creative writing scholarships for high school students 2021

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The 10 Best Writing Scholarships for High School Students

Some of the best and most rewarding scholarships require applicants to write a personal essay, poem, or other written work. 

Are you interested in a certain genre, like sci-fi or young adult literature? There’s a scholarship for people who like to write those kinds of books!

Do you have a portfolio of written work from your high school career? Many scholarships seek extensive portfolios that center on a particular subject – why not revise your portfolio and submit your materials to a scholarship evaluation committee?

We’ve found ten of the best writing scholarships for high school students and undergraduates. 

Prizes range from the several thousands to the tens of thousands of dollars, while others come with publishing-related perks and paid-for professional development opportunities.

YoungArts’ National Arts Competition for Writing

Open exclusively to students in grades 10 or 12 (or ages 15-18), YoungArts’ National Arts Competition evaluates submissions for five categories : creative nonfiction, novel, play or script, poetry, and short story and spoken word.

Of previous winners, the organization remarks that their portfolios were creative, thought-provoking, and intentional. There are separate requirements for each category. 

For novels , candidates share the first 20 pages of their novel along with a 200-word synopsis. 

Spoken word artists will submit two to three written poems, with the total material not exceeding ten pages. Spoken word category applications may also submit a video performance for each poetry submission.

There are five levels of prizes awarded to candidates whose work reveals innovative and outstanding technique, depth, and perspective. 

The Level 1, 2, and 3 prizes are worth $3,000, $1,500, and $1,000 (respectively). The Silver prize is worth $5,000, while the Gold prize totals $10,000.

The National Press Club Scholarships

The National Press Club Journalism Institute offers four scholarship awards to individuals pursuing a future career in journalism and supporting a commitment to civic discourse and transparency.

One award – the Richard G. Zimmerman Scholarship – is given to a high school senior pursuing a career in journalism. The candidate must maintain a GPA of 3.0 or higher. 

A second award – the Scholarship for Journalism Diversity Honoring Julie Schoo – bestows a $5,000 one-year award to the winner. This prize is renewable for up to three years, amounting to up to $20,000 in scholarship funds devoted to college expenses. Applicants share the same requirements as the Richard G. Zimmerman Scholarship.

Past winners of the various scholarships have gone on to study at UC-Berkeley, Harvard, Columbia, and Brown.

Regions Riding Forward Scholarship Essay Contest

The Regions Riding Forward Scholarship was conceived to honor stories of inspiring Black Americans. Whether it’s a national public figure, regional superstar, or local hero – all tales are worth telling, and Regions wants to hear them.

Applicants provide a 500-word or less written or 3-minute or less video essay about a Black American who has inspired them. 

Regions promises to award $5,000 scholarships to 30 high school seniors and $3,500 scholarships to 30 first-year, sophomore, or junior college students!

The evaluation committee will recognize 15 written essay submissions and 15 video submissions for each of the two application cohorts. 

Competitive applicants should have an overall GPA of 2.0 or higher and be in good academic standing at their current institution of learning.

Scholastic Art & Writing Awards

The Scholastic Art & Writing Awards is the United States’ longest-running program dedicated specifically to creative teenagers.

Students in grades 7-12 can select from over 25 categories of writing and art, with writing categories including critical essay, memoir, and flash fiction.

The critical essay, for example, is meant to inform or even convince a reader about a particular topic. Examples include reviews and editorials. 

Graduating high school seniors are eligible to submit an entire writing portfolio comprising six separate works which are indicative of the writer’s broad range in style and technique. 

The Gold Medal Portfolio winners will earn a $10,000 prize , while Silver Medal with Distinction Portfolio winners will receive $1,000 scholarships.

The Davidson Fellows Scholarship in Literature

Both the U.S. News and World Report and Forbes Magazine have named the Davidson Fellows Scholarship one of the country’s most prestigious scholarships. Most recently , applicants were allowed to participate in teams of two!

The committee awards $50,000, $25,000, and $10,000 scholarships to exceptional students who have completed a significant work of literature. 

To be eligible for a Davidson Fellows Scholarship in Literature, applicants must be 18 years old or younger and provide proof of U.S. citizenship or permanent residence.

Candidates submitting a piece to the Literature category must provide a 60-75 page portfolio , containing three works from the four genre selections: fiction, poetry, nonfiction, and drama or screenplay. A literacy narrative is an additional requirement.

Applicants must submit a process essay, a video describing their work, and two letters of recommendation from those who are familiar with their work.

Previous grand prize winners have shared portfolios that focus on preventing atrocities, providing positive representations of marginalized identities, and preserving family legacies.

Leroy F. Aarons Scholarship Award

Leroy F. Aarons was committed to providing an accurate representation of LGBTQ individuals and their lives in the media.

The scholarship award grants up to $5,000 in tuition money to an LGBTQ student intent on pursuing a journalism career. 

Current or incoming undergraduate students enrolled in a journalism or communications field are eligible to apply. Along with an application, candidates should share a one-page resume, proof of enrollment in an undergraduate program, and five work samples . 

Topics include writing about a senior LGBTQ activist in the applicant’s community or addressing a local legislative initiative. 

Videos can go from two to five minutes while image galleries can hold between ten and 30 images. Students can also submit infographics.

Winners promise to uphold the Excellence Contract , which requires them to maintain a 3.2 GPA in the year to which the scholarship applies. If the student’s GPA dips below a 3.0, they may be put on probation.

The committee selects prize winners based on their demonstrated awareness of the issues faced within the LGBTQ community and their dedication to accurate, unbiased news coverage.

Writer’s Digest Popular Fiction Awards

Any high school student can share a short story of 4,000 or fewer words from within one of six genres: romance, mystery/crime, horror, thriller/suspense, sci-fi/fantasy, or young adult. 

The mystery/crime genre involves your average “whodunit” plot structures, as well as police, forensic, and legal dramas. 

Thriller/suspense are described as stories that delve more into the motive and backstory to crimes and criminals and seek to increase our adrenaline.

The grand prize winner will receive $2,500 along with an interview in an issue of Writer’s Digest, the winning story published on writersdigest.com, a paid trip to the Writer’s Digest Annual Conference in New York City, and a $100 gift certificate to writersdigestshop.com.

Talk about perks!

The Amy Lowell Poetry Traveling Scholarship

Amy Lowell was an American poet who passed away in 1925.

Her scholarship honors her legacy by supporting travel expenses for talented American poets. While this is not a college-specific scholarship, the money can be spent on expenses like studying abroad.

In the most recent cycle , there were two winners selected from over 200 applicants. To apply, candidates submit an application along with a curriculum vitae and poetry sample, which consists of up to 40 typed pages.

The committee shares that there is no minimum age requirement to submit works and that while many recent winners have already been published, there is no requirement that candidates have previously published their poetry.

The Horror Writers Association Scholarships

The Horror Writers Association (HWA) offers two $2,500 scholar awards to support emerging horror writers. Students submit one application, which gets shared with the review committees of both scholarships. 

The Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley Scholarship is available to female applicants, while the HWA Scholarship is available for applications of any gender. 

When reviewing applications, the committee will be primarily focused on the candidate’s academic record and plan and the likelihood that they will contribute to and grow the genre.

The scholarship funds may not be used for college tuition expenses. Those who win financial awards have two years’ worth of time to spend their funds, which must be used to further their horror writing career or professional development. 

Appropriate activities include online writing courses, writing and publishing presentations, subscription fees, etc.

Ayn Rand Scholarships (Anthem, The Fountainhead, Atlas Shrugged)

Ayn Rand is the author of three canonical novels, each of which has its accompanying scholarship award: Anthem, The Fountainhead, and Atlas Shrugged.

The Ayn Rand Institute has awarded over $2 million in scholarship money to contest winners and, most recently, they awarded $40,000 to hundreds of students worldwide.

The Anthem Scholarship is open to all 8th through 12th graders. First place wins $2,000 and there are 83 other prizes of $25 to $500. 

Applicants write a 600-1200 word essay in response to one of several prompts, with the purpose being to justify their argument clearly and creatively.

All high school juniors and seniors can apply for the Fountainhead Scholarship , which grants a $5,000 first prize and 83 other prizes ranging from $25 to $1,250 to those who pen an 800-1600 word essay that best articulates their view and understanding of the philosophy behind the novel.

The Atlas Shrugged Scholarship is only available to high school seniors, undergraduates, and graduate-level students. 

The grand prize is $10,000, and other prizes range from $50 to $2,500. 

One of the topics might prompt an applicant to describe the economic and moral forces interacting behind the disappearance of specific goods within the novel.

Haven’t read any of the novels? No worries! The ARI will send applicants a free copy of any novel. At the very least, applicants will receive a free book!

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25 Best Writing Competitions for High School Students – 2024

April 12, 2024

Over the past several years, the number of college applicants has been steadily rising. [i] As college admissions become more competitive, there are many steps a student can take to achieve high school success and become an outstanding candidate for college admissions: earning high SAT scores, securing strong letters of recommendation , and participating in various competitions will all boost your admissions prospects. [ii] In particular, writing competitions for high school students are a popular way to win scholarships and prize money, receive feedback on writing, build a portfolio of public work, and add to college application credentials!

Below, we’ve selected twenty-five writing competitions for high school students and sorted them by three general topics: 1) language, literature and arts, 2) STEM, environment and sustainability, and 3) politics, history and philosophy. It’s never too soon to begin thinking about your future college prospects, and even if you are a freshman, many of these writing competitions for high schoolers will be open to you! [iii]

Writing Competitions for High School Students in Language, Literature, and Arts

1) adroit prizes for poetry and prose.

This prestigious creative writing award offers high school students the opportunity to showcase their work in Adroit Journal . Judges are acclaimed writers in their respective genres.

• Eligibility: All high school students (including international students) are eligible to apply. Poetry contestants may submit up to five poems. Prose contestants may submit up to three pieces of fiction or nonfiction writing (for a combined total of 3,500 words – excerpts accepted).
• Prize: Winners will receive $200 and their writing will be published in Adroit Journal . All submitted entries will be considered for publication!
• Deadline: May 1st (specific deadline may vary by year).

2)  Atlas Shrugged Essay Contest

This unique essay competition allows writers the chance to explore and respond to Ayn Rand’s fascinating and polemic 1957 novel Atlas Shrugged . Specific essay topics are posted every three months; prizes are granted seasonally with a grand prize winner announced every year.

• Prize: Annual grand prize is $25,000.
• Deadline: Deadlines occur every season, for each seasonal prompt.
• Eligibility: Essays must be written in English and be 800-1,600 words in length.

Writing Competitions for High School Students (Continued)

3)  the bennington young writers awards.

Through Bennington College, this high school writing competition offers three prizes in three different genre categories: poetry, fiction, and nonfiction. Winners and finalists who decide to attend Bennington College will ultimately receive a substantial scholarship prize.

• Eligibility: U.S. and international students in grades 9 through 12 may apply.
• Prize: First place winners receive $1,000; second place wins $500; third place winners receive $250. YWA winners who apply, are admitted, and enroll at Bennington receive a $15,000 scholarship per year (for a total of $60,000). YWA finalists who apply, are admitted, and enroll at Bennington will receive a $10,000 scholarship per year (for a total of $40,000).
• Deadline: The competition runs annually from September 1st to November 1st.

4)  Jane Austen Society of North America (JASNA) Student Essay Contest

Do you love Jane Austen? If so, this is the high school writing competition for you! With the JASNA Student Essay Contest, high school students have the opportunity to write a six to eight-page essay about Jane Austen’s works, focused on a specific, designated topic for the competition year.

• Eligibility: Any high school student (homeschooled students also eligible) enrolled during the contest year may submit an essay.
• Prize: First place winner receives a $1,000 scholarship and two nights’ lodging for the upcoming annual JASNA meeting. Second place wins a $500 scholarship and third place wins a $250 scholarship. All winners will additionally receive a year membership in JASNA, the online publication of their article, and a set of Norton Critical Editions of Jane Austen’s novels.
• Deadline: Submission accepted from February-June 1st (specific dates may vary by year).

5)  The Kennedy Center VSA Playwright Discovery Program

Young aspiring writers with disabilities are encouraged to apply to this unique program. Students are asked to submit a ten-minute play script that explores any topic, including the student’s own disability experience.

• Eligibility: U.S. and international high school students with disabilities ages 14-19 may apply.
• Prize: Multiple winners will receive exclusive access to professional development and networking opportunities at The Kennedy Center.
• Deadline: January (specific deadline date may vary by year).

6)  Leonard M. Milburg ’53 High School Poetry Prize

Through Princeton’s Lewis Center for the Arts, this prestigious writing competition for high school students recognizes outstanding poetry writing and is judged by creative writing faculty at Princeton University.

• Eligibility: U.S. or international students in the eleventh grade may apply. Applicants may submit up to three poems.
• Prize: First place wins $1,500; second place wins $750; third place wins $500.
• Deadline: November (specific deadline date may vary by year).

7)  Nancy Thorp Poetry Contest

Nancy Thorp was a student at Hollins University who showed great promise as a poet. After her death, her family established this scholarship to support budding young poets.

• Eligibility: Female high school sophomores and juniors are eligible to apply. Applicants must be U.S. citizens.
• Prize: First place wins $350 and publication in Cargoes literary magazine, along with a $5,000 renewable scholarship (up to $20,000 over four years) if the student enrolls in Hollins University, and free tuition and housing for Hollins University’s summer creative writing program (grades 9-12). Second place wins publication in Cargoes, along with a $1,000 renewable scholarship ($4,000 over four years) if the student enrolls at Hollins and $500 to apply toward Hollins’ summer creative writing program.
• Deadline: October (specific deadline date may vary by year).

8)  National Council of Teachers of English Achievement Awards in Writing

Students may be nominated by their English teachers to win this prestigious writing award. Winners “exhibit the power to inform and move an audience through language” and prompts and genres may vary by competition year.

• Prize: A certificate will be awarded to students who are judged to have exceptional writing skills. Student names will be displayed on the NCTE website.
• Eligibility: U.S. high school sophomores and juniors are eligible for nomination.
• Deadline: February (specific dates may vary by year). Contest prompts released in August.

9)  National Scholastic Art and Writing Awards

At Scholastic Art and Writing Awards, numerous opportunities for scholarships and awards await those who submit writing in various genres: literary criticism, drama, poetry, and fiction. In all, there are 28 generic categories of art and writing to choose from!

• Eligibility: Teens in grades 7-12 (ages 13 and up) may apply.
• Prize: Various types of recognition and scholarships (up to $12,500) are offered for these award winners.
• Deadline: Scholastic Awards opens for entries in September; deadlines range from December to January.

10)  National Society of High School Scholars Creative Writing Scholarship

In this creative writing competition for high schoolers, students have the opportunity to submit a piece poetry or fiction (or both – one in each category!) for the opportunity to be published on the NSHSS website and win a monetary prize.

• Eligibility: Rising high school students graduating in 2024, 2025, 2026 and 2027 may apply.
• Prize: There will be three $2,000 awards for the fiction category and three $2,000 awards for the poetry category.
• Deadline: Submissions Accepted from May to October (specific dates may vary by year).

11)  National Writing Award: The Humanities and a Freer Tomorrow

This writing competition allows high school students the chance to be nominated by a teacher for a piece of writing in response to Ruth J. Simmons’ “Facing History to Find a Better Future.” Specific prompt topics may vary by year.

• Eligibility: Nominating teachers can submit work from 11th and 12th graders in one category (fiction, poetry, prose, or essay).
• Prize: One top prize of $1,000. Four additional prizes of $500 each. Winners will have the opportunity to have their work published by NCTE.
• Deadline: Applications are open September to October (specific dates may vary by year).

12)  New York Public Library Young Lions Fiction Award

Although this prestigious award isn’t exclusively for high schoolers (anyone younger than 35 may submit a work of fiction), if you’ve written a collection of short stories or even a novel, you should certainly consider applying!

• Eligibility: Any writer below the age of 35 may submit a novel or collection of short stories to participate in this competition.
• Prize: $10,000 award.
• Deadline: September (specific date may vary by year).

13)  Princeton University Ten-Minute Play Contest

This writing competition for high school students awards three annual top prizes for the best ten-minute play. Play submissions are judged each year by an acclaimed guest playwright.

• Eligibility: U.S. or international students in the eleventh grade may apply. Students may submit one play entry; entries must be ten pages or less. Plays must be written in English.
• Prize: First place prize is $500; second place is $250; third place is $100.
• Deadline: Varies by year. However, students are recommended to submit before the deadline date – the submission portal will close when a maximum of 250 applicants have applied.

14)  YouthPLAYS New Voices One-Act Competition for Young Playwrights

In this exciting writing competition, students have the chance to submit an original play script for a play of around 10-40 minutes in length. An excellent competition choice for any student considering a future in the theatre!

• Eligibility: Prospective authors ages 19 and under may submit a script for consideration in the competition. See specific writing guidelines here .
• Prize: First prize wins $250 and publication with YouthPLAYS; second prize wins $100.
• Deadline: Submissions run from January 1st to May 1st.

STEM, Environment, and Sustainability High School Writing Competitions

15)  engineergirl essay contest.

This wonderful essay contest invites students to explore topics related to engineering and science. Each year a new, specific prompt will be chosen for young writers who wish to compete.

• Eligibility: High school students are eligible to apply. Previous winners and close family members of employees of the National Academies of Science, Engineering and Medicine are not eligible.
• Prize: First place winners receive $1,000; second place receives $750; third place receives $500.
• Deadline: Competition opens in September and submissions are due February 1st of the following year. Winners are announced in the summer.

16)  Ocean Awareness Contest

The Ocean Awareness Contest is an opportunity for students to create written and artistic projects that explore sustainability, environmentalism, and positive change. High school freshmen (up to age 14) may apply to the Junior Division. Students ages 15-18 may enter the Senior Division.

• Eligibility: Students ages 11-18 may apply (international students included).
• Prize: Monetary prizes ranging from $100-$1000 will be awarded each year. Additionally, $500 will be awarded to ten students who identify as Black, Indigenous, or Latino via the We All Rise Prize program.
• Deadline: June 10, 2024 (specific deadline may vary by year).

17)  Rachel Carson Intergenerational Sense of Wonder / Sense of Wild Contest

If you are interested in issues of sustainability, environment, biology and the natural world, this is one of the high school writing competitions that is just for you! Essay prompts explore the natural world and our place within it and may include poetry, essays, and photography.

• Eligibility: Students must pair with an adult from a different generation (e.g. parent, grandparent or teacher – contestants need not be related). Entries must be submitted as a team.
• Prize: Winners will receive a certificate from RCLA; their first names, ages, and entry titles will be posted on the RCLA website.
• Deadline: November 16th, 2024 (specific deadline may vary by year).

