The Architects Foundation has announced the launch of the Large Firm Roundtable (LFRT) ARE Scholarship, providing support for aspiring Black architects within the licensing process. Through the scholarship, the organization is aiming to double the number of licensed Black architects in the United States by 2030.

The scholarship will cover the cost of the ARE, a one-year subscription to the AIA’s exam prep course ArchiPrep, one year of dues to either the AIA or NOMA, one year NCARB record fees, and $500 in study materials. To be eligible for the scholarship, applicants must identify as Black or African American, be eligible for the ARE, hold an NCARB Record, and be either an Associate AIA or a member of NOMA.

To apply for the more than 30 awards available under LFRT, applicants must submit a brief 500-word personal statement, a professional biography and/or résumé, and a maximum of three optional letters of recommendation. Applications to the 2022 LFRT cycle close on Friday, January 14, 2022.

The initiative follows months after NOMA and NCARB released a report focusing on the disparities in architectural licensing examinations on the basis of race, age, and gender. According to surveys carried out by the organizations, only 26% of ARE candidates feel confident they can afford the ARE, with almost 50% spending $500 or more on study material.

African American and Latino licensing candidates are 7% and 9% less likely than white candidates respectively to receive financial help from their firms, while African American candidates are14% more likely than white candidates to report personal debt as a factor impacting their ability to afford the ARE.

ARE pass rates for white candidates are 27-38% higher than their Black or African American peers, while Latina women are 11% more likely than white women to report spending over $500 on study material, and 20% more likely to report difficulty paying for the exam.