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Best Writing Scholarships in 2024
Showing 133 scholarships that match your search.
Americanism Essay Contest
FRA sponsors an annual essay contest to promote the spirit of Americanism and patriotism among our country’s youth. FRA's Americanism Essay Contest is open to all students, grades 7-12, including those who are home schooled. Students are invited to submit a 350-word essay through an FRA member or local FRA branch before the December 1st deadline.
Categories: Personal Essay
Organization: Fleet Reserve Association
Deadline: December 01, 2024
Additional awards: Other winners will receive $1,000, $750, and $500
Recipients: 1
Top award: $1,500
Apply now →
Many Voices Fellowship
The Many Voices Fellowship is intended to support early career playwrights of color and Indigenous playwrights who demonstrate artistic potential and a commitment to a year-long residency in Minnesota. Fellowships provide a $25,000 stipend and $3,000 to support customized play development through workshops with professional directors, dramaturgs, and actors.
Categories: Playwriting
Organization: Jerome Foundation
Top award: $25,000
New York Life Award
Underwritten by the New York Life Foundation, the New York Life Award offers $2,500 scholarships/travel stipends to ten students whose works explore death and personal grief. Sharing your story through art or writing can be a healing experience both for you and other teens who are grieving. Your creative work can help someone with similar experiences to you feel less alone.
Categories: Journalism, Personal Essay, Critical Essay, Short Fiction, Novel Writing, Nonfiction, Poetry, Screenwriting, Playwriting, and Portfolio
Organization: Scholastic Art & Writing Awards
Recipients: 10
Top award: $2,500
Portfolio Awards
The Portfolio Awards, made possible by generous individual donors and other supporters, offer $12,500 scholarships to Gold Medal Portfolio winners and $2,000 scholarships to Silver Medal Portfolio winners. All graduating seniors submitting a collection of six works with accompanying Artist or Writer Statements and Personal Statements (500 words or less) are eligible for this award.
Categories: Portfolio
Additional awards: $2,000 each for Silver Medal prizes
Recipients: 16
Top award: $12,500
OPC Scholarships
The Overseas Press Club Foundation strives to improve the media's understanding of international issues and to raise the quality of news-gathering efforts in covering the world. This is achieved by offering scholarships to undergraduate and graduate students in American colleges and universities, who aspire to become foreign correspondents. All applicants to OPC scholarships must submit a cover letter, resume, and writing sample about an international issue or topic.
Categories: Journalism
Organization: Overseas Press Club Foundation
Additional awards: Multiple awards of varying amounts will be given
Top award: $3,000
SPCA Mundy Scholarship
The Foundation awards a scholarship each year to a South Carolina college student interested in pursuing a newspaper career. The premier scholarship, worth $1,000 per academic year, is named for the Foundation’s first president, the late Frank R. Mundy of the Greenwood Index-Journal.
Organization: South Carolina Press Association
Deadline: December 02, 2024
Top award: $1,000
Unigo $10k Scholarship
The Unigo $10K Scholarship aims to help improve your education by offering a $10,000 prize to use towards school. "Would you rather be smart, funny or rich? Why?" In 250 words or less, submit an online written response to the question. Applicants must be 14 years of age or older and reside in the United States.
Categories: Short Fiction
Organization: Unigo
Deadline: December 31, 2024
Top award: $10,000
Delete Cyberbullying Scholarship Award
In an effort to get students committed to the cause of deleting cyberbullying, we are offering the Delete Cyberbullying Scholarship Award for high school, college and graduate student — a $1,000 scholarship to help cover educational expenses. To apply, write a short essay answering one of the following questions: "Why is it important to work to delete cyberbullying?" or "How has cyberbullying personally affected you?"
Organization: Delete Cyberbullying
The Walt Disney Company UNCF Corporate Scholars Program
The Walt Disney Company UNCF Corporate Scholars Program aims to help create a diverse pipeline of college-educated professionals poised to assume fulfilling off-camera careers in entertainment, and to help increase the number of underrepresented minorities employed in the entertainment industry. Please note applications submitted for this program will be reviewed on a rolling basis.