18)  River of Words Competition

This writing competition for high school students is another top choice for those thinking of pursuing majors or careers in biology, environment, and sustainability; this specific contest hopes to promote positive education in sustainability by “promoting environmental literacy through the arts and cultural exchange.”

• Eligibility: Any U.S. or international student from kindergarten through 12th grade may apply.
• Prize: Winners will be published in the River of Words
• Deadline: January (specific deadline may vary by year).

Writing Competitions for High School Students in Politics, History and Philosophy

19)  american foreign service association essay contest.

With this writing competition for high school students, entrants may submit essays ranging from 1,000-1,500 words about diplomacy, history, and international politics (specific prompts vary by year).

• Eligibility: Students in grades nine through twelve may apply. Students whose parents are in the Foreign Service Association are not eligible.
• Prize: The first-place winner will receive $2,500, an all-expense paid trip to Washington, D.C. for the winner and the winner’s parents, and an all-expense paid voyage via Semester at Sea. The second-place winner receives $1,250 and full tuition for a summer session at the National Student Leadership Conference’s International Diplomacy program.
• Deadline: Early spring (specific deadline may vary by year).

20)  Bill of Rights Institute We the Students Essay Contest

In this writing competition for high school students, civic-minded U.S. high schoolers may explore the principles and virtues of the Bill of Rights Institute. Interested applicants should review the specific submission guidelines .

• Eligibility: Any high school student aged 13 to 19 may apply.
• Prize: Prizes range from $1,500 to $10,000.
• Deadline: Submissions for 2024 due May 19th (specific deadline may vary by year).

21)  JFK Presidential Library and Museum Profile in Courage Essay Contest

For students interested in history and political science, this competition offers the chance to write about U.S. elected officials who have demonstrated political courage.

• Eligibility: U.S. high school students from grades 9-12 may apply.
• Prize: First prize is $10,000; second prize receives $3,000; five finalists receive $1,000 each; ten semifinalists receive $100 each; eight students receive honorable mention.
• Deadline: Submissions accepted from September to January (specific deadline may vary by year).
• Sample Essays: 2000-2023 Contest Winner Essays

22)  John Locke Institute Essay Competition

This essay competition is for students who would like to write about and cultivate “independent thought, depth of knowledge, clear reasoning, critical analysis and persuasive style” from one of seven intellectual categories: philosophy, politics, economics, history, psychology, theology or law.

• Eligibility: Students from any country may submit an essay.
• Prize: $2,000 for each subject category winner toward a John Locke Institute program; winning essays will be published on the Institute’s website.
• Deadline: Registration must be completed by May 31st, 2024; essay submission due June 30th, 2024 (specific deadline may vary by year).

23)  Society of Professional Journalists and the Journalism Education Association Essay Contest

This exciting writing competition for high schoolers allows students to explore topics related to journalism, democracy and media literacy. Specific prompts will be provided for contestants each year.

• Eligibility: All U.S. students from grades 9-12 may submit original writing to participate in this contest.
• Prize: First-place winners will receive $1,000; second place is awarded $500; third place receives $300.
• Deadline: February (specific deadline may vary by year).

24)  Veterans of Foreign Wars Voice of Democracy Youth Scholarship Essay

This audio essay allows high school students the opportunity to “express themselves in regards to a democratic and patriot-themed recorded essay.” One winner will be granted a $35,000 scholarship to be paid toward their university, college, or vocational school of choice. Smaller prizes range from $1,000-$21,000, and the first-place winner in each VFW state wins $1,000.

• Prize: College scholarships range from $1,000-$35,000
• Eligibility: U.S. students in grades 9-12 may submit a 3-5-minute audio essay.
• Deadline: October 31st
• Sample Written Essay: 2023-2024 Prize-winning essay by Sophia Lin

25)  World Historian Student Essay Competition

The World Historian Student Essay Competition recognizes young scholars who explore world historical events and how they relate to the student scholar personally. Ultimately the student writer must describe “the experience of being changed by a better understanding of world history.”

• Eligibility: Internationally, students ages K-12 may submit an entry. See specific prompt and submission guidelines for writing instructions.
• Prize: $500

Writing Competitions for High School Students – Sources

[i] Institute for Education Sciences: National Center for Education Statistics. “Number of applications for admission from first-time, degree/certificate-seeking undergraduate students were received by postsecondary institutions in the fall.” https://nces.ed.gov/ipeds/TrendGenerator/app/answer/10/101

[ii] Jaschik, Scott. “Record Applications, Record Rejections.” Inside Higher Ed . 3 April 2022. https://www.insidehighered.com/admissions/article/2022/04/04/most-competitive-colleges-get-more-competitive

[iii] Wood, Sarah. “College Applications are on the Rise: What to Know.” U.S. News & World Report. 21 June 2022. https://www.usnews.com/education/best-colleges/articles/college-applications-are-on-the-rise-what-to-know

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Jamie Smith

For the past decade, Jamie has taught writing and English literature at several universities, including Boston College, the University of Pittsburgh, and Carnegie Mellon University. She earned a Ph.D. in English from Carnegie Mellon, where she currently teaches courses and conducts research on composition, public writing, and British literature.

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Creative Writing Scholarship

About the scholarship.

The Creative Writing Scholarship offers financial assistance to members of the National Society of High School Scholars who submit a writing sample in poetry, fiction, or both categories. All work must be the student’s original work. High school students seeking a degree or certification are encouraged to apply.

• Essay Required : No
• Need-Based : No
• Merit-Based : No
• Member of the National Society of High School Scholars
• Resident of the U.S.
• High school freshman, sophomore, junior, or senior
• Seeking a professional certification, associate, or bachelor's degree
• Participation in community service, extracurricular activities, fiction, leadership, poetry, or writing
• Poetry and short fiction stories must be the student's original work
• Exhibit strong academic achievement
• Country : US

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Top 287 Writing & Essay Scholarships📝 in July 2024

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Writing is an extremely important part of success in high school, college, and life in general. For some students, writing is also an intricate part of who they are and how they express themselves. If you are someone who loves English class and is genuinely excited about a new creative writing assignment, then you should keep reading! Writing scholarships, creative writing scholarships, and essay scholarships are great ways to put your talent to use.

Whether you are planning on attending community college, a four-year program, or graduate school, we’ve got opportunities for you. Keep on reading to learn about the top scholarships for writers and creative writers including eligibility, award amounts, and deadlines!

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* There are certain exceptions to this, for example if the sponsoring organization is a major corporation or nonprofit with its own scholarship application system. ** Lead generation scholarships will require students to sign up for an app or website and require minimal (if any) application requirements. ***Idea harvesting scholarships will require students to submit blog posts or other materials that companies may use for marketing purposes.

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FIRE First Amendment Scholarship Competition This scholarship has been verified by the scholarship providing organization.

Offered by The Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression

Are you a high school senior or undergraduate student interested in freedom of speech and the First Amendment? Consider applying to the Foundation for Individual… Show More

Are you a high school senior or undergraduate student interested in freedom of speech and the First Amendment? Consider applying to the Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression’s First Amendment Scholarship Competition! To apply, students should respond to the prompt below in an essay of 500 to 700 words. About the Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression FIRE’s mission is to defend and sustain the individual rights of all Americans to free speech and free thought—the most essential qualities of liberty. FIRE educates Americans about the importance of these inalienable rights, promotes a culture of respect for these rights, and provides the means to preserve them. FIRE recognizes the importance of young people being involved in the free speech movement. The FIRE Student Network (FSN) is a coalition of students who appreciate the importance of advancing civil liberties on their campuses. FIRE’s team makes sure that FSN members have the information and resources they need to organize policy reform campaigns, coordinate on-campus FIRE and activism events, write articles for student and mainstream publications, and much more. Show Less

“Gutsy Graduate Student” Essay Scholarship This scholarship has been verified by the scholarship providing organization.

Offered by Scholarships360

Ok, so first question–why is this scholarship named the “Gutsy” Graduate Student Essay Scholarship? If you are enrolled in graduate school (during the 2024-25 academic… Show More

Ok, so first question–why is this scholarship named the “Gutsy” Graduate Student Essay Scholarship? If you are enrolled in graduate school (during the 2024-25 academic year) or have heard stories from those enrolled, you already know! “Gutsy” means courageous and determined, which nearly all successful graduate students are. Why else would one continue on with rigorous academics while often living on a shoestring? The rewards of graduate school are numerous, especially the more focused and advanced level of specialized study in your chosen field. Learning with like-minded people who share your passion is fulfilling, and the networking is awesome. The flipside of graduate school is the costly student loans to fund it. With this in mind, the "Gutsy" Graduate Student Essay Scholarship aims to help out a passionate graduate student who is actively looking for ways to fund their higher education journey. Please note that applicants will be reviewed based on both the quality of their essay and quantity of scholarships applied for on the Scholarships360 platform. Scholarships360 users who are more active on the platform will be given higher consideration. Good luck on your educational journey, and we hope to read your application!  Show Less

“College Here I Come” Essay Scholarship for High School Seniors This scholarship has been verified by the scholarship providing organization.

The "College Here I Come" Scholarship for Class of 2025 is open to just who you think: high school seniors graduating in the class of… Show More

The "College Here I Come" Scholarship for Class of 2025 is open to just who you think: high school seniors graduating in the class of 2025! Here at Scholarships360, scholarships are our passion–we know that you can never have enough of them! After all, scholarships are essentially “free money” to help fund your education. We want to help out a lucky high school senior who is just starting out on their higher education journey and actively looking for ways to fund it. Please note that applicants will be reviewed based on both the quality of their essay and quantity of scholarships applied for on the Scholarships360 platform. Scholarships360 users who are more active on the platform will be given higher consideration. We hope that you apply and look forward to reading your application! Show Less

“Scholar Dollars” Essay Scholarship for Black Students This scholarship has been verified by the scholarship providing organization.

In offering the “Scholar Dollars” Essay Scholarship for Black Students, we want to help offset the cost of attending college for Black students. Open to… Show More

In offering the “Scholar Dollars” Essay Scholarship for Black Students, we want to help offset the cost of attending college for Black students. Open to high school juniors and seniors (graduating class of 2024 and 2025) and undergraduate and graduate students enrolled during the 2024-25 academic year, this scholarship aims to lighten your financial worry and allow you to take fewer loans. Remember, scholarships are essentially “free money” that need not be paid back. This scholarship, specifically, aims to help out a Black student who is passionate about their higher education journey and actively looking for ways to fund it. Please note that applicants will be reviewed based on both the quality of their essay and quantity of scholarships applied for on the Scholarships360 platform. Scholarships360 users who are more active on the platform will be given higher consideration. We look forward to reading your application, and wish you much success on your academic journey!  Show Less

“Making Waves” Scholarship for Women This scholarship has been verified by the scholarship providing organization.

Are you a woman in high school, college, or graduate school enrolled during the 2024-25 academic year? If so, let us help you! Our $500… Show More

Are you a woman in high school, college, or graduate school enrolled during the 2024-25 academic year? If so, let us help you! Our $500 “Making Waves” Scholarship for Women aims to help women cover the costs of pursuing their dreams. Whether that dream is starting a business, learning a foreign language, or attending college on the path to fulfilling your dream, the scholarship will cover those costs and make your journey a little easier. No matter your goals, we want to help out a woman who is passionate about their higher education journey and actively looking for ways to fund it. In order to apply, simply write an essay about how the $500 “Making Waves” Scholarship for Women will help you fulfill your dreams. Please note that applicants will be reviewed based on both the quality of their essay and quantity of scholarships applied for on the Scholarships360 platform. Scholarships360 users who are more active on the platform will be given higher consideration. We encourage you to apply and look forward to reading your essay. Good luck! Show Less

“Tuition Solution” Scholarship for STEM Students This scholarship has been verified by the scholarship providing organization.

Do you like figuring out solutions to difficult problems? Well, if you’re a current or aspiring STEM major, we have one for you! Our $500… Show More

Do you like figuring out solutions to difficult problems? Well, if you’re a current or aspiring STEM major, we have one for you! Our $500 “Tuition Solution” Scholarship is meant for high school juniors and seniors (graduating class of 2024 or 2025), as well as undergraduate and graduate students enrolled during the 2023-24 academic year who are looking for ways to fund their postsecondary education in STEM. In order to apply, you must write an essay about how your passion for STEM started and how the scholarship will help you fulfill your dreams. No matter which STEM field ignites your interest, we look forward to reading your essays. Please note that applicants will be reviewed based on both the quality of their essay and quantity of scholarships applied for on the Scholarships360 platform. Scholarships360 users who are more active on the platform will be given higher consideration. Apply today - it’s time to cell-e-brate you! Show Less

“A Helping Hand” Scholarship This scholarship has been verified by the scholarship providing organization.

At Scholarships360, we know how hard it can be to pay off the hefty costs of a college tuition. Oftentimes, this is even more difficult… Show More

At Scholarships360, we know how hard it can be to pay off the hefty costs of a college tuition. Oftentimes, this is even more difficult for students coming from low-income backgrounds or for those who demonstrate financial need. This is where our “A Helping Hand” Scholarship comes in! We're offering a $500 scholarship to help out a low-income student who is passionate about their higher education journey and is actively looking for ways to fund it. This award is open to high school juniors and seniors (graduating class of 2024 and 2025), as well as undergraduate and graduate students enrolled during the 2024-25 academic year. In order to apply, students should submit an essay detailing how winning the scholarship would help you fulfill your dreams. Please note that applicants will be reviewed based on both the quality of their essay and quantity of scholarships applied for on the Scholarships360 platform. Scholarships360 users who are more active on the platform will be given higher consideration. We look forward to reading your application! Show Less

“Follow Your Own Path” Essay Scholarship This scholarship has been verified by the scholarship providing organization.

At Scholarships360, our mission is to help students find and fund their postsecondary education. We know that students have a variety of educational and career… Show More

At Scholarships360, our mission is to help students find and fund their postsecondary education. We know that students have a variety of educational and career interests and aspirations. That is why we are offering the “Follow Your Own Path” Essay Scholarship. This scholarship aims to support all current postsecondary students, regardless of the type of education they are pursuing. Thus, no matter your own unique educational path, we hope you apply for this $500 scholarship. In order to apply for the “Follow Your Own Path” Essay Scholarship, students must submit an essay about their career ambitions. Please note that applicants will be reviewed based on both the quality of their essay and quantity of scholarships applied for on the Scholarships360 platform. Scholarships360 users who are more active on the platform will be given higher consideration. We look forward to reading your application! Show Less

“Commencing at Community College” Essay Scholarship This scholarship has been verified by the scholarship providing organization.

Community college, also known as two-year college, is a golden opportunity for the right student. These schools offer an affordable education to a diverse range… Show More

Community college, also known as two-year college, is a golden opportunity for the right student. These schools offer an affordable education to a diverse range of students in a wide range of majors. If starting your postsecondary education at a community college is right for you, we have a scholarship just for you! The “Commencing at Community College” Essay Scholarship aims to financially support community college students who are passionate about their higher education journeys and actively looking for ways to fund it. In order to apply for the “Commencing at Community College” Essay Scholarship, students must submit an essay explaining how earning their degree at community college will help them achieve their educational and career goals. Please note that applicants will be reviewed based on both the quality of their essay and quantity of scholarships applied for on the Scholarships360 platform. Scholarships360 users who are more active on the platform will be given higher consideration. We look forward to reading your application!  Show Less

“Outstanding Undergraduate” Essay Scholarship This scholarship has been verified by the scholarship providing organization.

The U.S. is home to over 2,000 four-year universities offering bachelor’s degrees. However, attending such universities can sometimes come with hefty costs that can deter… Show More

The U.S. is home to over 2,000 four-year universities offering bachelor’s degrees. However, attending such universities can sometimes come with hefty costs that can deter students from attending. If you’re in a situation similar to this, we may just have the perfect scholarship opportunity for you: the “Outstanding Undergraduate” Essay Scholarship! With this scholarship, we aim to help out a lucky undergraduate student (enrolled during the 2024-25 academic year) who is passionate about their higher education journey and actively looking for ways to fund it. The scholarship is open to any U.S. citizen who is enrolled as an undergraduate at a four-year university in the U.S. during the 2023-24 academic year. In order to apply, submit an essay explaining how earning your bachelor’s degree will help you achieve your educational and career goals. Please note that applicants will be reviewed based on both the quality of their essay and quantity of scholarships applied for on the Scholarships360 platform. Scholarships360 users who are more active on the platform will be given higher consideration. We look forward to reading your application! Show Less

“Broad Horizons” Scholarship for High School Juniors This scholarship has been verified by the scholarship providing organization.

This scholarship is open to high school juniors (graduating class of 2026) who are proactive about broadening their horizons. To broaden your horizons means to… Show More

This scholarship is open to high school juniors (graduating class of 2026) who are proactive about broadening their horizons. To broaden your horizons means to expand your range of knowledge and experiences. It means putting yourself out there, trying new things, and meeting new people. To apply for this scholarship, tell us about one thing you have done in the past year to broaden your horizons. Whether you picked up a new hobby, learned a new skill, traveled to a new place, or spent time with different people – we want to know what you’re doing to foster growth in your life. See the “Application Information” section below for details regarding the short answer response. Please note that applicants will be reviewed based on both the quality of their response and quantity of scholarships applied for on the Scholarships360 platform. Scholarships360 users who are more active on the platform will be given higher consideration. We look forward to reading your application! Show Less

“Moving Mountains” Scholarship for Hispanic Students This scholarship has been verified by the scholarship providing organization.

This scholarship is open to Hispanic/Latino high school juniors and seniors, college, and graduate students who have moved mountains in their life. To move mountains… Show More

This scholarship is open to Hispanic/Latino high school juniors and seniors, college, and graduate students who have moved mountains in their life. To move mountains means to achieve something incredibly difficult. It means overcoming obstacles, persevering in the face of adversity, and achieving success against all the odds. Whether it’s passing a difficult class, completing a rigorous project, or excelling in sports, we all have our own way of moving mountains. We want to know about yours. See the “Application Information” section below for details regarding the essay prompt. Please note that applicants will be reviewed based on both the quality of their essay and quantity of scholarships applied for on the Scholarships360 platform. Scholarships360 users who are more active on the platform will be given higher consideration. We look forward to reading your application! Show Less

“Creativity Takes Courage” Scholarship for Art Students This scholarship has been verified by the scholarship providing organization.

This award is open to students studying any form of visual and/or performing arts who write an essay expressing their views on creativity and courage.… Show More

This award is open to students studying any form of visual and/or performing arts who write an essay expressing their views on creativity and courage. The French artist Henri Matisse once said, “another word for creativity is courage.” Artists can be loved and appreciated for their work, but they also have the potential to be criticized and rejected. Releasing art into the world involves overcoming fear and self-doubt. Even the most successful artists grapple with questions like “am I good enough?” or “will people like this?” If you’re a creative student who has ever struggled with these questions, we encourage you to apply for this scholarship! See the “Application Information” section below for details regarding the essay prompt. Please note that applicants will be reviewed based on both the quality of their essay and quantity of scholarships applied for on the Scholarships360 platform. Scholarships360 users who are more active on the platform will be given higher consideration. We look forward to reading your application! Show Less

Making the Leap Scholarship for Transfer Students This scholarship has been verified by the scholarship providing organization.

