The NRF Student Association provides talented students interested in retail careers with unique educational and scholarship programs, networking opportunities and access to the latest industry news and research.

As a member school, all School of Art, Architecture and Design Retail Studies Organization members become NRFSA members through dues the organization pays to support this program. Benefits of students being in the NRFSA include, scholarship opportunities, discount attendance at the NRF Big Show in January and amazing education programs for NRFSA students, recognition and industry news like the “Careers Smart Brief” and “Virtual Career Fairs”. IU has been especially successful in the Scholarship Competition with students winning $10,000–$30,000 in the past four consecutive years. IU has also had students in the quarter finals of the Ray Greenly Scholarship Competition and a semi-finalist team of the Student Challenge Competition in 2016. The NRFSA has also awarded IU students each year with Rising Star awards and travel scholarships to the NRF Big Show for the NRF Student Ambassador. 

The mission of the Fashion Scholarship Fund is to advance the fashion industry by encouraging gifted and enterprising young people to pursue careers in design, merchandising, retailing and business, ensuring the industry will continue to attract dedicated, capable and creative individuals. As the premier educational fashion non-profit in the United States, the YMA Fashion Scholarship Fund (FSF) seeks to identify and create career opportunities for young people worldwide. They grant the single largest sum of money and total number of scholarship in the entire fashion community, supplementing financial support for scholars, offering hands-on experience with the world’s top fashion companies and most influential leaders.

As one of the YMA Fashion Scholarship Fund’s member schools, School of Art, Architecture and Design students compete for scholarships by completing an intensive case and then competing on the national level for $5,000 scholarships and the opportunity to travel to New York for a gala and mentoring opportunities. In January of 2017, seven students from IU won $5,000 scholarships. Of the seven, Marley Isaacson advanced to the Geoffrey Beene Scholarship and was awarded $30,000 as a top 4 national winner. Since 2005, 53 IU students have won $5,000 scholarships (totaling over $250,000) and we hold the national honor of being a YMAFS Scholar.