Organization: UNCF
Deadline: January 01, 2025
Recipients: 100
Unigo College Review Scholarship
Love your college? Hate it? Meh? Tell other students about your experience so they can make better decisions about college. You must currently attend (or have previously attended) the college that you review to be eligible.
Recipients: 5
Islamic Scholarship Fund Program
Students who are Muslim or active members of the Muslim community may apply for the Islamic Scholarship Fund. The ISF awards multiple scholarships each year ranging from $3,000-$10,000, though the amounts and number of recipients will vary. Students must submit applications including essay questions, work samples, and letters of recommendation, and must also be majoring in an ISF-supported field related to media or politics.
Organization: Islamic Scholarship Fund
WCF Scholarship for Student Research
The Willa Cather Foundation supports emerging scholars who increase our understanding and appreciation of the life and work of Willa Cather. As a part of this effort, we have designated three $400 annual scholarships to support upper-level students presenting original Cather research at non-Cather specific conferences. Applicants should submit their application at least four weeks prior to the conference.
Categories: Research
Organization: Willa Cather Foundation
Recipients: 3
Top award: $400
Ursinus College Creative Writing Award
The Ursinus College Creative Writing Award is a $40,000 per year major scholarship for creative writers of outstanding originality and potential. The award winner will have the honor of living in the dorm room once occupied by J.D. Salinger, who attended Ursinus. In the spirit of Holden Caulfield and Catcher in the Rye, we are looking for an unusual perspective, for quirky brilliance, for a voice. Candidates must achieve admission to Ursinus.
Categories: Critical Essay, Nonfiction, Novel Writing, Personal Essay, Playwriting, Poetry, and Short Fiction
Organization: Ursinus College
Deadline: January 03, 2025
Top award: $40,000
Pride Foundation Scholarships
The Pride Foundation provides essential financial resources and community support to inspirational LGBTQ+ and allied student leaders across the Northwest. Applicants must be from Alaska, Idaho, Montana, Oregon, or Washington to be eligible. Applications open in October of each year and all 60+ scholarships may be applied for through the same application form.
Organization: Pride Foundation
Deadline: January 05, 2025
Helen Lansdowne Resor Scholarship
The Helen Lansdowne Resor Scholarship offers its awardees a $10,000 scholarship to put toward their education, an internship at Wunderman Thompson, and other mentorship and post-graduate opportunities. Any female undergraduate or postgraduate student with at least a year left of their studies is eligible. Applicants must submit personal statement, letters of recommendation, and 3-5 creative samples.
Categories: Personal Essay, Portfolio, Novel Writing, Poetry, and Short Fiction
Organization: Wunderman Thompson
Additional awards: Intership placement at Wunderman Thompson
What are writing scholarships?
Writing scholarships are financial awards given to students based primarily on written work, though other factors are usually taken into consideration as well. Most writing scholarships involve a prompt or series of prompts to which applicants must respond. Some writing scholarships — especially those that award large amounts of money — require applicants to submit past writing samples, or even a full portfolio.
The good news is that, with so many writing scholarships to choose from, you don’t have to apply for any that are “out of your league.” Indeed, though most students have heard of writing scholarships, you may not realize just how many different varieties there are! Here are five of the most common types of writing scholarships, all of which you can find in this directory.
1. Personal essay scholarships
Personal essay scholarships involve writing on a topic related to your own experience. You’ll often see personal essay prompts like, “How have your experiences influenced your choice of major?” and “What are your career aspirations and how do you plan to achieve them?” Other prompts may ask you to write about a role model, a life-changing event, an aspect of your identity, etc. Suggested length is usually about 500-1,000 words, but varies depending on the level of detail requested and how many essay questions are provided.
Just about every scholarship these days has a personal essay component of some kind. This is because personal essay responses both demonstrate writing skills and give the judges a clear sense of each applicant’s goals. No one wants to throw away money on an aimless student — so if you’re applying for a personal essay scholarship, make sure to convey both your writing abilities and your ambitions in your work!
2. Critical essay scholarships
Critical essay scholarships are more in line with what students might consider “academic” essays. The prompts typically ask applicants to analyze works of literature. However, unlike open-ended English class essays, most critical essay scholarships provide a very specific prompt (e.g. “Examine The Great Gatsby in the context of its World War II-era revival”).