The “Making the Leap” Scholarship is open to undergraduate students who are transferring to another educational institution in pursuit of a bachelor’s degree. We know… Show More

The “Making the Leap” Scholarship is open to undergraduate students who are transferring to another educational institution in pursuit of a bachelor’s degree. We know that getting from point A to point B isn’t always straightforward, and that sometimes there are twists, turns, and unexpected detours along the way. If you’re a transfer student making the leap to another school, you probably know what we’re talking about. Switching educational institutions can be challenging, which is why we’re offering a $500 scholarship to help one outstanding transfer student. See the “Application Information” section below for details regarding the short answer response. Please note that applicants will be reviewed based on both the quality of their response and quantity of scholarships applied for on the Scholarships360 platform. Scholarships360 users who are more active on the platform will be given higher consideration. We look forward to reading your application! Show Less

“Pen to Paper” Scholarship for Storytellers This scholarship has been verified by the scholarship providing organization.

Do you fancy yourself a wordsmith? If you value creative writing as a form of communication, we encourage you to apply for the Pen to… Show More

Do you fancy yourself a wordsmith? If you value creative writing as a form of communication, we encourage you to apply for the Pen to Paper Scholarship for Storytellers! This scholarship is open to high school juniors and seniors (graduating class of 2024 or 2025), undergraduate, and graduate students who enjoy crafting stories and expressing ideas through the arrangement of words on paper. Whether you’re interested in poetry, short stories, novels, or screenplays, we want to hear from you. To apply for this scholarship, students must submit a 250-word piece of original creative writing. See the “Application Information” section below for details regarding essay prompts. Please note that applicants will be reviewed based on both the quality of their essay and quantity of scholarships applied for on the Scholarships360 platform. Scholarships360 users who are more active on the platform will be given higher consideration. Happy writing! Show Less

“Caretakers on the Climb” Scholarship for Nursing Students This scholarship has been verified by the scholarship providing organization.

In recognition of the invaluable service that nurses provide to our communities, we’re offering a $500 scholarship to one outstanding student pursuing a career in… Show More

In recognition of the invaluable service that nurses provide to our communities, we’re offering a $500 scholarship to one outstanding student pursuing a career in nursing. Nurses are the heart and soul of our medical system. They treat the sick and injured, look after our elderly, and provide much-needed support during public health crises. They are true caretakers. If you’re a “caretaker on the climb” who could use some help paying for school, we encourage you to apply for this scholarship! See the “Application Information” section below for details regarding the essay prompt. Please note that applicants will be reviewed based on both the quality of their essay and quantity of scholarships applied for on the Scholarships360 platform. Scholarships360 users who are more active on the platform will be given higher consideration. We look forward to reading your application! Show Less

Minecraft Scholarship

Offered by Apex Hosting

Are you a high school or college student with a love for Minecraft? If so, we may just have the perfect opportunity for you: the… Show More

Are you a high school or college student with a love for Minecraft? If so, we may just have the perfect opportunity for you: the Minecraft Scholarship! Each year, the scholarship offers $2,000 to one applicant who best writes about how Minecraft can positively influence one’s education and career development. The scholarship is offered by Apex Hosting, a Minecraft server provider dedicated to supporting both new and experienced server administrators. If you’re a high schooler or college student with a love for Minecraft, it’s time to put your passion to good use and apply to the Minecraft Scholarship! Show Less

Ayn Rand Institute Novel Essay Contest (Atlas Shrugged) This scholarship has been verified by the scholarship providing organization.

Offered by Ayn Rand Institute

Are you a high school, undergraduate, or graduate student with a passion for reading, writing, and Atlas Shrugged by Ayn Rand? If so, we may… Show More

Are you a high school, undergraduate, or graduate student with a passion for reading, writing, and Atlas Shrugged by Ayn Rand? If so, we may just have the perfect opportunity for you: the Ayn Rand Institute Atlas Shrugged Essay Contest! Each year, the contest asks its applicants to write an 800 - 1,600 word essay in which they analyze and make an argument about an aspect or plot point of the novel Atlas Shrugged by Ayn Rand. Nine prizes of varying amounts are awarded each year, with a grand prize of $25,000! If you’re familiar with Atlas Shrugged, can make a convincing argument, and want to make some cash, we encourage you to apply! Show Less

Zombie Apocalypse Scholarship

Offered by Unigo

Are you a big fan of The Walking Dead, or maybe Z Nation? Ever thought about what you would do in the case of a… Show More

Are you a big fan of The Walking Dead, or maybe Z Nation? Ever thought about what you would do in the case of a zombie apocalypse? If so, we may have the perfect opportunity for you: the Zombie Apocalypse Scholarship! Each year, this scholarship awards $2,000 to the applicant who, in 250 words or less, best describes their escape plan if there were a zombie outbreak at their school. The scholarship is offered by Unigo in hopes of helping some creative, zombie-obsessed students pay off some of their postsecondary education. If you’ve been inspired by the zombie shows and movies from the past few decades and have come up with a plan of your own, we encourage you to apply to the Zombie Apocalypse Scholarship! It’s due exactly when you’d expect: on Halloween. Show Less

JFK Profile in Courage Essay Contest

Offered by John F. Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum

Are you a U.S. high school student with a love for U.S. history? If so, we may have the perfect opportunity for you: the JFK… Show More

Are you a U.S. high school student with a love for U.S. history? If so, we may have the perfect opportunity for you: the JFK Profile in Courage Essay Contest! Each year, the contest awards up to $10,000 to winning applicants who submit a 700 - 1,000-word essay following the year’s prompt. Each year's prompt relates to U.S. history, with this year’s being: “Describe an act of political courage by a U.S. elected official who served during or after 1917, the year John F. Kennedy was born. Include an analysis of the obstacles, risks, and consequences associated with the act. ” The scholarship is offered by the John F. Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum in Boston, Massachusetts. If you love U.S. history and want to put your writing skills and history knowledge to the test, we encourage you to apply! Show Less

Top 10 essay scholarships in 2024

Our editors hand-picked the following 10 essay scholarships with an eye for large awards, prestigious organizations, and scholarships that are open to a wide variety of students. Apply with confidence to the following essay scholarships:

• Jack Kent Cooke College Scholarship – For high school seniors with financial need, worth up to $55,000 per year
• Questbridge College Match – For high school seniors with financial need, offers a full ride to college
• The Gates Scholarship – For low-income minority high school seniors, offers a full ride to college
• Tylenol Future Care Scholarship – For students enrolling in medical, nursing, or pharmacy school, worth $5,000-$10,000
• Regeneron Science Talent Search – For high school seniors interested in pursuing an individual STEM research project. Worth anywhere between $2,000 and $250,000
• Blacks at Microsoft Scholarship – For high school seniors pursuing a bachelor’s degree in engineering, computer science, computer information systems, or a business field. Worth up to $20,000
• Horatio Alger Undergraduate Scholarships – For high school students with high financial need, worth up to $49,000
• Amazon Future Engineer Scholarship – For high school seniors with high financial need who plan to study computer science in college. Worth $10,000 per year
• Ron Brown Scholarship – For Black high school seniors who plan to study global entrepreneurship and/or community engagement. Worth $10,000 per year
• Dream.US Opportunity Scholarship – For undocumented high school seniors and college freshmen with high financial need living in a state where public colleges do not offer in-state tuition to undocumented students. Worth $20,000 per year

Creative writing scholarships

Are you a writer who loves fiction, poetry, and screenplays? If so, you can put those talents to use by applying for creative writing scholarships.

Creative writing scholarships are a subset of writing scholarships that support students who enjoy writing poetry, fictional stories, plays, and generally using their imagination to guide their writing.

Here are the top creative writing college scholarships that you can apply for:

HelpTeaching.com Scholarship

• Eligibility: High school and college students who submit a educational short story or informational article (400-800 words) for young students
• Amount : $1,000
• Deadline: June 1st of every year

Cancer Unwrapped Teen Writing Contest

• Eligibility: Teens aged 9-12 who write about their own cancer journey or a family member in a maximum of 1,500 words.
• Deadline: Late March

YouthPLAYS New Voices One-Act Competition for Young Playwrights

• Eligibility: Students 19 years old or younger who submit an original one-act play between 10-40 minutes in length (10-page minimum). Multiple winners may receive up to $250 and publication by YouthPLAYS.
• Amount: $250 and publication by YouthPLAYS
• Deadline: Early May

National High School Poetry Contest

•   Eligibility:  U.S. high school students who submit a poem 20 lines or less that is unpublished, the sole work of the entrant, and not entered in any other concurrent contest.
• Amount: Up to $500.
• Deadline:  Rolling

The Narrative Prize

• Eligibility: Students who submit a short story, novel excerpt, poem, one-act play, graphic story, or work of literary nonfiction.
• Amount: $4,000
• Deadline:  Mid-June

Also see:  Top writing summer programs for high school students

College-specific creative writing scholarships

Some colleges and universities may also offer specific scholarships and financial aid to students with a talent in creative writing! Check with the colleges on your list for these college-specific creative writing opportunities!

Note that some of these scholarships may have requirements for winning students that stipulate that they take a certain number of creative writing classes when enrolled in the college.

Kenyon Writing Award

High school seniors can apply for this scholarship program at Kenyon College which offers up to $15,000 per year of merit based aid. It is based off of your portfolio and does not take into account financial need, high school GPA , or other factors. Submissions typically have to be in by January of your senior year.

Related:  How to answer scholarship essay questions about your career goals

Barbara Caras Memorial Scholarship for Film Students

The scholarship is open to students in Sarasota or Manatee County, Florida who have completed at least one full year at an accredited Florida College and are majoring in Film, Computer Animation, Creative Writing, Motion Design, or Illustration. Five recipients will earn a $2,000 award. The application deadline is July 31st of the current year.

Lycoming College Creative Writing Scholarship

The scholarship is open to students majoring in Creative Writing at Lycoming College, Williamsport, PA and must submit five poems and/or a short story not to exceed ten pages. Six recipients will be selected and can earn up to $3,000. The scholarship deadline for the Fall 2023 Class is March 1, 2023.  

Arkansas Tech University Gwaltney Scholarship

The scholarship is open to ATU students who submit individual works of fiction to the Department of English. Recipients earn a one-time cash award every year. The deadline to submit your entry is 2 weeks before the end of the spring semester.

Lake Forest College Carnegie English Essay Contest

The contest is open to first-year students of Lake Forest College who plan to study English either through the literature or creative writing track and submit an essay, between 500 and 1,000 words answering a designated prompt. Four winners will be awarded $2,500 annually. Submission deadline is March 1, 2023.

Austin Peay State University Creative Writing Scholarships

The scholarships are open to undergraduate and incoming APSU students who email a 10-20 page manuscript of fiction, poetry, or creative non-fiction, to Lakota Withrow at [email protected] . Awards are for $600 or $1,200. The deadline to apply is March 18th.

Scholarship essay resources

When it comes to writing and essay scholarships, your writing skills will be put to the test. You’ll have to adapt your writing to specific styles in order to effectively and succinctly communicate your ambitions and potential. We have a host of resources to help you perform well in this arena and stand out from the crowd.

• How to start your scholarship essay (with examples)
• How to write a “why do you deserve this scholarship?” essay
• What’s the best scholarship essay format?
• How to write a 250 word essay
• How to write a 500 word essay
• How to write an essay about yourself

Frequently asked questions about writing scholarships

Do i have to major in english to earn a writing or essay scholarship, where can i get help proofreading my scholarship essays, how much should i write if there is no word limit on the application, explore these other scholarship categories:.

• Scholarships for English majors
• Easy scholarships
• Top scholarships for high school seniors
• Top creative writing scholarships
• Top scholarships for journalism students
• Top short story scholarships

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Best Writing Scholarships in 2024

Showing 133 scholarships that match your search.

How to Write a Novel Scholarships

We now offer fully-funded tuition for our 101-day How to Write a Novel course to promising writers with financial need. Writers are invited to submit a 1,000-word writing sample along with a 300-word personal statement explaining their interest in a scholarship. NOTE: The current application period has now been extended to July 29th, midnight EST. Click through for more details.

Categories: Novel Writing

Organization: Reedsy

Deadline: July 22, 2024

Recipients: 3

Top award: $1,250

Apply now →

The Phyliss J. McCarthy Scholarship for Excellence in Writing

LearnCurious is proud to introduce the annual competition for the Phyliss J. McCarthy Scholarship for Excellence in Writing. In 3,000 words or fewer, applicants must respond to one of three creative prompts. Entrants must be high school juniors or seniors to win.

Categories: Personal Essay and Short Fiction

Organization: Learn Curious

Deadline: July 23, 2024

Additional awards: 2 runner-up prizes of $50 each

Recipients: 1

Top award: $1,000

​​​​​​​Feldman Fellowship for Graduate Studies in Journalism

The National Press Club is proud to offer this fellowship for graduate students in journalism. The Fellowship is named for Dennis Feldman, a club member who had a long career as a journalist and public relations adviser after putting himself through grad school at night. Winners will receive a one-time stipend of $5,000 to help defray post-graduate tuition costs.

Categories: Journalism

Organization: National Press Club

Deadline: July 28, 2024

Top award: $5,000

Richard G. Zimmerman Journalism Scholarship

The Richard G. Zimmerman Scholarship is named for a long-time National Press Club member who died in 2008 and endowed a scholarship in aid of high school seniors who wish to pursue a career in journalism. Recipients receive a one-time award of $5,000.

Scholarship for Journalism Diversity Honoring Julie Schoo

The National Press Club, the leading professional organization for journalists, wants to recruit promising future journalists who will bring diversity to American journalism. The scholarship consists of a $5,000 one-year scholarship. The award can be renewed for up to three years for a total of $20,000 toward educational expenses.

Austin AWM Scholarship

AWM Austin is proud to award scholarships to college students studying media (or a related field) at a university in the Austin area. Each applicant must include a personal statement stating their area of study and how this scholarship will further their career and educational goals.

Organization: Alliance for Women in Media

Marine Corps Essay Contest

The Marine Corps Essay Contest advances new thinking about how the U.S. Marine Corps will tackle the diverse and difficult security challenges of the 21st century. Dare to write about the toughest and most difficult issues; the topics that everyone knows need addressing, but some are hesitant to acknowledge. Essays should be 2,500 words maximum and this contest is open to all contributors.

Categories: Critical Essay

Organization: U.S. Naval Institute

Deadline: July 31, 2024

Additional awards: $2,500 for second place, $1,500 for third place

Horror Writers Association Scholarship

The Horror Writers Association Scholarship will be open to all horror writers (HWA membership is not a requirement). Scholarship is designed to assist in the professional development of horror writers.

Categories: Short Fiction and Novel Writing

Organization: Horror Writers Association

Deadline: August 01, 2024

Top award: $2,500

Dark Poetry Scholarship

The Dark Poetry scholarship is designed to assist in the professional development of Horror and/or Dark Fantasy Poets. This scholarship is worth $1250, which may be spent on approved writing education over the two years following the granting of the scholarship.

Rocky Wood Memorial Scholarship for Non-fiction Writing

The HWA offers the Rocky Wood Memorial Scholarship Fund for non-fiction Writing, an endowed fund providing grants for research and writing nonfiction relating to horror and dark fantasy literature. The Fund will provide grants annually (the amount is flexible).

Categories: Research

Dennis Etchison Young Writers Scholarship

The Dennis Etchison Young Writers scholarship will be open to students in grades 10-12 (or the equivalent, if home schooled), with an interest in writing horror/dark fiction. Students must provide a selection of their work, at least one letter of reference by their instructor(s), and a description of their goals with an education plan for use of the stipend. The recipient will have 2 years to utilize the funds.

Additional awards: Horror author JG Faherty will mentor the winner for 6 months.

Top award: $500

Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley Scholarship

It is clear to the HWA that there are unseen, but real, barriers limiting the amount of horror fiction being published by women. This scholarship, named after the great female horror writer, aims to encourage more female writers to enter our genre and to aid in the development of those already working within it.

ACES Aubespin Scholarship

The Aubespin scholarship honors Merv Aubespin, a former president of the National Association of Black Journalists who greatly helped inspire the creation of ACES. Applicants should have a commitment to a career in the editing of written materials.

Organization: ACES: The Society for Editing

Deadline: August 15, 2024

Additional awards: 4 runner-up prizes of $1,500 each

Bill Walsh Scholarship

The Walsh scholarship honors Bill Walsh, author, blogger, and longtime copy editor at the Washington Post. The Walsh scholarship will be awarded to an applicant who demonstrates the talent and passion for language that Bill had, and who aspires to pursue the craft of editing the news.

Additional awards: Financial aid to attend the annual ACES conference

Top award: $3,500

Clubs of America Scholarship Program

To apply for this scholarship, write an essay of at least 600 words about your career aspirations and how your current studies will help you achieve success in your career. Where do you see yourself 10 years from now? Thinking outside the box is encouraged! Any current college student of an accredited U.S. college or university in good academic standing (3.0 or higher) is eligible.

Categories: Personal Essay

Organization: Clubs of America

Deadline: August 31, 2024

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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The Scholarship System

Paying for college begins here

The Ultimate List of Scholarships for Writers

Scholarships & Financial Aid

Updated on May 31st, 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. 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 Scholarships?
• 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

What Are Writing Scholarships?

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 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.

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.

General Writing Scholarships

Some scholarships for writers have a range of categories, allowing 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. 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

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

The Scholarship System also runs an annual scholarship to support students. Find out more here:  The Scholarship System Annual Scholarship Opportunity

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Popular posts, how to write winning scholarship essays, how to write an amazing scholarship resume, 75 easy ways to save money in college.

• Creative Writing Scholarships: An Exhaustive List
• Scholarships

While the semester is coming to a close, there is no shortage of 2020 scholarships open for the taking. It’s also not too early to apply for scholarships for the semester ahead. One of the most multifaceted, versatile skills and tenets to possess in education is writing . Many scholarships exemplify that, often including an essay portion with their other application requirements. 

However, this can be a double-edged sword. Those who excel at writing can showcase their skills through the writing component, but aspiring writers may also desire a more expressionist, outside the box, and artistically fulfilling application process.

From fiction to nonfiction, high schoolers to current college students, and ten words to ten thousand, the following list will run the gamut of genres, ages, and skill levels. All of these scholarships entail copious amounts of writing, most of them entail an overall solid GPA, and all have the potential to yield big tuition payouts. Read on to learn more. 

