faculty Advisor for the FSF Case Competition Scholarship.
  • Register with the FSF on the Wizehive portal as soon as you decide to participate so that you can begin to fill out the scholarship application and receive communications, reminders, and invitations to special events for participants. Click here for the link to register with the FSF.
  • Participants who are registered with the FSF for this Case Competition Scholarship will receive information and advice on a regular basis relevant to this case competition from the Fashion Scholarship Fund.
  • Participants who are registered with the FSF for this Case Competition Scholarship will be invited to participate in the FSF University, a free, self-paced digital curriculum relevant to researching and developing this year’s case study prompts. Although participating in the FSF University is optional, you are strongly encouraged to do this self-paced program – participants who participated in the FSF University last year found it very helpful in making progress on their case studies.
  • Begin working on the FSF Case Study. Select a fashion brand/retailer for your case study, conduct preliminary research and analyses, decide on a consumer group to focus on, and begin to develop your ideas and recommendations. The case study prompts have many information sources for research relevant to the prompts.
  • Solicit advice and feedback from the USC FSF Coordinator and Lead Faculty Advisor: Professor Dennis Schorr at dschorr@marshall.usc.edu.

June through August 2026 (Summer and Beginning of Fall Semester)

  • If you have not started yet, complete the steps for March through May 2026 (listed above).
  • Participate in the FSF Summer Scholar Series of online seminars and sessions about the fashion industry with leaders from prominent fashion companies. This online series of seminars and sessions is open to all students who are participating in the FSF Case Competition Scholarship. Although participating in this series is optional, it should be helpful in learning about the fashion industry and preparing your case study.
  • Participate in the FSF University, a free, self-paced digital curriculum relevant to researching and developing this year’s case study prompts. Although participating in the FSF University is optional, you are strongly encouraged to do this self-paced program – USC students who participated in the FSF University last year found it very helpful in making progress on their case studies.
  • Work on the FSF Case Study. Conduct extensive research and analyses and develop your ideas and recommendations. The case study prompts have many information sources for research relevant to the prompts. 
  • Prepare the Slide Deck for your FSF Case Study submission. Be sure to follow all the guidelines and check your submission against the judging criteria outlined in the case study prompt. For examples of winning case study submissions from last year, click on this link.
  • Solicit advice and feedback from the USC FSF Coordinator and Lead Faculty Advisor: Professor Dennis Schorr at dschorr@marshall.usc.edu.

September 2026 (Fall Semester)

  • If you have not finished the previous steps yet, complete the steps for March through May 2026 and June through August 2026 (listed above).
  • Finalize your research, analyses, ideas, and recommendations.
  • Finalize the Slide Deck for your FSF Case Study submission. Be sure to follow all the guidelines and check your submission against the judging criteria outlined in the case study prompt. For examples of winning case study submissions from last year, click on this link. 
  • You should submit a draft of your case study to Professor Schorr at dschorr@marshall.usc.edu by September 18, 2026, so that it can be reviewed in advance of submission. However, you should seek Professor Schorr’s advice and feedback well before this date, as you develop the research, analyses, ideas, and recommendations for this case study.
  • The deadline for registering with the FSF on Wizehive is September 30, 2026. However, you should register with the FSF on Wizehive well before this deadline. You should register as soon as you decide to participate so that you receive relevant communications, reminders, and invitations to special events for participants.

October 2026 – Before October 12, 2026 at 8:59 AM Pacific Time (or 11:59 AM Eastern Time)

  • If you have not finished the previous steps yet, complete the steps for March through May 2026, June through August 2026, and September 2026 (listed above).
  • Finalize your FSF Case Study submission.
  • Prepare and Submit all of the required documents, images, video, and other required information on the Wizehive portal. Detailed instructions about the Required Materials for Submission are provided in the How to Apply guide. Click here for the How to Apply guide.
  • The DEADLINE for uploading your case study submission and other required materials on Wizehive is October 12, 2026, before 8:59 AM Pacific Time (or 11:59 AM Eastern Time). The Wizehive submission portal will automatically close at this time even if an upload is still in progress. Therefore, all your submission materials must already be finished uploading by this time.
  • Please upload everything well before 8:59 AM California Time (or 11:59 AM New York Time). Please don’t wait until the last minute to submit your case study and other required materials. The uploading process might take some time. Case studies will not be accepted if all required materials are not completely uploaded by this deadline. Submit early to make sure there are no last minute technical difficulties.