Critical essay scholarships can also involve non-literary subject matter. Some may ask applicants to evaluate a historical event or figure; others may ask them to defend their stance on a political or legal issue. Though the line between critical and personal essays can sometimes blur, for the purposes of this directory, we define critical essays as those that use evidence from an external source to prove a point.
3. Short fiction scholarships
Short fiction scholarships include scholarships for short stories, one-act plays, poetry, and any other form of fiction that isn’t a novel or full-length script. Short fiction scholarships tend to be easier to find than long-form fiction scholarships, since most judging panels don’t have time to read more than a few thousand words per entry. Therefore, if you write fiction and you’re hoping to nab yourself a scholarship, this category is the way to go! (That said, if you’re a hardline novelist, some places will accept a sample chapter or two as short fiction entries.)
4. Journalism scholarships
Journalism scholarships are for students interested in pursuing a career in news, magazine, and/or online journalism. These scholarship applications almost always ask for writing samples to show the candidate’s interest. Depending on the organization, they may prefer topical news reports, informative articles, thinkpieces, or a mix. Some journalism scholarships provide a prompt and ask applicants to write a new article, but the focus is usually on samples. Speaking of which…
5. Portfolio scholarships
Portfolio scholarships are the most rigorous kind of writing scholarship, requiring a substantial body of work from each applicant — usually 5-10 pieces of writing, if not more. The upside is that awards for portfolio scholarships tend to be pretty sizable, and may even cover your entire tuition!
If you decide to apply to a portfolio scholarship, make sure you have several strong pieces of work in your oeuvre, and consider writing a few new pieces as well. What you shouldn’t do is rush through a dozen new pieces to throw together as a portfolio. If you don’t have samples at the ready from previous assignments or projects, you’ll be better off applying to a less intensive writing scholarship.
Why apply to writing scholarships?
Applying to writing scholarships is a huge undertaking, especially if you’re pursuing multiple scholarships at once. It can sometimes feel like the effort isn’t worth it, or that you have little chance of actually winning any awards. But in truth, submitting to writing scholarships is one of the best investments you can make in your education, your creative writing skills, and your professional life.
Scholarships for larger amounts do attract more applicants, but that doesn’t mean they’re impossible to land — only that you have to work a little harder to stand out. And you can definitely sway the odds in your favor by applying to lots of small scholarships ($500 or less) for which you’ll have fewer competitors. Remember that every little bit helps! For example, if you plan on taking out student loans, even a $500 scholarship could save you much more in interest down the line.
Another compelling reason to apply to writing scholarships is that oftentimes, you’ve already done the work, or the work required is minimal. For scholarships that require writing samples, you’ll simply submit what you’ve already written in the past — and even for scholarships with specific prompts, you rarely have to write more than a couple of pages. If you were seriously committed, you could apply to a scholarship every day, spending a single concentrated evening on each application.
Jumping off that thought, as English majors love to say: the more writing scholarships you apply for, the better a writer you’ll become. Writing tons of scholarship essays will make you a much more creative and efficient writer. Not only will this help with your personal writing projects, but it will also be invaluable to your education and even your career! Writing is a crucial skill for every major — you’ll always have to write papers and emails to professors, after all — and even if you don’t plan to pursue a writing-based job, you'll still need writing skills to polish your résumé.
Finally, remember that there’s a writing scholarship out there for everyone, no matter what your interests or intended field. This directory includes plenty of creative writing scholarships, yes; but there are also personal essay scholarships for future doctors, lawyers, salespeople, and so much more. You have nothing to lose by giving it a shot, so why not start searching for your dream writing scholarship today? (And if you’re unsure about your writing skills, you might benefit from some of the resources below.)