• Ten Words Or Less Scholarship

To be eligible for this scholarship, applicants must: 

• Have a Facebook account to comment their answer on the StudentScholarships page
• “Like” the page in question
• Be attending school in fall 2020 
• Be between the ages of 14 and 25
• Enter before the November 30th deadline

Enter here .

• Dan Klepper Memorial Scholarship

Named in honor of outdoor enthusiast, conservationist, and San-Antonio Express journalist Daniel Klepper, this Texas Outdoor Writers’ Association scholarship aims to support the multimedia nature-minded content creators of the future. Students currently enrolled in accredited Texas universities with mass communications talents and ambitions to pursue outdoorsy careers are eligible and encouraged to apply. 

The reward is open to those with samples of all forms of communication (audio, visual, or written), although print or electronic writings are also sufficient, along with a brief summary, statement, and a few other required or optional prerequisites. The competition ends on the first of February every year. The winners are presented at the TOWA conference and awarded a $2,000 prize. For more information, as well as a copy of the application form, click here .

• Lycoming College Creative Writing Scholarship

Creative writers and prospective creative writing majors interested in attending the Pennsylvania-based Lycoming College are encouraged to apply for the college’s Creative Writing Scholarship. Applicants should submit a short story of ten pages or less, and/or five poems to tout their prowess with the written word. Recipients must enroll in ENGL 240 in their freshman year and maintain a minimum of an A- in those respective courses.

The primary scholarship is intended for first-year freshmen or transfer students, but it can be renewed following the first year if recipients stay in creative writing courses and maintain at least an A- average. If they qualify for what Lycoming deems a “top applicant,” they can receive up to $3,000 per their biggest scholarship reward, the Arthur and Joanne Haberberger Creative Writing Scholarship. Learn more information and enter by March 15, 2020 here .

• Clearway Community Solar Essay Contest Scholarship

Clearway is one of the nation’s leading providers of renewable solar energy, and they are interested in scholars who have thoughts (1,000 words or more of those thoughts, to be exact) on renewable solar energy. 

To be eligible, applicants must:

• Have completed a minimum of 15 college credits or higher 
• Have a 3.0 GPA or higher
• Be enrolled in a program relevant to the environmental sciences 

The scholarship is two-tiered, with a first-place reward of $5,000 and second place reward of $2,500. Those who wish to enter should do so before the November 15th deadline here .

• Hope College Distinguished Artist Award in Creative Writing

Creative writers of faith who are interested in attending the Christian Hope College for liberal arts are highly encouraged to apply for their Distinguished Artist Award in Creative Writing. Recipients must maintain a 3.0 GPA or higher and be enrolled in at least one creative writing class to qualify. 

Applications have been open since October 22nd and will remain open through January 6, 2020.  Given the highly competitive nature of this creative writing scholarship (with only six awards a year), it’s advised that interested candidates apply sooner rather than later. Click here to learn more.

• Richard G. Zimmerman Scholarship

Dedicated to one of its long-standing members, this National Press Club Scholarship is open to all high schoolers with a GPA above 3.0 and a vested interest in pursuing a journalism career beyond their education. To qualify for a chance to win the hefty $5,000 lump sum, applicants must submit a variety of materials, including:

• Three work samples
• Three letters of recommendation
• One high school transcript and completed FAFSA Form
• One letter of acceptance

• Apprentice Ecologist Open Space Initiative

This initiative by the Albuquerque-based Nicodemus Wilderness Project is meant to encourage conservation-minded New Mexico youth to follow through with local ecology projects. After they are approved, applicants (13-21 years old) must submit a reflective essay (750-1500 words) with photos of their project. From there, they’ll be eligible to win a $500 scholarship prize. Applicants should enter here .

• FIRE Free Speech Essay Contest

The Foundation for Individual Rights In Education wants to hear from high school juniors and seniors who are passionate about issues surrounding free speech, the First Amendment, and censorship. The essay must be 700-900 words, adhere to the prompt, and adhere to MLA guidelines. Read the application and details here .

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The 17 Best Writing Contests for High School Students

Other High School

If you're a writer—fiction, non-fiction, or fanfiction—you can put those skills to work for you. There are tons of writing contests for high school students, which can award everything from medals to cash prizes to scholarships if you win .

Not only will a little extra money, whether cash or scholarships, help you when it comes time to pay for college, but the prestige of a respected reward is also a great thing to include on your college application.

Read on to learn more about what writing contests for high school students there are, how to apply, and what you could win !

Writing Contests With Multiple Categories

Some high school contests accept entries in a variety of formats, including the standard fiction and non-fiction, but also things like screenwriting or visual art. Check out these contests with multiple categories:

Scholastic Art and Writing Awards

• Award Amount: $1,000 to $12,500 scholarships
• Deadline: Varies between December and January, depending on your region
• Fee: $10 for single entry, $30 for portfolio

The Scholastic Art and Writing Awards celebrate art by students in grades seven through twelve (age 13 or older) on a regional and national scale. These awards have a huge number of categories and styles, including cash prizes or scholarships for some distinguished award winners . Categories include science-fiction and fantasy writing, humor, critical essays, and dramatic scripts, among others.

Deadlines vary by region (but are mostly in December and January), so use Scholastic's Affiliate Partner search to find out when projects are due for your area.

Scholastic partners with other organizations to provide prizes to winners, so what you can win depends on what you enter and what competition level you reach. Gold medal portfolio winners can earn a $12,500 scholarship, and silver medal winners with distinction can earn a $2,000 scholarship , as well as many other options in different categories.

The Scholastic Art and Writing Awards are open to private, public, or home-schooled students attending school in the US, Canada, or American schools in other countries. Students must be in grades seven through twelve to participate. Eligibility varies between regions, so consult Scholastic's Affiliate Partner search tool to figure out what applies to you .

The Scholastic Art and Writing Awards have a $10 entry fee for individual submissions and $30 for portfolio submissions, which may be waived for students in need . These fees may vary depending on location, so be sure to check your local guidelines .

Ocean Awareness Contest

• Award Amount: Scholarships up to $1,500
• Deadline: June 13, 2023 (submissions open in September)

The Ocean Awareness Contest asks students to consider the future of a coastal or marine species that is under threat from climate change. Submissions are accepted in a variety of art forms, but all must consider the way that climate change impacts ocean life .

Submissions for all categories, including art, creative writing, film, interactive and multimedia, music and dance, and poetry and spoken word are due in June, although the exact date varies slightly each year.

Winners may receive prizes of up to a $1,500 scholarship , depending on which division they fall into and what prize they win.

The contest is open to all international and US students between the ages of 11 and 18.

River of Words

• Award: Publication in the River of Words anthology
• Deadline: January 31, 2023

The River of Words contest asks students to consider watersheds—an area that drains into the same body of water—and how they connect with their local community. Students can explore this concept in art or poetry, with winners being published in the annual River of Words anthology .

Entries in all categories must be submitted by January 31, 2023. 

The River of Words contest is primarily for recognition and publication, as the website doesn't list any prize money . The contest includes specific awards for certain forms, such as poetry, some of which may have additional prizes .

The contest is open to International and US students from kindergarten to grade 12 (ages 5 through 19). Students who have graduated from high school but are not yet in college are also eligible.

Adroit Prizes

• Award Amount: $200 cash award
• Deadline: Typically April of each year

Sponsored by the Adroit Journal, the Adroit Prizes reward high school students and undergraduate students for producing exemplary fiction and poetry. Students may submit up to six poems or three works of prose (totaling 3,500 words) for consideration. Submissions typically open in spring .

Winners receive $200 and (along with runners-up) have their works published in the Adroit Journal . Finalists and runners-up receive a copy of their judge's latest published work.

The contest is open to secondary and undergraduate students, including international students and those who have graduated early . The Adroit Prizes has a non-refundable fee of $15, which can be waived.

YoungArts Competition

• Award Amount: Up to $10,000 cash awards
• Deadline: October 15, 2022; application for 2024 opens June 2023

Open to students in a variety of disciplines, including visual arts, writing, and music, the YoungArts competition asks students to submit a portfolio of work. Additional requirements may apply depending on what artistic discipline you're in .

Winners can receive up to $10,000 in cash as well as professional development help, mentorship, and other educational rewards.

Applicants must be 15- to 18-year-old US citizens or permanent residents (including green card holders) or in grades 10 through 12 at the time of submission . There is a $35 submission fee, which can be waived.

Fiction Writing Contests for High School Students

Many contests with multiple categories accept fiction submissions, so also check out the above contests if you're looking for places to submit original prose.

EngineerGirl Writing Contest

• Award Amount: $100 - $500 cash prize
• Deadline: February 1, 2023

This year's EngineerGirl Writing Contest asks students (though the name of the organization is "EngineerGirl," students of any gender may participate) to submit a piece of writing that shows how female and/or non-white engineers have contributed to or can enhance engineering’s great achievements. Word counts vary depending on grade level.

At every grade level, first-place winners will receive $500, second-place winners will receive $250, and third-place winners will receive $100 . Winning entries and honorable mentions will also be published on the EngineerGirl website.

Students of any gender from third to 12th grade may submit to this contest. Home-schooled and international students are also eligible.

Nonfiction Contests for High School Students

Like fiction, non-fiction is often also accepted in contests with multiple categories. However, there are quite a few contests accepting only non-fiction essays as well.

The American Foreign Services Association Essay Contest

• Award Amount: $1,250 to $2,500
• Deadline: April 3, 2023

The American Foreign Services Association sponsors a high school essay contest tasking students with selecting a country or region in which the United States Foreign Service has been involved at any point since 1924 and describe, in 1,500 words or less, how the Foreign Service was successful or unsuccessful in advancing American foreign policy goals in this country/region and propose ways in which it might continue to improve those goals in the coming years .

One winner will receive $2,500 as well as a Washington D.C. trip and a scholarship to attend Semester at Sea . One runner-up receives $1,250 and a scholarship to attend the International Diplomacy Program of the National Student Leadership Conference.

Entries must be from US students in grade nine through 12, including students in the District of Columbia, US territories, or US citizens attending school abroad, including home-schooled students.

John F. Kennedy Profile in Courage Contest

• Award Amount: $100 - $10,000
• Deadline: January 13, 2023

The John F. Kennedy Profile in Courage contest tasks students with writing an essay between 700 and 1,000 words on an act of political courage by a US elected official serving during or after 1917 , inspired by John F. Kennedy's Profiles in Courage . Each essay should cover the act itself as well as any obstacles or risks the subject faced in achieving their act of courage. Essays must not cover figures previously covered in the contest, and should also not cover John F. Kennedy, Robert F. Kennedy, or Edward M. Kennedy.

One first-place winner will receive $10,000, one second-place winner will receive $3,000, five finalists will receive $1,000 each, and eight semi-finalists will win $100 each.

The contest is open to students in grades nine through 12 who are residents of the United States attending public, private, parochial, or home schools . Students under the age of 20 in correspondence high school programs or GED programs, as well as students in US territories, Washington D.C., and students studying abroad, are also eligible.

SPJ/JEA High School Essay Contest

• Award Amount: $300 - $1,000 scholarships
• Deadline: February 19, 2023 (submissions open in November)

The SPJ/JEA high school essay contest , organized by the Society of Professional Journalists and the Journalism Education Association, asks students to  analyze the importance of independent media to our lives (as of now, the official essay topic for spring 2023 is TBD) . Essays should be from 300 to 500 words.

A $1,000 scholarship is given to a first-place winner, $500 to second-place, and $300 to third-place.

The contest is open to public, private, and home-schooled students of the United States in grades 9-12 .

Playwriting Contests for High School Students

For those who love the stage, playwriting contests are a great option. An original play can earn you great rewards thanks to any of these contests!

VSA Playwright Discovery Program Competition

• Award: Participation in professional development activities at the Kennedy Center
• Deadline: January 4, 2023 (Application opens in October)

The VSA Playwright Discovery Program Competition asks students with disabilities to submit a ten-minute script exploring their personal experiences, including the disability experience . Scripts may be realistic, fictional, or abstract, and may include plays, screenplays, or musical theater.

All entries are due in January. Scripts may be collaborative or written by individuals, but must include at least one person with a disability as part of the group .

One winner or group of winners will be selected as participants in the Kennedy Center American College Theater Festival. Winners will have access to professional assistance in developing their script as well as workshops and networking opportunities.

This contest is open to US and international students in ages 14 to 18 . Groups of up to five members may collaborate on an essay, but at least one of those students must have a disability.

Worldwide Plays Festival Competition

• Award: Professional production in New York
• Deadline: March (official 2023 deadline TBD)

In the Worldwide Plays Festival Competition , students from around the world can submit an eight-minute script for a play set in a part of a neighborhood —specifically, at a convenience store, outside a character's front door, or at a place where people convene. Each play must have roles for three actors, should not have a narrator who isn't also a character, and should not contain set changes.

Entries are due in February. Winners will have their play produced by professionals at an off-Broadway New York theater . Scholarships are also available for winners.

Any student, including US and international, in first through 12th grade may submit work for consideration.

• Award Amount: $50 - $200 cash prize
• Deadline: 2023 deadline TBD (application opens January 2023)

Students may submit a one-act, non-musical play of at least ten pages to YouthPLAYS for consideration . Plays should be appropriate for high school audiences and contain at least two characters, with one or more of those characters being youths in age-appropriate roles. Large casts with multiple female roles are encouraged.

One winner will receive $250, have their play published by YouthPLAYS, and receive a copy of Great Dialog , a program for writing dialog. One runner up will receive $100 and a copy of Great Dialog.

Students must be under the age of 19, and plays must be the work of a single author.

The Lewis Center Ten-Minute Play Contest

• Deadline: Spring of each year

Students in grade 11 may submit a ten-minute play for consideration for the Lewis Center Ten-Minute Play Contest . Plays should be 10 pages long, equivalent to 10 minutes.

One first-prize winner will receive $500, one second-prize winner will receive $250, and one third-prize will receive $100.

All entries must be from students in the 11th grade .

Poetry Writing Contests for High School Students

For those who prefer a little free verse or the constraints of a haiku, there are plenty of poetry-specific contests, too.

Creative Communications Poetry Contest

• Award Amount: $25
• Deadline: December

Students in ninth grade or below may submit any poem of 21 lines or less (not counting spaces between stanzas) for consideration in the Creative Communications Poetry Contest .

Students may win $25, a free book, and school supplies for their teacher .

Public, private, or home-schooled US students (including those in detention centers) in kindergarten through ninth grade may enter.

Leonard L. Milberg '53 High School Poetry Prize

• Award Amount: $500-$1500
• Deadline: November 

Students in 11th grade may submit up to three poems for consideration in the Leonard L. Milberg '53 High School Poetry Prize . Submissions are due in November .

One first-prize winner will receive $1500, one second-prize winner will receive $750, and a third-prize winner will receive $500. Poems may be published on arts.princeton.edu. All entrants must be in the 11th grade.

Nancy Thorp Poetry Contest

• Award Amount: $500 - $5,000 renewable scholarship, $350 cash prize
• Deadline: October 31, 2022

Women poets who are sophomores or juniors in high school may submit two poems for consideration for the Nancy Thorp Poetry Contest .

One first-place winner will receive a $350 cash prize, publication in and ten copies of Cargoes , Hollins' student magazine, as well as a renewable scholarship of up to $5,000 for Hollins and free tuition and housing for the Hollinsummer creative writing program. One second-place winner will receive publication in and two copies of Cargoes, a renewable scholarship to Hollins of up to $1,000, and a $500 scholarship to attend Hollinsummer.

Applicants must be female students in their sophomore or junior year of high school .

What's Next?

If you're looking for more money opportunities for college , there are plenty of scholarships out there— including some pretty weird ones .

For those who've been buffing up their test scores , there are tons of scholarships , some in the thousands of dollars.

If you're tired of writing essays and applying for scholarships, consider some of these colleges that offer complete financial aid packages .

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Melissa Brinks graduated from the University of Washington in 2014 with a Bachelor's in English with a creative writing emphasis. She has spent several years tutoring K-12 students in many subjects, including in SAT prep, to help them prepare for their college education.

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The Best Writing Scholarships to Apply for in 2024

Apply below right now to the Best Writing Scholarships. Exclusive Scholarships found only in Bold.org!

Hilda Ann Stahl Memorial Scholarship

Eligibility criteria:.

• Education Level : Full-time undergraduate student
• Field of Study : English, communications, or creative writing

Once Upon a #BookTok Scholarship

Barbara cain literary scholarship.

• Education Level : High school senior or undergraduate student
• Passion : Loves books

RonranGlee Literary Scholarship

• Education Level : High school senior or two or four-year undergraduate student

CREATIVE. INSPIRED. HAPPY Mid-Career Writing Scholarship

• Field of Study : Writing
• Background : Experience in the workforce

Valorena Publishing & Cocoa Kids Collection Scholarship

• Education Level : High school, undergraduate, or graduate student
• Gender : Female-identifying
• Field of Study : Literature, poetry, writing, editing, publishing, etc.
• Race : BIPOC/Multicultural

Amplify Continuous Learning Grant

Bookworm scholarship.

• Resident : United States

Nikhil Desai "Favorite Film" Scholarship

Bold creativity scholarship, giving thanks scholarship, brady cobin law group "expect the unexpected" scholarship, make me laugh meme scholarship, "wise words" scholarship, "what moves you" scholarship, mahlagha jaberi mental health awareness for immigrants scholarship.

• Background : First or second-generation immigrants in any field of study

Bold Wise Words Scholarship

National Philanthropy Day Grant

Olivia woods memorial scholarship.

• Education Level : Any
• Background : Low-income

Freddie L Brown Sr. Scholarship

• Education Level : High school and undergraduate

AMPLIFY Digital Storytellers Scholarship

Minority student art scholarship, unicorn scholarship, mirajur rahman's satirical experiential essay scholarship.

• Education Level : Must be an undergraduate student

Literature Lover Scholarship

• Major : English

Alicea Sperstad Rural Writer Scholarship

• Education Level : High school senior, 2/4-year undergraduate, or graduate student
• Gender : Female
• Field of Interest : Writing

Wheezy Creator Scholarship

Share your poetry scholarship.

• Major of Interest : Writing

Tam and Betsy Vannoy Memorial Scholarship

• State : West Virginia
• Education Level : High school senior, undergraduate, post- secondary trade school

Avis Porter English Study Scholarship

• Education Level : Undergraduate or graduate student
• Parental Status : Mother
• Field of Study : Pursuing an English-based degree (journalism, English teacher, etc.)

Many high school students interested in writing choose to hone their craft through a college or university education. Whether they are aspiring writers or are pursuing a different field, studying writing can help build a foundation of valuable skills that prove useful in a wide range of career fields.

Writing skills can help students in many different sectors, from computer science to business and financial journalism. Students entering a variety of fields can benefit from studying writing, and writing scholarships are an excellent way to fund that education.

About writing scholarships

There are many financial aid resources available for high school seniors and college students who want to study writing in college.

Students interested in scholarships for music education should research scholarship opportunities and visit their school's financial aid office for more financial aid resources. It's also very important that students apply for federal student aid via FAFSA to secure as much financial aid as they can.

Federal aid can be a good place to start, but it often doesn't cover students' total expenses, leaving a significant gap which can be made up by outside scholarships.

What is a writing scholarship?

Writing scholarships are a form of financial aid available to aspiring writers or students pursuing careers in writing-intensive fields. These scholarships can also help support students in different fields of study who want to study writing as a minor or are even pursuing writing as a hobby.

Writing scholarships are a great source of financial aid for any student interested in advancing their craft.

Can you get a scholarship for writing?

Yes, there are many writing scholarships available to college students pursuing careers in writing. These scholarships are a good financial aid resource for students who want to hone their writing skills through higher education.

Some writing scholarships are only open to students in certain courses of study, like creative writing majors and English majors. There are also awards for any student with a passion for writing so long as they submit a writing sample.

Students at varying levels of education can apply for writing scholarships, meaning that high school students and current college students are all encouraged to apply for scholarships throughout their academic careers.

Writing students may also be eligible for more general scholarships, and their writing skills may give these students a leg up on writing scholarship essays.

How to apply for writing scholarships

Each writing scholarship has different eligibility requirements, so always check the scholarship description before spending time on your application.

The applications for these scholarships may require some sort of scholarship essay or writing sample. The specific posting will always have the requirements for that scholarship application, so make sure to reference it before submitting it.

How to get a writing scholarship?

Always check application deadlines and eligibility requirements before applying for scholarships to give yourself the best chance at success and avoid wasting your time.

There are scholarships specific to writers who wish to enter a particular field; some scholarships are open to all students and awarded based on a writing sample. There are also writing scholarships that are only available to applicants who demonstrate financial need.

Narrow and specific scholarships have smaller applicant pools and thus give each applicant a better chance at winning.

Students should also look for scholarships geared toward their strengths; for example, students with a specialty in a specific genre should consider applying for scholarships whose applications call for particular types of writing samples like poetry, essays, or short story.

Best writing scholarships

There are many scholarships on Bold.org for which writing students can apply. These writing scholarships are great for students studying writing or those who just have a passion for the craft.

Writing scholarships for high school students

High school students, especially high school seniors, should apply for scholarships and get a head start on gaining financial aid for college. Below are some writing scholarships to help make the most of this time and begin applying for — and perhaps win — scholarships.

Jean Allison Memorial Scholarship

This $4,000 scholarship will support graduates or recent students of Muleshoe High School. To continue her loving and determined legacy, the Jean Allison Memorial Scholarship exists and will support one student who has faced tremendous adversity but continues to persevere through it all toward a better future. Eligible students should apply by June 2, 2022 for consideration.

This $1,500 writing scholarship will financially support high school seniors from West Virginia who want to further their writing education. Any high school senior in West Virginia who is planning on studying journalism or English may apply for this scholarship. Eligible students should apply by July 1, 2022 to be considered.

Richard Neumann Scholarship

The rising generation is full of creative students who will undoubtedly change the world. This scholarship aims to support high school students who are creative so they can find innovative solutions to today’s problems. Any creative high school senior who likes to make things or find solutions to problems may apply for this $1,000 scholarship.

Writing scholarships for college students

There are many scholarship opportunities for college students at many levels of education, including undergraduate and graduate school. It's never too late for students to start finding scholarship aid.

Matt Preziose Creative Scholarship

This $1,000 scholarship aims to honor the life of Matt Preziose by supporting students attending the State University of New York at New Paltz. Any undergraduate student pursuing an art-related major at the State University of New York at New Paltz may apply for this scholarship by September 5th.

Miscellaneous writing scholarships

There are also scholarships for which any writing student is available. Though they are not exclusively available to individuals in the field, these scholarships can help students seeking financial aid.

In an effort to allow students to reflect on the wise words they’ve been told, the Bold Wise Words Scholarship will go to award students in any field of study who have heard some profound and life-changing words they’d like to share. This $500 award will help financially support five students; the application deadline is June 12, 2022.

Bold Deep Thinking Scholarship

As one way to encourage more thinking, the Bold Deep Thinking Scholarship exists to support any student who is passionate about thinking deeply and making a positive impact on the world. The application deadline for this $500 scholarship is June 5, 2022.

Writing is a form of art. Check out these art scholarships today!

Frequently asked questions about writing scholarships

How to find writing scholarships.

Students can find writing scholarships by searching the Bold.org scholarships page or by browsing the "Writing" category.

Writing students may also be eligible for arts scholarships and programs for fields with a heavy emphasis on writing.

Some schools offer writing scholarships for their students, so remember to check your university's financial aid office for more information.

When can I start applying?

Students over 14 years of age are eligible to begin applying for scholarship aid. It's never too early to begin funding your higher education. High school students, especially students in their junior year or senior year, should begin researching and applying for writing scholarships as soon as possible.

It's also never too late! College students — both undergraduate students and graduate students — can apply for writing scholarships throughout their college careers.

The sooner you begin applying for writing scholarships, the more you will be able to apply for; this will help boost your chances of success!

How do I know if I'm eligible for a scholarship?

Each writing scholarship will have different eligibility requirements, so it's important to closely read the scholarship description to avoid applying for scholarships you won't be considered for.

Some writing scholarships require that students be studying a field with an emphasis on writing, while others welcome anyone with a passion for writing. Some scholarship programs award students based on a writing submission, while others may require you to attend a particular university.

Always check the eligibility requirements listed in a scholarship description.

What do I have to do to apply?

Different writing scholarships will have different application processes, so always follow the specific instructions in the description of that scholarship.

Some scholarships may require an essay or a submission of previous work, while other scholarships may require additional forms and documentation.

Give yourself the best chance you can by always checking the details listed in the description for the particular writing scholarship in which you are interested.

Are scholarships counted as income?

Generally, scholarship money is not counted as income, as long as the money goes to qualified expenses and doesn't exceed your total costs.

The scholarship award must be used for school-related expenses, like tuition and fees, books, and school supplies. Scholarship money is taxable if it is used for indirect colsts, even if they're college-related, such as room and board, food, or travel.

Scholarships from Bold.org are sent directly to the school of the winner and applied towards qualifying educational costs, so you don't need to worry about reporting it as income or paying taxes on it.

Students can find writing scholarships by searching the Bold.org scholarships page or by browsing the "Writing" category. Writing students may also be eligible for arts scholarships and programs for fields with a heavy emphasis on writing. Some schools offer writing scholarships for their students, so remember to check your university's financial aid office for more information.

Each writing scholarship will have different eligibility requirements, so it's important to closely read the scholarship description to avoid applying for scholarships you won't be considered for. Some writing scholarships require that students be studying a field with an emphasis on writing, while others welcome anyone with a passion for writing. Some scholarship programs award students based on a writing submission, while others may require you to attend a particular university. Always check the eligibility requirements listed in a scholarship description.

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Best Art and Writing Summer Programs for High Schoolers 2021

Are you applying for art or writing programs at college? Or are you looking to add a wrinkle of creativity to your overall admissions strategy? The following summer programs can certainly have admissions value, especially if you follow through on the experiences with recs or submissions to competitions or literary magazines.

If you haven’t already, please check out my original article on identifying worthwhile summer programs before determining what programs you want to apply to. There are certainly many more programs than the ones listed here, but for the arts, there isn’t a ton of consensus on the quality of certain programs.

Again, I want to apologize for grouping all of these categories together. The decision to group these disparate fields into one post is simply because there aren’t enough many worthwhile programs out there to warrant separate lists. The reasoning for grouping these subjects together is that most of these programs have little standalone value, but they can be great experiences to get mentored in developing a portfolio of work. Whether you’re trying to submit your visual arts or creative writing to literary magazines , Scholastic Art and Writing Awards , or you’re submitting an art supplement with your applications, carving out a dedicated amount of time over the summer with mentors to guide you can really help you get the work done.

I’ve tiered the programs into three categories: A-Tier, B-Tier. You’ll notice that I didn’t include an S-Tier here, as I don’t think any of these programs stacks up to a Telluride, RSI, or MOSP type program in terms of admissions value and competitiveness. I decided not to rank the programs this time since it’s hard to compare art to writing programs.

A-Tier: Competitive Programs

Creative Writing

Iowa Young Writers’ Studio Program Dates: Session 1 -- June 13th - 26th, Session 2 -- July 11th - 24th Application Deadline: February 7th, 2021 (passed) Cost: $575 per session (financial aid available) International Students: Yes

Kenyon Review Young Writers Online Program Dates: Words and Wonders -- June 13-18; Observation Meets Imagination + Words and Wonders -- June 27-July 2; Writing Across Worlds -- July 12-17; Writing Across Worlds -- July 26-31* Application Deadline: March 1st, 2021 Cost: $995 per week-long course (financial aid available) International Students: Yes

Emerson College - Creative Writers Pre-College Program Program Dates: Virtual -- July 2nd - August 7th Application Deadline: March 1st, 2021 Cost: Credit Tuition - $4,310, Non-Credit Tuition - $3,531 International Students: Yes

Adroit Journal - Summer Mentorship Program Program Dates: June 21st - August 2nd Application Deadline: March 22nd, 2021 Cost: $295 International Students: Yes

Walter Cronkite School of Journalism - Summer Journalism Institute Program Dates: Early June 2021 Application Deadline: TBD Cost: Free International Students: No

Asian American Journalists Association - JCamp Program Dates: TBD 2021 Application Deadline: TBD 2021 Cost: Free International Students: Yes

Princeton Summer Journalism Program Program Dates: Mid-June to Early August Application Deadline: February 22nd, 2021 Cost: Free International Students: No

Visual Arts

Interlochen Center for the Arts - Visual Arts High School Summer Program Program Dates: 1 week programs from June 19th - June 25th, 3-week programs from June 26th - July 17th Application Deadline: January 14th, 2021 for programs that require audition/portfolio; rolling admissions otherwise Cost: 1-week programs - $1,625, 3-week programs - $6,250 (financial aid available) International Students: Yes

Otis College of Art and Design - Summer of Art Online Program Dates: Virtual - July 6th - July 30th (2x/week or 3x/week or full 5x/week programs, 4 weeks) Application Deadline: Scholarship deadline - April 2nd, 2021; Deadline for Early Enrollment (EE) discount - April 30th, 2021 Cost: 5x/week program - $2,800 ($2,700 for EE), 3x/week program - $1,800 ($1,700 for EE), 2x/week program - $1,000 International Students: Yes

These programs are all pretty competitive, though not on the level of a Telluride or RSI. They are some of the best experiences you can have for each of the fields listed.

For creative writing, Iowa’s Young Writers’ Studio is one of the best. Iowa is known to have some of the best creative writing programs in the country and their summer program from high school students is no different. They offer 2 two-week sessions that are reasonably priced for an online setting. Kenyon Review Young Writers Online is also a great program that offers themed week-long programs that are a little more expensive. If you’re looking for a more involved program, look to Emerson College’s Creative Writers Pre-College Program , though it will come with a higher price tag. The Adroit Summer Mentorship Program boasts a lot of success from their alumni in admissions and publications. But overall, it deserves a spot on this list because of the value in the price and length of the program. Overall, the creative writing experience won’t lose too much in the virtual format compared to some of the other programs, as much of the value in the experience is getting feedback/edits on your writing through Google Docs. For these programs, expect to submit some of your own creative writing pieces in the admissions process to demonstrate your passion for the craft.

For journalism, the Walter Cronkite Program is a great experience. Students there focus on broadcast and digital journalism through students hands-on experiences from reporting to production to camera work. Participants get to work in Arizona State’s state-of-the-art broadcast facilities as well as tour local newsroom for the actual experience. JCamp was founded to address the shortage of diversity in the media, emphasizing multicultural perspectives. Students there participate in workshops, field trips, and hands-on instruction from professional journalists in a variety of areas, including writing, photography, broadcasting, and more. Princeton’s Summer Journalism Program is for talented current juniors from low-income households. Students similarly participate in workshops and lectures, tour leading news outlets, cover real events in preparation for the publication of their own newspaper. One of the best aspects of PSJP is the mentorship that students receive from staff after they return home.

For visual arts, Interlochen and Otis as some of the best experiences. This is certainly debatable, as art itself is quite subjective, but these programs are respected by their peers. Interlochen has programs not just in visual arts, but performing arts, creative writing, and music as well. Otis has a number of programs that culminate in a final exhibition. Visual arts programs overall are tricky because I don’t really know how they will translate in a virtual format. Add in the price tag for these programs, and you really need to evaluate the overall value of the program. Just as in real-life, visual arts is a pursuit that is easiest to accommodate if your family has the means to support the interest.

B-Tier: Great Experience for Building a Portfolio

Sewanee Young Writers Conference Program Dates: Virtual, June 27th - July 10th Application Deadline: Review of applications starts February 19th, 2021 Cost: $1,200 International Students: Yes

University of Massachusetts Amherst - Juniper Institute for Young Writers Program Dates: July 12th - July 23rd (one or two weeks) Application Deadline: Scholarship - April 12th, 2021, Regular - May 17th, 2021 Cost: $900 for one week; $1,700 for two (financial aid available) International Students: Yes

Medill-Northwestern Journalism Institute Program Dates: June 28th - July 23rd Application Deadline: March 15th, 2021 Cost: $2,600 (financial aid available) International Students: Yes

Columbia Scholastic Press Association - Virtual Summer Journalism Workshop Program Dates: June 21st - July 30th Application Deadline: Rolling admissions Cost: $849 per 1-week session ($300 discount for each additional class) International Students: Yes

Boston University Summer Journalism Academy Program Dates: Session 1 -- June 21st - July 2nd; Session 2 -- July 5th - July 16th; Session 3 -- July 19th - July 30th Application Deadline: Session 1 - June 11th; Session 2 - June 25th; Session 3 - July 9th Cost: $1,200 (financial aid available) International Students: Yes

Rhode Island School of Design - Advanced Program for High School Students Program Dates: Session 1 -- June 21st - July 18th, Session 2 -- July 19th - August 15th Application Deadline: Registration opens March 1st Cost: $5,200 (Certificate program) International Students: Most likely

Parsons Online Summer Intensive Studies Program Dates: July 6th - July 29th Application Deadline: Register by June 30th, 2021 Cost: Early discount - $2,950, $3,250 otherwise (3 credits award) International Students: Yes

School of Art Institute of Chicago - Early College Program Online Summer Institute Program Dates: Session 1 -- June 21st - July 9th; Session 2 -- July 12th - July 30th; Session 3 -- August 2nd - August 20th Application Deadline: Financial aid/scholarship deadline - March 1st, 2021 Cost: Half-day - $1,740; Full-day - $3,480 (financial aid available) International Students: Yes

This next set of programs are also programs that many have heard of, though they are not quite as competitive. Their placing in B-Tier again is debatable (especially the art programs), but you can see that many of them don’t really even have application deadlines, showing how competitive they are. Nevertheless, if you’re looking for an mentorship experience in a field you love and time carved out over the summer to get an art of writing portfolio put together, these programs could certainly be for you. As usual though, try to make sure to weigh the cost of the program to the length of involvement and the overall cohesion with your admissions strategy.

Check out the original article on our blog here: https://www.theadmissionsangle.com/2021/01/14/best-art-and-writing-summer-programs/

Or if you're interested in science research, check out this article: https://www.theadmissionsangle.com/2021/01/06/best-science-research-summer-programs/

Or if you interested in math programs, check out the article here: https://www.theadmissionsangle.com/2021/01/11/best-math-summer-programs/

Or if you're interested in engineering and technology programs, check out this article: https://www.theadmissionsangle.com/2021/01/09/best-engineering-and-technology-summer-programs/

Or if you're interested in business and leadership programs, check out this article: https://www.theadmissionsangle.com/2021/01/12/best-business-and-leadership-summer-programs/

Fully Funded MFA Programs in Creative Writing

As part of our series  How to Fully Fund Your Master’s Degree , here is a list of universities that have fully funded MFA programs in creative writing. A Master’s of Fine Arts in creative writing can lead to a career as a professional writer, in academia, and more.

Fully funded MFA programs in Creative Writing offer a financial aid package for full-time students that includes full tuition remission as well as an annual stipend or salary during the entire program, which for Master’s degrees is usually 1-2 years. Funding usually comes with the expectation that students will teach or complete research in their field of study. Not all universities fully fund their Master’s students, which is why researching the financial aid offerings of many different programs, including small and lesser-known schools both in the U.S. and abroad, is essential.

In addition to listing fully funded Master’s and PhD programs, the ProFellow fellowships database also includes external funding opportunities for graduate school, including fellowships for dissertation research, fieldwork, language study, study abroad, summer work experiences, and professional development.

Would you like to receive the full list of more than 1000+ fully funded Master’s and PhD programs in 60 disciplines? Download the FREE Directory of Fully Funded Graduate Programs and Full Funding Awards !

Here is the list of 53 universities that offer fully-funded MFA programs (Master’s of Fine Arts) in Creative Writing.

University of Alabama (Tuscaloosa, AL): Students admitted to the MFA Program are guaranteed full financial support for up to 4-years. Assistantships include a stipend paid over nine months (currently $14,125), and full payment of up to 15 credit hours of graduate tuition.

University of Arizona (Tucson, AZ): All accepted MFA students receive full funding through a graduate teaching assistantship for 3 years. This package includes tuition remission, health insurance, and a modest stipend (in 2018 it was about $16,100 per academic year).

Arizona State University (Tempe, AZ): 3-year program. All students admitted to the MFA program who submit a complete and approved teaching assistantship application are awarded a TA by the Department of English. Each assistantship carries a three-course per year load and includes a tuition waiver and health insurance in addition to the TA stipend ($18,564 per year). In addition, students have diverse opportunities for additional financial and professional support.

University of Arkansas (Fayetteville, AR): Four-year program. Teaching assistantships currently carry an annual stipend of $13,500 for students with a BA. TAs also receive a waiver of all tuition costs and teach two courses each semester. Nearly all of our accepted students receive TAs. Additionally, the students compete each year for several fellowships.

Boise State University (Boise, Idaho): 3-year fully funded MFA program dedicated to poetry and fiction. All students receive a tuition waiver, health insurance, and a Teaching Assistantship with a stipend of $11,450 per year.

Bowling Green State University (Bowling Green, OH): 2-year program, graduate assistantships (including stipend and scholarship) are available for all eligible face-to-face students. 100% tuition scholarship. Graduate stipend (the 2020-21 stipend is $11,500).

Brown University (Providence, RI): All incoming MFA students received full funding. All graduate students receive a fellowship that pays a monthly stipend and provides tuition remission, the health fee, and health insurance. The stipend for the 2020-2021 academic year is $29,926. Also, students in good standing receive a summer stipend of $2,993.