Resources to strengthen your writing skills
- 20 Writing Tips to Help You Become A Better Writer Today. Click here to view
- How to Stop Procrastinating and Build A Solid Writing Routine. Click here to enroll
- What is Creative Nonfiction? Memoirs, Literary Journalism, and More! Check it out
- How to Write a Memoir: Tell Your Amazing Story in 9 Steps. Read more
- How to Write a Fantastic Short Story In 7 Steps. Find out more
- How to Self-Edit Your Manuscript Like a Pro. Enroll here
- 700+ Creative Writing Prompts to Inspire You. Click here to view
- 100+ Creative Writing Exercises for Authors. Learn more
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FREE TRAINING: How I Secured 6-Figures in Scholarships & Graduated Debt-Free
The Scholarship System
Paying for college begins here
The Ultimate List of Scholarships for Writers
Scholarships & Financial Aid
Updated on August 23rd, 2024
If your student dreams of pursuing a career that allows them to focus on the written word, scholarships for writers can make their college journey more affordable. As with all scholarships, the money doesn’t have to be paid back, giving your student a chance to avoid burdensome student loan debt.
Scholarships for writers are pretty plentiful. Current college students can serve as valuable mentors in the college application process, helping others navigate various aspects such as application writing and scholarship searching. High school seniors should also consider applying for scholarships to secure funding for their further education. If your student is looking for scholarships for aspiring writers or opportunities that allow them to earn scholarship money for their undergraduate and graduate students’ writing abilities (that can be applied to other majors), here’s what you need to know.
If you and your student want to learn more about where to find scholarships for writers or other opportunities as well as how to land scholarships, sign up for our free college scholarship webinar ! Head to https://thescholarshipsystem.com/freewebinar to reserve your spot today .
- 1 What Are Writing Scholarship Essays?
- 2.1 General Writing Scholarships
- 2.2 Poetry Scholarships
- 2.3 Creative Writing Scholarships
- 2.4 Journalism Scholarships
- 2.5 Play and Song Writing Scholarships
- 3.1 Can you get a scholarship in writing?
- 3.2 How do I start writing a scholarship?
What Are Writing Scholarship Essays?
Writing scholarships come in two primary forms. The first kind targets students who intend to pursue writing-related majors or careers. The second option allows anyone with writing skills to earn scholarship awards but doesn’t necessarily limit eligibility based on the student’s major or future career plans. Scholarships are available for both undergraduate and graduate school students, emphasizing the importance of finding financial aid to support education at various levels.
Scholarships for young writers can help your student pursue their dream while giving them a chance to avoid student loan debt. Since many writing careers don’t start with large salaries, this can make pursuing a career in that arena more affordable. There are also specific scholarship opportunities available for undergraduate students, which can significantly aid in funding their higher education journeys.
In most cases, scholarships for writers require applicants to submit some form of writing sample. This can be in addition to other essays or the only written component requirement.
It’s important to note your student needs to read the fine print on all of the scholarships for writers they consider. In some cases, the written pieces or scholarship essays they turn in become the property of the awarding organization, regardless of whether your student receives a scholarship. As a result, some only allow unique writing per the rules, so your student might not be able to submit the same piece repeatedly.
There is a slew of writing scholarships available. Some accept a wide variety of writing content during the application phase, even short fiction, while others focus on specific forms of writing, like poetry writing scholarships that only consider submissions that include a poem.
To ensure your student can find the right opportunities, this list of scholarships for writers is broken down into the most common categories for writing scholarship essays, as well as a general section for writer scholarships that are more flexible about submissions. High school students, especially those in their junior and senior years, should research and apply for writing scholarships early to enhance their educational opportunities in writing and related fields.
General Writing Scholarships
Some scholarships for writers have a range of categories, allowing undergraduate students and other students to choose one that best aligns with their preferred writing style. As a result, these can be a great starting point for nearly any student.
- ACES Scholarships
- Alliance for Young Artists & Writers’ Scholastic Art & Writing Awards
- Barbara Deming Memorial Fund Scholarship
- Family Travel Forum Teen Travel Writing Scholarship
- Go On Girl Book Club’s Aspiring Writer Scholarship
- KidGuard for Education Scholarship
- Marco Island Foundation for the Arts Scholarships
- Willa Cather Foundation Scholarship
Poetry Scholarships
If your high school student loves spending time creating poems, poetry writing scholarships may be an ideal option for them as they transition to becoming an undergraduate student. Not only can they flex their creative muscles, but they also have a chance to earn money to help pay for school.