Boston University (Boston, MA): Tuition costs will be covered for every admitted student for the MFA degree in the BU Creative Writing Program. In addition, admitted students will receive university health insurance while they are enrolled, and all admitted students will receive stipend support of roughly $16,000 for the academic year.

Cornell University (Ithaca, NY): All MFA degree candidates are guaranteed 2 years of funding (including a stipend, a full-tuition fellowship, and student health insurance).

University of California Irvine (Irvine, CA): 3-year program. The Department is committed to providing 3 full years of financial support to all domestic students in the MFA Programs in Writing. Financial support for MFA students is given in the form of Teaching Assistantships providing full tuition coverage as well as University health insurance. Students will earn an estimated $22,569 for the academic year.

University of California San Diego (La Jolla, CA): MFA in Writing students are eligible for financial support if they study full-time, maintain good academic standing and make timely progress toward the degree. All students are eligible for full funding, including international students provided they meet the English language certification requirement for teaching assistants.

University of California Riverside (Riverside, CA): All incoming students are granted a full fellowship and stipend for their first year. After the first year, students receive full tuition and a salary through teaching assistantships.

Florida Atlantic University (Boca Raton, FL): 3-year program. All of the MFA students qualify for a position as a Graduate Teaching Assistant. The GTA position comes with a tuition waiver and a stipend. The standard stipend is $9,000, but some enhanced stipends are available. The Graduate College offers several fellowships for current graduate students.

Florida State University (Tallahassee, FL): The majority of students receive support in the form of a teaching assistantship and are provided with a stipend, a tuition waiver, and a health-insurance subsidy. MFA students receive a three-year assistantship. For 2022-23, MA/MFA stipends will be $16,400, and typically these amounts go up each year. Also, The FSU Graduate School offers several fellowships and awards.

Georgia College & State University (Milledgeville, GA): The MFA Program offers workshops in fiction, creative nonfiction, and poetry, and students take cross-genre workshops. All students admitted to the MFA program receive a Graduate Assistantship for all 3 years that includes a stipend and tuition remission.

University of Houston (Houston, TX): MFA students can receive a teaching assistantship for 3 years. Starting salary for MFAs is $17,935/9 months. Students in the Creative. As part of the assistantship, students are awarded either a Graduate Tuition Fellowship, which remits tuition, or a Creative Writing Program Fellowship, which covers the cost of tuition.

University of Idaho (Moscow, Idaho): All English Teaching Assistants (TA’s) are offered full tuition waivers. Teaching Assistants are given a stipend of $14,000 per year. Also offers three scholarships and three outstanding fellowships to support qualified MFA, graduate students.

University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign (Urbana, IL): Three-year MFA program. Students accepted into the MFA program will receive full tuition waivers, guaranteed teaching assistantships.

Indiana University (Bloomington, IN): M.F.A. programs offer a generous teaching package to creative writing students. All applicants receive consideration for appropriate fellowships that will carry a stipend of about $19,000, plus tuition and fee-remission that covers roughly 90% of the cost of enrollment.

Iowa State University (Ames, IA): 3-year MFA program. Starting half-time 20 hours per week teaching assistantships for MFA students total $19,250 over 10 months and also receive a full-tuition waiver scholarship (approximate value $10,140) and health insurance coverage. The department has several resources available through which to offer fellowships and scholarships to qualifying new students.

University of Iowa (Iowa City, IA): 2-year residency program. Financial assistance is available for all students enrolled in the program, in the form of teaching assistantships, research assistantships, and fellowships. Most fellowships and assistantships provide either tuition scholarships or full tuition remission.

John Hopkins University (Baltimore, MD): 2-year program. All students receive full tuition, health insurance, and a generous teaching fellowship, currently set at $30,500 per year. Some students work as assistant editors on The Hopkins Review. They often win prizes such as Stegner Fellowships or grants from the National Endowment for the Arts.

University of Maryland (College Park, MD): This 3-year program accepts 8 applicants who are fully funded by Teaching Assistantships for up to three years of graduate study. Our aid packages include a stipend of about $20,000 per academic year and 60 credit hours of tuition remission.

Miami University (Oxford, OH): All students admitted to the MFA program in Creative Writing hold generous Graduate Assistantships (which include a summer stipend). Non-teaching assistantships may also be available.

University of Miami (Coral Gables, FL): An intensive two-year study with a third year option. The James Michener Fellowships and Teaching Assistantships support all our graduate students. Awards include a full tuition waiver and annual stipend of $18,915.

University of Michigan (Ann Arbor, MI): All MFA students accepted into the program are offered a full tuition waiver, a stipend of $23,000/yearly as well as $5,000 in summer funding, and health care benefits. Additionally, various fellowships and prizes are awarded each year to MFA students.

University of Minnesota (Minneapolis, MN): All admitted MFAs receive full funding, in the form of teaching assistantships or fellowships. Teaching assistantships carry a full tuition waiver, health benefits, and a stipend of about $18,600. Also, a variety of fellowships are available for graduate students.

University of Mississippi (University, MS): All of our students are fully funded.  We offer two main sources of funding, the Grisham Fellowships and Teaching Assistantships.

University of Nevada Las Vegas (Las Vegas, NV): 3-year program. All MFA students admitted to the Creative Writing International program at UNLV are offered Graduate Assistantship funding of $15,000 per year (which includes in-state tuition and provisions for health insurance).

Northwestern University (Evanston, IL): Funding is provided for 3 full years, summers included. Tuition is covered by a tuition scholarship during any quarter in which you are receiving a stipend.

University of Notre Dame (Notre Dame, IN): Every student admitted to the MFA receives a full-tuition scholarship, a fellowship that carries a full stipend of $16,000 per year and access to a 100% health insurance subsidy.

North Carolina State University (Raleigh, NC): A two-year, fully-funded program, They accept only about a dozen students each year and offer full funding in the form of a graduate teaching assistantship to all eligible admitted applicants.

Ohio State University (Columbus, OH): All admitted students are fully funded for our 3-year MFA program in Creative Writing. In addition, all students receive either a graduate teaching associateship, a Graduate School fellowship or a combination of the two. For graduate teaching associateships, the student receives a stipend of at least $17,000 for the nine-month academic year.

University of Oregon (Eugene OR): A two-year residency MFA program. All incoming MFA students funded with a teaching appointment. Student instructors receive tuition remission, monthly stipends of approximately $18,000.

Oregon State University (Corvallis, OR): All students admitted to the MFA program will automatically receive a standard teaching Graduate Teaching Assistantship contract, which provides full tuition remission and stipend of approximately $12,800 per year to cover living expenses. In addition to tuition remission, all graduate students have the option to receive 89% coverage of health insurance costs for themselves and their dependents.

University of Pittsburgh (Pittsburgh, PA): 3-year MFA program. All students admitted to the program will receive Teaching Assistantships for two or three years. All Teaching Assistantships include salary, medical benefits, and tuition remission.

Rutgers University–Newark (Newark, NJ): Each full-time incoming student receives in-state Tuition Remission and a Chancellor’s Stipend of 15K per year. Students are also eligible for Teaching Assistantships, and Part-Time Lectureships teaching Comp or Creative Writing. Teaching Assistantships are $25,969 (approximate) plus health benefits.

University of South Florida (Tampa, FL): 3-year program. MFA students receive a tuition waiver, a teaching assistantship that comes with a stipend, and enrollment in group health insurance.

Southern Illinois University (Carbondale, IL): Almost all MFA students hold graduate assistantships, which provide stipends for the academic year and full remission of tuition. The annual stipend, which comes with tuition remission, ranges from $13,000 to $14,500.

Syracuse University (Syracuse, NY): Three-Year M.F.A. in Creative Writing. All students are fully funded. Each student admitted receives a full-tuition scholarship in addition to an annual stipend of $17,500.

University of South Carolina (Columbia, SC): 3-year MFA program. The MFA at Carolina is pleased to provide fellowship and/or assistantship funding to all accepted students, earning our program the designation of “fully funded” from Poets and Writers.

University of Tennessee — Knoxville (Knoxville, TN): There is no cost to apply to the MFA program. All of our PhD candidates and MFA students are fully funded, with generous opportunities for additional financial support.

University of Texas in Austin (Austin, TX): All students in the New Writers Project receive three years of full funding through a combination of teaching assistantships (TA), assistant instructorships (AI), and fellowship support. The complete package includes full tuition remission, health insurance, and a salary.

University of Texas James Michener Center (Austin, TX): A three-year, fully funded residency MFA program that provides full and equal funding to every writer. All admitted students receive a fellowship of $29,500 per academic year, plus total coverage of tuition.

Vanderbilt University (Nashville, TN): Each year a small, select class of talented writers of fiction and poetry enroll in Vanderbilt’s three-year, fully-funded MFA Program in Creative Writing. The University Fellowship provides full-tuition benefits, health insurance, and a stipend of $30,000/yearly. In 2nd year and third-year students have the opportunity to teach for one semester.

University of Virginia (Charlottesville, VA): Three-year MFA program. Students will receive fellowship support and/or teaching income in the amount of $20,000 each academic year, as well as full funding of your tuition, enrollment fees, and the health insurance premium for single-person coverage through the university.

Virginia Tech (Blacksburg, VA): Three-year MFA degree offers tracks in Poetry and Fiction, and all students are fully and equally funded via GTA-ships of more than $20,000 per year.

Washington University in St. Louis (St. Louis, MO): Because of selectivity and size they are able to offer all the new students full and equal financial aid for both years in the program in the form of a University Fellowship, which provides a complete tuition waiver plus a stipend sufficient for students to live comfortably in our relatively inexpensive city. All MFA students receive health insurance through Washington University.

Western Kentucky University (Bowling Green, KY): Three-year, fully-funded, residential MFA program in creative writing offering generous assistantships, which will allow MFA students to gain valuable experience tutoring and teaching.

West Virginia University (Morgantown, WV): A three-year program. All Master of Fine Arts students receive a full tuition waiver and an assistantship, which includes a stipend valued at $16,750.

Wichita State University (Wichita, Kansas): Most of the MFA students are GTAs who teach two composition classes each semester. They pay no tuition, receive $4,250 each semester and may buy discounted health insurance. The MFA program also awards two $12,500 fellowships each year.

University of Wisconsin–Madison (Madison, WI): All accepted MFA candidates receive tuition remissions, teaching assistantships, generous health insurance, and other financial support. In addition to the approximately $14,680 paid to each MFA annually in exchange for teaching, every MFA candidate will receive another $9,320 in scholarships each year.

University of Wyoming (Laramie, WY): All of our full-time MFA students are fully funded with two-year graduate assistantships. Currently, assistantships include a stipend of $12,330 per academic year, a tuition and fees waiver, and student health insurance. Students also receive summer stipends of up to $2,000 for the summer.

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Department of English

M.f.a. creative writing.

English Department

Physical Address: 200 Brink Hall

Mailing Address: English Department University of Idaho 875 Perimeter Drive MS 1102 Moscow, Idaho 83844-1102

Phone: 208-885-6156

Email: [email protected]

Web: English

M.F.A. Students

Raquel Gordon (First Year, Poetry) is a poet from Seattle and has a B.A. in creative writing and dance from the University of Washington. She has performed in music videos, dance films, and choreographed several stage performances including a solo performance in 12 Minutes Max in Seattle. She also loves to sing.

Jason Cahoon (First Year, Fiction) comes from Amherst, Massachusetts. Jason’s work concerns the simultaneous restrictions and empowerments of communal belongingness. He studied English at Bowdoin College in Brunswick, Maine. Jason taught English at Eaglebrook School, an independent school in Massachusetts. In addition to teaching, Jason served as an editor for The Outlook, the school’s art and literature magazine.

Kathleen Walker (First Year, Nonfiction) grew up in the foothills of South Carolina. Her work explores her childhood spent in rural Appalachia, queerness, witchcraft, and animals both mythical and real. Kathleen was chosen by Nikki Giovanni as the recipient of the 2021 Giovanni-Steger Poetry Prize. Her writing has been published in a variety of publications, including CutBank and Susurrus Magazine.

Annie Burky (First Year, Fiction) calls Colorado home and returns to the West by way of Brooklyn. While earning a M.A. at New York University, she was awarded the Gallatin Review’s prose prize. She writes on gender, religion, and inheritance. She has worked as managing editor at Ms. Mayhem magazine, literacy specialist in Uganda and instructor at China’s Southwest University.

Jennifer Yu (First Year, Fiction) is exploring.

Reid Brown (First Year, Poetry) writes on themes of femininity, mental illness, the human body, and the threads that connect people, place, and memory. She is the Associate Poetry Editor for Fugue. She lives with her husband, Shane, and their kitten BMO, and collects an unhealthy amount of yarn for knitting projects in various states of incompleteness.

Rya Sheppard (First Year, Fiction) is from Kellogg, Idaho. She is a graduate of the University of Idaho where she studied English and creative writing. Rya enjoys coffee shops, painting, and cats of all kinds.

Karissa Carmona (First Year, Poetry) hails from western Montana and writes about rural identity, violence, and surreality in the so-called American West. She is the winner of the 2022 Patricia Goedicke Prize in Poetry. Prior to University of Idaho, Karissa worked as a bookseller, community arts studio manager, and organizer for a coalition against gendered violence.

Trixie Zwolfer (Second Year, Fiction), is originally from Boise, Idaho. For her undergraduate degree, she attended Montana State University, where she studied writing and literature. She enjoys threading between the reality of our world and the speculative possibility of what it could be in her writing. In her free time, she can be found reading, hiking, and drinking copious amounts of tea.

Tymber Wolf (Second Year, Nonfiction), a Florida Gulf Coast University graduate, is passionate about writing about many things, including philosophy, the environment, personal essays, Judaism, and more. As a Florida native, Tymber is excited to see the environment her namesake inhabits. You can find some of Tymber’s award-winning work in The Mangrove Review. When Tymber isn’t writing, they’re probably doing one (or five) of an indefinite amount of hobbies.

Alicia Gladman (Second Year, Nonfiction), is from Western Canada by way of Chattanooga, Tennessee. She has worked in harm reduction for fourteen years, interested in conversations about accountability and personal freedom. She has a dog, two cats, and a lot of plants.

Maggie Nipps (Second Year, Poetry) is a poet and playwright from Wisconsin. Her work appears in Figure 1, Pinwheel, Sporklet, No Contact, Sip Cup, petrichor, and elsewhere. She co-founded and co-edits Afternoon Visitor, a new quarterly journal of poetry, visual art, hybrid text, and visual art.

Spencer R. Young (Second Year, Poetry) is a queer, genderfluid poet obsessed with identity and its transient borders. Their work, published in Terrain.org, 13th Floor Magazine, and elsewhere, encounters these binaric borders of identity and attempts to envision the space beyond them. Twice nominated for Best New Poets, Spencer holds an MA in Literature and Creative Writing from Kansas State University.

Gianna Marie Starble (Second Year, Fiction) is originally from Colorado and received her undergraduate degree in Professional and Creative Writing from Central Washington University. Her work has appeared in Manastash Literary Journal and The Hunger. In 2020 she won second place for best creative nonfiction piece in the Write On The River competition. When she is not writing, she is probably running with her dog, Blue.

Miriam Akervall (Second Year, Poetry) was born in Lund, Sweden, and grew up in Ann Arbor, Michigan. For the past six years they lived and worked in high country; most recently, the Idaho Boulder Mountains. Lately, they have been thinking about how memory lives in the body. Their work has appeared in Stone Journal, Ariadne Magazine, Voicemail Poems, and Apiary Magazine.

Emily Holmes (Second Year, Nonfiction) has spent most of her life living in wild places, looking for beauty and adventure. She seeks to connect people to place by telling stories about nature and exploring human relationships to wilderness. While studying rangeland ecology at Montana State University, Emily learned more about ski-bum life, trail running, and environmental advocacy about rangelands. These experiences strongly inform her creative projects.

Alex Connors (Second Year, Fiction) is originally from the north shore of Massachusetts. They attended UMass Amherst, where they studied poetry and social thought. They are working on a collection of short stories that explores the complexities of friendship, family, and queerness within working-class communities. Before coming to the University of Idaho, Alex spent many years as a farmer in western Massachusetts.

Natalie Kinkade  (Third Year, Nonfiction) was born and raised in Bend, Oregon. She writes about art, religion, depression, childhood, and her puppy, Pippin, among other things. Before attending the University of Idaho, she earned an M.A. in English from Ohio University. Her work has appeared in Gulf Coast and The Rumpus and is forthcoming in The Harvard Review.

Michael Harper (Third Year, Fiction; Hemingway Fellow) completed his M.A. in English at the University of Vienna. His work has appeared in The Manzano Mountain Review, Litro Magazine, Decomp Journal, and CafeLit. Prior to the University of Idaho, he taught English as a second language in Europe.

Emma Neal (Third Year, Fiction) was born and raised in Boise, Idaho. She attended Sarah Lawrence College, where she studied creative writing and religion. Currently, she is working on a collection of short stories about young women trying to understand themselves and searching for their communities. Emma enjoys coffee shops, live music, and painting. She taught yoga for two years at Sarah Lawrence College.

Steff Sirois (Third Year, Fiction) is a writer from Connecticut who is currently writing about womanliness, the multiple versions of her Self, and ghosts. Some of her recent work has appeared in Prism Review, LandLocked, and The Washington Post.

Daniel Lurie (Third Year, Poetry) grew up in eastern Montana. He attended Montana State University, Billings, where he received his B.A. in Organizational Communications. Daniel is the Poetry Editor for Fugue. His work has appeared in NewVerseNews, The Palouse Review, and FeverDream. His poem “One Night Only” is stamped into a concrete street in Billings.

Isabel Marlens (Third Year, Nonfiction) grew up in California and Colorado, and studied literature and ecology & evolution at Bennington College. She went on to work in the nonprofit world, writing about local economies and initiatives for community and ecological renewal. She is working on essays that layer the personal with thoughts on literature, psychology, evolutionary theory, history, and politics. She spends most of her free time rock climbing and traversing the rural West.

Christian Perry (Third Year, Nonfiction) is a white, Queer, Midwesterner born and raised in Michigan. They attended Michigan State University, where they studied a myriad of subjects and obtained a B.A. in English/Creative Writing in 2019. In 2020, Christian self-published their undergraduate thesis, thanks. Their free time is often spent playing Nintendo games and going on long walks.

Sam Simmons (Third Year, Fiction) is a writer from California. He is the current web editor for Fugue and teaches first-year composition and introductory creative writing. He is currently at work on a novel.

Cameron Martin (Third Year, Poetry) is a fat and queer writer originally from Michigan. He attended Wayne State University and the University of Idaho, where he studied English. Their writing has appeared in Sonora Review, The Normal School, Palette Poetry, and Afternoon Visitor. He’s currently working on collections of poetry and personal essays. In Moscow, they are one of the co-coordinators of the ‘queer-minded, queer-hearted’ Pop-Up Prose reading series.