- Amy Lowell Poetry Travelling Scholarship
- Dorothy Rosenberg Memorial Prize in Lyric Poetry
- Horror Writers Association Dark Poetry Scholarship
- Lycoming Creative Writing Scholarship
- Patricia Cornwell Creative Writing Scholarship
- Poetry Foundation’s Ruth Lilly and Dorothy Sargent Rosenberg Poetry Fellowships
- Power of Poetry Scholarships
- William Morgan Poetry Award
Creative Writing Scholarships
This category includes scholarships for creative writing majors as well as other writing awards, for those with creative writing talent who are going to focus on other subjects. These opportunities include short story scholarships, fiction writing scholarships, scholarships for creative writing majors, and more.
- Bobette Bibo Gugliotta Memorial Scholarship for Creative Writing
- Bodie McDowell Scholarship
- CFNEM Carl and Christine Huebner Scholarship
- CW Scholarship
- GRFC Ladies Literary Club Scholarship
- Gwaltney Scholarship
- Horror Writers Association Scholarship
- Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley Scholarship
- TalNexus Scholarship
- Unico National’s Ella T. Grasso Literary Scholarship
- Creative Writing Scholarship | Waldorf University
Journalism Scholarships
Journalism is still a popular major for college students, who enjoy writing and want to focus on recent happenings, current events, or investigative writing. There are a ton of journalism scholarships out there, helping students enter into this engaging field.
- Against the Grain Scholarship
- Bob and Marion Breeden Journalism Student Aid Fund Scholarship
- Chips Quinn Scholars Program for Diversity in Journalism (paid internship opportunity)
- GardenComm Scholarships
- Journalism Education Association’s Journalist of the Year Award
- Leroy F. Aarons Scholarship Award
- Lester G. Benz Memorial Scholarship for College Journalism Study
- Mike Reynolds Journalism Scholarship
- NABJ Scholarships
- New York Financial Writers’ Association Scholarships
- New York Women in Communications Scholarships
- Ohio News Media Association Scholarships
- Richard G. Zimmerman Scholarship
Play and Song Writing Scholarships
While there aren’t as many in this category, it is possible to find scholarships for writing plays and songs. Here are a couple of examples.
- Jerome Foundation Many Voices Fellowships
- John Lennon Scholarships
Ultimately, aspiring writers and those who just happen to have a talent for the written word can find scholarships to help them pay for school. Plus, there are tons of other scholarships out there for students interested in other topics, including opportunities for:
- Students with learning disabilities
- Military members, veterans, and their families
- Women and girls
- Native Americans
Frequently Asked Questions
Can you get a scholarship in writing.
Yes, you can! Many organizations, universities, and writing programs offer scholarships to writers. These can be awarded for your writing talent, academic achievements, or financial need.
Some are for specific genres like fiction, poetry, or journalism, and others for underrepresented voices or topics. To increase your chances, research scholarships that fit your writing style and goals, prepare a strong portfolio or writing sample, and make sure your application shows your passion and commitment to writing.
How do I start writing a scholarship?
Applying for a scholarship can be intimidating, but breaking it down into steps makes it manageable. First, read the scholarship guidelines carefully to know the requirements including eligibility, documents and deadlines. Research the organization so you can tailor your application to their values and expectations.
Next, brainstorm and outline your essay. Focus on your achievements, goals, and experiences that align with the scholarship’s purpose. Start with a hook that grabs attention, then expand on key points like your achievements and how the scholarship will help you achieve your goals. Remember, the most compelling essays are those that are genuine and reflect your true self.
As you finish, tell them why you’re the best. Revise for clarity and have someone else read it. Then, gather all required documents, check your application, and submit it on time. Apply early and give yourself time to revise, and you’ll submit a good application.
The Scholarship System also runs an annual scholarship to support students. Find out more here: The Scholarship System Annual Scholarship Opportunity
If you and your student want to learn more about where to find scholarships for writers or other opportunities as well as how to land scholarships, sign up for our free college scholarship webinar ! Head to https://thescholarshipsystem.com/freewebinar to reserve your spot today
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