Crystal Cox's (Third Year, Poetry) work has appeared in The Shore, Nimrod, Kissing Dynamite, The Bookends Review, and on the Academy of American Poets website. Her poem “Self-Portrait with Dolly Parton” won the 2022 Academy of American Poets University Prize, selected by Andrew Grace. She calls Missouri home.

Katie Ludwig (First Year, Nonfiction) has lived on the Palouse for 18 years. She is a performing singer/songwriter, Mom of 2 teenagers, and Native Plant Landscaper. She does exploratory writing about the Environment, Spiritual Philosophy, Self, Native Practices, and Hard Topics.

Meet the Team

Office location.

The External Scholarships and Undergraduate Research Center is located on the second floor of the University Union (UU 260) above the Fleishman Center.

Summer Zoom Advising

Basic advising:.

("Basic" refers to topics including how to get started with undergraduate research and learning how to utilize resources such as our databases: Campus Research Opportunity Postings (CROP) and Scholarships and Other Award Resources)

Advanced scheduled appointments:

("Advanced" refers to topics including thinking about and writing internal and external scholarship applications)

• 9:30 - 10:30 a.m. with Associate Director Beth Polzin (Zoom) and
• 9:30 - 10:30 a.m. with Director Steve Ortiz (Zoom)
• 9:30 - 10:30 a.m. with Associate Director Beth Polzin (Zoom)

Specialized Advising

Advising for the source project.

Contact Source Project Coordinator Caroline Antalek by email [email protected] or call (607) 777-4342.

Advising for the Fulbright Program:

Contact Dr. Elisa Camiscioli ( [email protected] ) to schedule a meeting. 

Contact Information

Phone: 607-777-4325 Fax: 607-777-4345 Email: [email protected]

Physical Address (for GPS):

Binghamton University State University of New York 4400 Vestal Parkway East Vestal, NY 13850

Mailing Address:

External Scholarships and Undergraduate Research Center Binghamton University P.O. Box 6000 Binghamton, NY 13902-6000

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Dr. Stephen R. Ortiz (He/Him), Director

[email protected]

Stephen Ortiz joined Binghamton University in 2010 as a member of the History faculty. He has published two books on the role of veterans in American politics. From 2016-2021, he served as Collegiate Professor of College in the Woods. In 2021, Ortiz took on the position of Assistant Vice Provost for Academic Enrichment. He became Director of the External Scholarships and Undergraduate Research Center in 2023, as part of his AVP responsibilities. 

Dr. Beth Polzin (She/Her), Associate Director

[email protected]

Caroline Antalek (She/Her), Source Project Program Coordinator

[email protected]

Caroline Antalek is a Binghamton University alumna with a bachelor's degree in Spanish language and literature, and a minor in education. As the Source Project Program Coordinator, Caroline assists in the program’s facilitation and helps plan the poster sessions for Research Days. As a former exchange student with Rotary International, having spent a year in Puebla, Mexico, Caroline has a passion for diverse cultures, language learning, and education. Prior to starting at ESURC, she worked for Binghamton's undergraduate admissions. She also has experience working for Broome County as a career counselor. When Caroline is not working with undergraduate research, you can find her at a concert, in the gym, or hanging out with her daughter and husband. 

Afton Fahey (She/Her), Office Assistant

[email protected]

Adriana Bleecker (She/Her), Assistant to the Director

[email protected]

Dr. Elisa Camiscioli (she/elle), Senior Fulbright Advisor

[email protected]

Undergraduate Research Ambassadors

Abby gifeisman (she/they).

[email protected]

Sydney Werner (She/They)

[email protected]  

Sydney is a senior graduating in spring 2024 and originally from Schenectady, NY. Her major is comparative literature with a minor in German. Her role at the Undergraduate Research Center includes creating the weekly research newsletter and serving as managing editor for the Binghamton University Undergraduate Journal. Sydney has been involved in research since her first year at Binghamton and finalized her research during her time in the Summer Scholars and Artists Program . Her research involves Virginia Woolf’s novel To The Lighthouse . Her work has been published in the university’s undergraduate journal . Hobbies of Sydney’s include film, photography, reading, and creating playlists on Spotify. 

Jovana Cvetanovic (She/Her)

[email protected]

Lalo Lezama (He/Him)

[email protected]

Lalo is a senior majoring in Environmental Science and Chemistry. His role in ESURC consists of releasing biweekly newsletters and mentoring students by providing guidance and support to help them find research opportunities both on and off campus. Lalo participated in the 2022 Summer Research Immersion Program, where he researched the synthesis of Platinum-based catalysts for the methanol oxidation reaction. Additionally, he has participated in Research Experience for Undergraduates programs. 

Alexandra (Sasha) Novikova (She/Her) [email protected]

ESURC Affiliated Offices and Programs

Mcnair scholars program, gervlyne auguste (she/her), mcnair scholars program coordinator.

[email protected]

Gervlyne Auguste currently serves as the program coordinator for the Ronald E. McNair Post Baccalaureate Achievement Program (McNair Scholars Program) . She brings over 15 years of experience in educational and administrative management. Her academic experiences serve as an important framework that better allows her to understand and identify with a diverse range of students. Gervlyne's familiarities of being a first-generation college student with English as a second language present the main ideals that are the backbone of her educational philosophy. As a project coordinator, her primary mission is to help students navigate successfully through their academic careers while exploring their educational and career options. Her immediate responsibility is to prepare students to be self-sufficient and life-long learners. Her obligation is to contribute and remain attentive to issues pertaining to student services and retention. This is especially important when addressing the needs of underrepresented and underserved students.

In her spare time, she serves on several nongovernmental organizations as an advocate for better access to education, youth development and women owned businesses reaching life-long independence.

Gervlyne holds a Masters in Science degree with an Administration and Planning concentration from the University of Massachusetts in Boston and a Bachelor of Science in Biology from Emmanuel College, Boston. 

Dickinson Research Team (DiRT)

Dr. robert a. holahan (he/him), dickinson research team director.

[email protected]

Robert Holahan is an associate professor of environmental studies and political science and director of the Dickinson Research Team (DiRT). DiRT is a residential community-based research program that is the first of its kind in the United States. DiRT is open to students who are interested in research, regardless of major and prior research experience. 

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Last Updated: 7/18/24

Moscow, Idaho High School Student Wins National Writing Award

For nearly 100 years, the Scholastic Art & Writing Awards has been recognizing the creative work of high school students across America. Only sixteen students are chosen in the entire country, and this year, Moscow, Idaho's own Jieyan Wang won gold, and a $10,000 college scholarship. 

Jieyan joins Idaho Matters remotely to talk about her journey to become a writer, and how it feels to be recognized for her work so young. Below is an excerpt from her winning portfolio: 

Potted Plants The first wrinkle on my forehead came when I was out of breath from my first decade of adulthood and decided to settle in my apartment. There, water drizzled through the cracks in the walls. My husband, unlike the first one, approved of the flowers that I had set up around the space to catch the moisture. As I observed the poppy in the corner, I wondered if there was a possibility that fractures would become so large that the rain could drown us. For some reason, even though we lived on the bottom floor, our carpet was the driest. I could only guess that the raindrops were afraid of the dark too, and by the time they had trickled to the ground, they froze. I sometimes woke up in the middle of night, trying to remember a dream that I never had. - Jieyan Wang

Have a question or comment for the show? Tweet  @KBSX915  using #IdahoMatters

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Types of graduate scholarships

Where to find graduate school scholarships, tips for applying and winning scholarships, graduate school scholarships and grants: how to fund your master's or phd.

Affiliate links for the products on this page are from partners that compensate us (see our advertiser disclosure with our list of partners for more details). However, our opinions are our own. See how we rate student loans to write unbiased product reviews.

• Grad school scholarships provide funds to cover your educational costs. 
• In general, you don't have to repay scholarships or grants after graduation. 
• Start your search for grad school scholarships with your school's financial aid office.

Graduate school can help you take your career ambitions to the next level. But the cost can be very high. That's where grad school scholarships and grants come in. Scholarships and grants don't need to be repaid, which means you can leave school with minimum drag on your post-graduation finances.

Merit-based vs. need-based scholarships

Merit-based scholarships are awarded based on your academic achievements and other achievements. In contrast, need-based scholarships are awarded based on the financial need of the student.

Subject-specific scholarships

Beyond these need-based and merit-based scholarships, you can find specialized scholarships designed for particular fields of study or demographics. For example, you might find a scholarship opportunity based on your prior military experience or your desire to obtain a graduate degree in STEM.

Your university

Before you can snag a scholarship, you'll have to find the opportunity and apply for it. Your school's financial aid office is a good place to start your search because they might have information on school-specific scholarships.

Online scholarship databases

You can also find scholarship opportunities through online search engines, like the U.S. Department of Labor's free tool or Scholarships.com . To locate scholarships specific to you, filter searches by "graduate level" and your field of study.

Professional organizations and employers

Many organizations offer some form of scholarship or tuition reimbursement to students pursuing related careers, or those gaining skills to aid in their existing role.

Grant databases

Grants are another form of funding that you usually don't have to pay back. Below are some of the most popular grants for grad school:

• Federal grants: Some federal grants are available to graduate students, including the TEACH Grant, which is designed to prepare them for teaching at the elementary or secondary school level. After graduation, grant recipients must teach full-time for at least four years in a school that serves low-income students. Skipping the teaching commitment means you'll have to repay the funds. 
• State grants : Many states provide grant opportunities to students. In some cases, these grants are designed to support students pursuing a graduate degree that's relevant to the state's needs. 
• Institutional grants : Many colleges and universities provide grant opportunities to students. You can find out about these opportunities through your school's financial aid office. 
• Private grants: Some organizations and foundations offer grant funding to graduate students. In most cases, you'll need to meet some specific eligibility requirements to apply. 

Tapping into this source of free money for college is a worthwhile option. If you are interested in grant funding, start by filling out the FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid) to potentially tap into federal grant opportunities. 

In terms of state-level, institutional, and private grants, you'll need to do some research to find grants that might apply to your unique situation. Consider reaching out to your school's financial aid office, they might have more information on grant opportunities you can apply for.

When you find an enticing opportunity, it's important to craft a compelling application. Many scholarships require an essay, which could make or break your chances. 

"Writing essays for a graduate scholarship is not the same as it was for undergraduates," says Ben Ralston, president of Sachs Foundation , an organization that provides scholarship opportunities to Black Coloradans. 

"You are later in your career and can focus less on what you want to do with your education and more about what you have already accomplished," Ralston says. "Get specific in how graduate studies will develop more professional skills to build on previous accomplishments instead of speaking more generally about future goals."

Start early and apply often

It's important to note that the scholarship search process can take quite a bit of time, and once you've identified scholarships to apply for, you'll need time to prepare. Don't be selective with your scholarship applications; The more scholarships you apply to, the better your chances of winning.

Tailor your applications

When applying, personalize your essays and highlight how your experience aligns with the scholarship's mission. Be sure to triple-check your essays, and ensure that you're not referencing a separate scholarship opportunity from the one you're applying for.

Get strong letters of recommendation

Choose recommenders who can speak to your academic abilities and potential. This can be a teacher, employer, coworker, etc.

Grad school scholarship FAQs

Competition for graduate scholarships can be high, but many scholarships are available. Applying to a wide range increases your chances of success.

No, you don't. Scholarships are typically considered gift aid and don't need to be repaid.

While it's uncommon, there are some full-ride scholarships are available, especially for highly competitive programs or exceptional students.

• Main content

International higher education scholarships:  a  pathway for Palestinians’ academic recovery

• Open access
• Published: 19 July 2024

Cite this article

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• Anas N. Almassri   ORCID: orcid.org/0009-0006-5868-083X 1  

Scholarships offer one significant pathway for higher education recovery and development in Global South contexts. Although some research exists to illustrate this significance, the case of Palestine remains virtually unresearched. This article is a first contribution to bridging this gap. It draws on qualitative data collected through interviews with and pre-existing documents from 32 Palestinian scholarship alumni and alumnae. Four experiential themes emerged through critical realist thematic analysis of this data. Two of these themes are reported in this article. First, the participants reflected a range of negative and positive motivations for pursuing their funded graduate education abroad: escaping limited opportunities in Palestine, actualizing potential, and serving Palestine. Second, they described experiencing a mix of exciting and challenging (re)adaptations while appreciating new approaches to the content and practice of their academic learning. Together with the identified participants’ demographic and academic backgrounds, these thematic findings extend global empirical evidence of the contribution of international scholarships to higher education access, recovery, and development. They also avail a useful and timely frame of reference to inform future research and practice of higher education scholarships for Palestinians.

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Introduction

At the time of writing this article, higher education in Gaza is being destroyed (Jack, 2024 ). In a cycle intensified since 2008, “[u]niversity staff and students have been killed while campus infrastructure has been attacked, rebuilt, and destroyed again” (Milton et al., 2023 , p. 1024). If we zoom out from the moment and region, we remain caught in a historical and national context in which Palestinian higher education seems to be forever hostage to the Israeli–Palestinian conflict. Its institutions were built under occupation and have since been deeply affected by the violence, politics, and ethos of the conflict (see Moughrabi, 2004 ; Newby, 2009 ; PCRR, 2021 ). If we zoom out even further, we know this political lethargy about the human enterprise of higher education is not unique to Palestine but has recently come to characterize political violence in the Middle East and beyond (Bennouna et al., 2018 ; Milton et al., 2023 ). At chronic risk in this context is the compounded issue of safe access to quality higher education, i.e., Palestinians’ ability to access good opportunities of higher education at home without threats of injury or destruction to their lives or academic institutions (see GCPEA, 2022 ; Snounu et al., 2019 ).

My argument here is that one pathway for mitigating that risk is international scholarships. The article provides a first, timely study of Palestinian students’ motivations for and experiences of academic capacity-building through funded graduate education abroad. While conceding that scholarships are but one such risk mitigation pathway, the article demonstrates that they can facilitate inclusive and successful investment in (re)building cadres for Palestinian higher education. Crucially, neither this article nor its parent project, a doctoral study, had been planned as a response to the cycle of violence that commenced on October 7th, 2023. However, the discussion is timely in providing an empirical background to guide responses to Palestinians’ increased need for and interest in higher education abroad, including amidst calls to expand scholarship opportunities for them (see Kasraoui, 2024 ; Neve Gordon, 2024 ). To this end, the article reports 32 Palestinian scholarship recipients’ background characteristics and their various motivations for and academic experiences through master’s programs abroad.

Setting the scene

Higher education systems around the Global South have benefited from international scholarships. Kazakhstan’s government scholarship alumni reported improving assessment systems, fostering academic integrity and a research culture, and training and mentoring colleagues at their universities as well as promoting education and employment opportunities in their social circles (Jonbekova, 2023 ; Jonbekova et al., 2023 ). Turkish alumni of the US Fulbright scholarship program reported adopting pedagogical changes, contributing to curriculum reform and development, and launching new programs, including through collaboration with foreign departments (Demir et al., 2000 ). Similarly, Saudi academics who were recipients of the King Abdullah Scholarships reported enhancement in their personal effectiveness, English language competency, career progression, and teaching and research skills (Pikos-Sallie, 2018 ). In Ghana and Nigeria, alums of the Ford Foundation’s International Fellowships Program reported clear(er) plans for using their education abroad to disseminate knowledge that supports positive change and national development and, like Kazakhstani alums, more broadly serving as public advocates of inclusive educational opportunities (Campbell et al., 2021 ). Extant empirical evidence, though scarce and temporally and thematically limited, suggests similar benefits of scholarships to higher education in Arabic-speaking countries. Historically, at a time of few universities regionally and unaffordable ones abroad, scholarships by the Mandate governments of Iraq, Palestine, and Transjordan facilitated “intellectual pilgrimage” to the American University of Beirut in Lebanon, graduates of which went on to lay the foundations of higher education in and across countries of the region (Kalisman, 2015 ). Though for school students, Kuwait’s Arab Scholarships in the 1950s helped qualify prospective leaders from across the region for higher education and the labor of achieving independence (Al-Rashoud, 2019 ). Today, Saudi Arabia offers its students the world’s largest program of outbound scholarships as the Kingdom, like the neighboring United Arab Emirates, seeks advancement and innovation in its own higher education, economy, and political standing (Hilal, 2013 ).

As these cases suggest, local and foreign, and public and private entities worldwide invest significantly in international scholarships (see Dassin et al., 2018 ). They often do so with the objective of building capacities for national or foreign higher education in the Global South. This objective overlaps with what Campbell and Neff ( 2020 ) systematically identify as larger purposes of international scholarships, e.g., human capital development, diplomatic influence, and/or development aid (also see Campbell & Mawer, 2019 ). It also seems to overlap with a spectrum of other (un)intended or less clear objectives for scholarships, to extend colonial/hegemonic ways of knowing (Chiappa & Finardi, 2021 ; Thayer, 1914 ; Ziegler, 2008 ), to maintain authoritarian stability (Del Sordi, 2018 ), to manage domestic political and economic affairs (Pavan, 2020 ), and to expand global solidarity (Campbell & Neff, 2020 ). Despite the recent growth of analyses of and critical arguments about scholarships impact (e.g., Campbell & Mawer, 2019 ; Saling, 2023 ), the lack of standardization in levels of impact assessment, enormous variety of evaluation methods, and confusing mix of theories warrant serious caution before pronouncing any judgment on a prevalent effect or impact trajectory of scholarships (Mawer, 2018 ; for illustration, see Novotný et al., 2021 ). I find the case of scholarships to Palestinians particularly interesting to locate amidst this body of evidence of scholarships’ impact but also amidst arguments of scholarships’ value in such volatile contexts as that of Palestine. Below, I begin to establish some context for scholarships to Palestinians, acknowledging that this context itself requires a dedicated research project and a discussion beyond the scope of this manuscript.

Historically, Palestinians pursued their higher education abroad, due to forced displacement amidst cycles of the Israeli–Arab conflict and/or to lack of local higher education until the 1970s (Abu-Lughod, 1973 ). In this historical context, only Palestinians of economic and/or political privilege accessed higher education abroad (Al-Hout, 1979 ; see Bruhn, 2006 , for more on the history of Palestinian higher education). While no recent data exists on Palestinians’ funded academic sojourns, Elhour ( 2022 ) suggests that in the past few years, a new wave of Palestinian academic mobility could be observed, one she attributes in part to increased availability of scholarships, whether offered specifically for Palestinians or inclusively of them. Indeed, Palestinians today are eligible to compete for scholarships funded by the governments of Belgium, France, Germany, Hungary, Japan, Turkey, the Netherlands, the UK, the US and a few Arab countries like Algeria and Morocco. In the UK, they are also offered annual graduate scholarships like the Hani Qaddumi Scholarship Fund Footnote 1 and the Saïd Foundation scholarship. Footnote 2 Also, initiatives to advise Palestinians on applying for American/Western undergraduate institutions continue to be led by AMIDEAST, Footnote 3 an American INGO active in the field of international education, as well as by Palestinian NGOs like the Welfare Association. Footnote 4 While neither these scholarship programs/initiatives nor their impact has been studied, a rapid review of their announced objectives confirms the centrality of capacity-building for higher education amidst a web of other objectives, from intercultural dialogue and diplomatic influence, e.g., foreign government-funded scholarships like Chevening and the Fulbright, to political solidarity and academic humanitarianism, e.g., DPET, Footnote 5 STEPS, Footnote 6 and OBGS. Footnote 7 For example, HESPAL, Footnote 8 Higher Education Scholarships for Palestinians, is a British Council-administered, multilaterally-funded scheme for graduate and doctoral study in the UK aimed at creating “the next generation of senior academics who can maintain international quality standards at Palestinian universities and develop renewed and sustainable links between Palestinian and UK universities.”

Amidst the global scene of growing scholarship programs and research, we have in Palestine a local context of historically strong interest in scholarships, of contemporary increase in scholarship opportunities, and now of urgent need for bridging the chronic research deficit on the value of these opportunities for the recovery and development of local higher education, among other sectors. This article, the first of a series of three, begins to locate the case of scholarships to Palestinians amidst the global context of higher education scholarships. The findings reported here illustrate how funded foreign education abroad may well contribute to higher education recovery and development in Palestine. They also add to extant research that highlights the positive contribution of scholarships to higher education development in various contexts, including those of protracted conflict and under-resourced academic institutions. The article is dedicated to describing 32 Palestinian graduate students’ motivations and academic experiences through their various scholarships. Throughout the article, theoretical reference and academic jargon are deliberately kept to a minimum for two objectives: to make the article accessible to a broad audience of academics, practitioners, and others interested in scholarships for Palestinians, and to fulfill the requirement in critical realist philosophy for distinguishing perceptions of reality from inferences about it and explanations of it (Bhaskar, 2016 ). I discuss below the methodological approach to achieving both objectives.

Sampling and data collection

I present here the research methodology segment from the parent project that is relevant to this article. To begin with, purposeful sampling was followed in recruiting participants who met all these criteria: Palestinian citizenship and residency in Gaza or the West Bank, undergraduate education in Palestine, receipt of a master’s scholarship, and undertaking with it in-person study at a higher education institution abroad, and graduation between 2016 and 2022, i.e., 1–6 years before the time of their research participation. Thirty-two participants participated in this research through semi-structured, in-depth interviews. They were prompted to share their perceived experiences and outcomes of education abroad and their post-completion engagements, as well as their demographic, academic, and career backgrounds. Interviews lasted on average for 65 min and were conducted online via Teams in Arabic and/or English. Sixteen completed a participant background form where they shared more contextual data about their backgrounds; eleven further shared one or more relevant pre-existing documents—mostly a copy of their CV/resume and completed scholarship application form. Data was collected from January through March 2023.

Data analysis

Interview recordings were transcribed via Teams, reviewed and edited manually for accuracy, and where appropriate, translated to English. All pre-existing documents provided were confirmed for their scientific quality against Scott’s four criteria of authenticity, credibility, representativeness, and meaning (Scott, 1990, cited in Mogalakwe, 2009 , pp. 51–56). Next, all data items were uploaded to NVivo, where they were further annotated with initial reflections.

By applying Wiltshire and Ronkainen’s ( 2021 ) method of critical realist thematic analysis, I committed to being data-driven in exploring empirical patterns in the participants’ reported scholarship experiences. First, I carried out a dual step of data-driven, descriptive coding of interview transcripts and pre-existing documents. I labeled certain parts of text in these sources based on whether they described closely similar experiences, and I checked whether resulting data-driven codes were available in other participants’ data items. Using NVivo allowed me to operate this process efficiently, with the guiding principle of descriptive validity (Wiltshire & Ronkainen, 2021 ): If a new excerpt offered descriptive insight and this descriptive insight is represented in an existing data-driven code, I added the excerpt to that code. Second, I built descriptive patterns through integrating data-driven, descriptive codes of significant empirical relevance to each other, in course checking resulting patterns for prevalence and meaning-significance (Braun & Clarke, 2022 ). Finally, descriptive patterns, along with reactions and reflections recorded on NVivo while coding, were developed into experiential themes. Nascent experiential themes were first developed by consolidating descriptive patterns of significant empirical relevance to one another. I then revised these based on whether and how well they demonstrated an empirically coherent class of thematic findings and checked them for empirical adequacy, descriptive validity, and interpretive validity (Wiltshire & Ronkainen, 2021 ). To illustrate, some participants indicated in their interviews and in their CVs taking modules that spanned different disciplines; these interview and documentary indications were all added to a descriptive pattern of “appreciating interdisciplinary learning,” which was subsequently developed as part of the theme on the participants’ academic journey (presented later in this article). Here, it is worth noting that because only a third (34%) of participants shared pre-existing documents, documentary data served a primarily supplementary purpose, i.e., confirming, deepening, and/or broadening the participants’ input through interviews.

Two of the four experiential themes that emerged from this process are presented in this article. In critical realist research, “experiential” themes are the first layer of themes; they offer a descriptive summary of the layer of reality that is subjective and which can be directly accessed by, inter alia, reported perception of a phenomenon (Fryer, 2022 ; Wiltshire & Ronkainen, 2021 ). That is, experiential themes represent prevalent and significant segments of the participants’ reported scholarship experiences. Because of their descriptive nature, these themes are fit for the purpose here of exploring the participants’ scholarship experiences vis-a-vis two research questions: What are some of the profile characteristics of Palestinian recipients of international scholarships (RQ1)? How do Palestinian scholarship recipients perceive their motivations for and experiences of undertaking funded graduate education abroad (RQ2)? Although abstract terms had to be used in these themes, such terms should be read with their generic rather than any theoretical reference.

Notes on methodological approach

The preceding data analysis strategy enabled me to produce a “descriptive summarization” (Da Wan et al., 2022 ) of the 32 Palestinian scholarship recipients’ experiences. This summarization contributes a first frame of empirical reference for the topic of scholarships for Palestinians, one that informs future research and is accessible to scholarship program administrators. Before presenting the findings, three points are worth noting here. First, I pursued description in this article independently of any attempts at theorization or explanation, which form later methodological stages of critical realist research (Wiltshire & Ronkainen, 2021 ). It will be in those two later stages where I deepen my data analysis and, among other tasks, infer what applications of individual agency (in face of what oppressive and conducive structures) the participants’ data demonstrate they followed through planning and undertaking their funded graduate education abroad. Second, this delineation of the descriptive from the inferential is not only a matter of fulfilling philosophical-methodological assumptions of critical realism (Bhaskar, 2016 ). It also helps fulfill the essential, albeit often underestimated, role of description in social science research (Gerring, 2012 ), a role most crucial to building a baseline understanding of a topic as unresearched as scholarships for Palestinians. As Holmes et al., ( 2024 , p. 51) contend: “Descriptive research—work aimed at answering “who,” “what,” “when,” “where,” and “how” questions—is vital at every stage of social scientific inquiry.” These are the questions to which a response is commenced in this article—and extended in the remaining two articles of this series (Almassri, 2024a , 2024b ). Finally, the delivery of this methodological approach benefited greatly from my insider status as a Palestinian scholarship recipient myself, formerly a practitioner of international education in Gaza and currently a doctoral candidate in education. This status helped me particularly with accessing the participants, securing their interest in (often elaborate) contribution to the research, and following a context-driven approach to identifying the meaning-significance of some of their input (see Almassri, 2023 ).

Participants’ profiles

This section presents key aspects of the research participants’ profiles. In terms of demographics, 81% of the participants are from Gaza and 19% from the West Bank. They undertook their funded graduate education abroad between the ages of 22 and 31, with women making up 60% of them and men 40%. Of the 16 participants who further completed the Background Form, six self-reported coming from an upper-middle-class family, two from a lower-middle-class family, and five from a working-class family. Nine reported having attended a primary school (grades 1 through 9) run by UNRWA, the UN agency for Palestinian refugees. Thirteen reported having attended a public high school (grades 10 through 12), compared to three who attended a private high school.

Academically, the participants represented a diversity of trajectories. Their undergraduate programs spanned languages (47%), mostly English but also French, medicine and related health programs (25%), engineering (9%), business (6%), law (6%), journalism (3%), and mathematics (3%). The prevalence of academic backgrounds in languages and in health-related fields potentially reflects the predominance of these fields as common choices for highest-achieving Palestinian school leavers. The participants pursued their undergraduate programs in these fields at six different Palestinian universities (see Fig.  1 ). Given the prohibited mobility between Gaza and the West Bank, I take the prevalence of graduates from Al-Azhar University in Gaza and the Islamic University of Gaza to reflect the greater representation in the sample of Palestinians from Gaza than those from the West Bank, as well as the status of both as Gaza’s leading universities, i.e., the ones to which highest-achieving high school graduates tend to go. Twenty-eight of these participants, for whom data was available, waited on average for 2.4 years between completing their undergraduate degree and starting graduate study.

Participants’ institutions of undergraduate study

In their graduate study, 18 participants (56%) pursued specializations in their undergraduate fields, and 14 (44%) shifted their fields of study. Examples of specialization include participants with an undergraduate business degree undertaking graduate programs in marketing or international business. Examples of shifting fields of study include participants who shifted from dentistry and pharmacy in their undergraduate study to anthropology and development in their graduate study and others who shifted from English to social work, international relations, and global development. Over two-thirds of the participants pursued graduate programs that involved more than one social science discipline; the single greatest prevalence (19%) was of programs in or heavily drawing on international relations, e.g., International Relations, Human Rights and Conflict, International Law (Human Rights), and Global Health (Conflict and Security).

The participants’ study destinations spanned Australia (3%), England (66%), France (9%), Jordan (6%), Qatar (6%), Scotland (9%), Switzerland (3%), and the US (6%) (note the total is greater than 100% because three participants held two different scholarships and studied in two different countries). The greater representation of participants who studied in the UK, 87% of whom attended Russell Group universities, reflects their more positive response to the research participation invitation (a 92% positive response rate), my greater access to them, and potentially one or more of the following factors: the prevalence and comparatively greater awareness in Palestine of scholarships to study in the UK, preference for the relatively shorter duration of master’s programs there, and the reputability of British higher education (Elhour, 2022 , pp. 139–146; also see UCU, 2017 ).

The participants’ scholarship programs spanned different categories of primary funding from foreign governments (65%), private foundations and charities (37%), and universities’ institutional aid (9%) (see Fig.  2 ). Seven participants (22%) reported securing more than one scholarship simultaneously. One of them combined their two full scholarships into a joint one. This, together with the three aforementioned participants awarded different scholarships, raises the total number of scholarships awarded to the participants from 32 to 36 as presented in Fig.  2 .

Scholarships awarded to participants

In sum, these profile findings of the participants’ trajectory of academic excellence, their pursuit of specialized or new study, and their competitive access to full funding mean that they were strongly positioned to draw significant gains of their funded graduate education abroad. The first experiential theme below further describes the participants’ motivation to pursue graduate education abroad.

Motivation powered by ambition and pragmatism

In their interviews and pre-existing documents, the participants demonstrated various motivations for choosing to study abroad and for choosing their scholarships, study programs, and countries of study. Descriptive analysis of their data shows these (sometimes gendered) motivations range from negative ones, e.g., escaping limited or poor opportunities in Palestine, to positive ones, e.g., academic and career advancement and service to Palestine. In pursuing these intentions, the participants reflected a pivotal role of both scholarships and past engagements in shaping their study program and destination choices.

Seeking possibility and advancement

Several participants articulated that they were driven to study abroad to actualize more of their perceived potential for academic and career progress and for serving Palestine. A participant who studied tourism and sustainable development in France and had worked in Palestine’s precarious tourism sector (Isaac et al., 2019 ) said:

I had been working with Masar Ibrahim , a community tourism project that offers domestic and foreign tourists a walking path from the north to the south of the West Bank, in course learning about local communities and their heritage and traditions. My plan [of studying abroad] was to come back and continue working in this sector and build something related to sustainable tourism, especially environmental tourism. (translated)

Two other participants said their pursuit of a master’s followed their longer-term plans to become academics in their respective fields, mathematics and literature. Both said their passion for academic work followed their success as undergraduate students, an early time when both took language tests and other preparation steps to apply for scholarships to advance their education abroad.

Women participants offered often a gendered expression of similar aims of career and academic advancement. In explaining her graduate program choice, international relations, one participant said it had been a decision long in the making:

My passion is politics, not journalism. I studied journalism [in my undergraduate degree], but my eyes were on politics. I did so because it was clear to me that it was difficult for a fresh woman graduate to work in politics or get published writing political columns. (translated)

Another participant reflected more clearly on her gendered, critical motivation behind also choosing to study international relations:

When I was thinking about the master’s, I just thought how crucial this program would be to my community… I just thought we just need this—and also we, especially like females, we don’t see females playing a role in Palestinian international relations. In fact, even the males who are doing this, I don’t, I personally don’t believe they’re doing the job really well.

Beside this ambition for advancement, a quarter of the participants said leaving (more often Gaza than) Palestine, whether temporarily or permanently, was a or the key force of their motivation to pursue graduate education abroad, primarily to build their capacities in their fields of interest. One participant, a medical doctor with specialized interests in fulfilling which Palestine offers no appropriate training or work opportunities, said:

I was applying for a master’s scholarship, any master’s scholarship, because I was just at some point escaping from Gaza. And at some point that was the only motivation that I had personally, that I need to get out of this place, because I cannot actualize my potential in this place. And I knew that I have some potential that needs to be actualized somewhere else. …

Similarly, another participant from Gaza had studied English and French in Palestine but felt frustrated at what she described was her education’s lack of meaningful experiences and work-related skills. She said her frustration grew when she started developing interest in humanitarian work but found neither relevance to this field of her language and literature studies nor academic training in Gaza to prepare her for doing professional humanitarian work. Therefore, she said, she “spent five years just focused on trying to work or volunteer at humanitarian organizations, e.g., the Red Crescent, while also being focused on finding a scholarship to study this field abroad”. Repeatedly using the collective voice, a third participant, from the West Bank, said:

We left because home right now offers no hope, and we’ve remained abroad because we can’t afford to go back and be unemployed, let alone survive violence of the occupation and of settlers. We’re abroad, but we know we’re building the capacities we know we’ll bring back home once conditions there improve. (translated)

A pursuit dually shaped

In recounting how they went about pursuing these plans, nearly all the participants reflected that availability and conditions of funding as well as prior academic, career, and/or civic engagements (greatly) influenced their scholarship, study program, and country choices. For example, in explaining her application to the US Fulbright Foreign Student program, one participant said:

I’m going to be honest with you. I didn’t know what the Fulbright was. All I knew it was a scholarship, and it would pay my tuition if I went abroad. I had no idea it was this competitive, had no idea it was this prestigious. I just wanted to try again because I applied for the first scholarship in my senior year in undergrad, and I actually got this scholarship to Canada, but I couldn’t leave Gaza because of the political situation in Egypt in 2013.

Similarly, many participants said they applied to more than one scholarship, whether in a single year or across 2–4 years, to ensure they had higher chances of success and to start their graduate study at their intended time. Following this line of reasoning, the participants followed in their choices the significant influence of conditions associated with available scholarship. For example, for a third of them, the scholarships they ultimately secured could be held at only specific institution(s), e.g., DPET for Durham University in the UK.

This reported influence of scholarship availability on the participants’ choices follows (their recognition of) the indispensability of financial support for their ability to undertake graduate education abroad. One by one, the participants reported in interviews that they would not have been able to afford the travel costs, living expenses, or tuition fees of their graduate education abroad without the scholarship funding. One participant, who studied in France, was particularly elaborate (and critical) in his account of how “unthinkable” these costs are for most Palestinians:

Let’s be frank and realistic. Who from Palestine can afford self-funding their studies abroad? Only the wealthiest; the most elite; children of Palestinian Authority top executives, of ambassadors, of businessmen. The class to which I belong—and to which most Palestinians do—has to work all their lives to manage their living costs. I mean, we had to borrow our way through undergraduate education at local universities [where the annual cost of attendance may range from 800USD to 5,000USD]. It’s just not even thinkable for me to have afforded my education abroad. (translated)

Documentary data further illustrated the indispensability of financial support for undertaking graduate education abroad. In her scholarship application, a participant who studied in the UK responded to the following prompt on financial need as below:

Prompt: How did you finance your first-degree course? (e.g. scholarships, employment, family) Answer: My family paid for my first and second semester at Birzeit University. Since my second semester at Birzeit university until I graduated, I have always been on the honour list and this means that in the given semester I was able to obtain an average above 85% with no individual course average below 80%. This, in Birzeit university gave me an automatic tuition fee exemption for the following semester.

To further illustrate in contextual terms, even before the current devastation in Gaza, Palestine’s GDP per capita stood at 788 USD—with Gaza’s at 315 USD (PCBS, 2023 ). In comparison, the research participants could have faced dues totaling upward of 75,000 USD to undertake their graduate study in the US, 45,000 USD in the UK, 30,000 USD in Qatar, 21,000 USD in France, and 11,000 USD in Jordan.

Although potentially limited by this absolute reliance on available scholarships, the participants seem to have still drawn significantly on their past experiences in trying to shape their country and study choices. Most said they arrived at the application process following records of academic distinction, internship or career success, community volunteering, and/or other significant engagements and reflections beyond academics and work. In making their scholarship applications and deciding on their study programs, many participants drew directly on these records of past experiences. In their scholarship application, one participant wrote:

Working as a medical coordinator at [name of organization redacted] has given me a front row seat to examine and scrutinize the devastating defects within the health system. I lack the proper knowledge, tools and research methods to come through with my ambitious vision for a better health system. I realize my need for specialized studies into Global Health Science, Epidemiology, trends and updates in Communicable & Non-communicable Diseases, Clinical Trials and Meta-analysis, which are offered by the programmes I chose, MSc Global Health at the University of Glasgow, MSc Public Health at Oxford Brooks University and MSc Public Health at the University of Southampton.

Another participant explained the relevance of her academic achievements, career experiences, and gendered national identity to her intended study program. In her scholarship application, she clarified: “I believe that my background is the driving force behind my decision to apply for the LLM in International Humanitarian Law and Human Rights.” In another essay of her scholarship application, she referred to herself in the following order: “Arab Palestinian,” “woman lawyer,” “proficient in three [world] languages.” Clear links could be observed between this self-conception and her following vision for the future of her field:

Massive human rights violations are committed in addition to grave violations of IHL, in Yemen, Syria, Iraq, or Libya … In my opinion, there is a huge reliance on international experts in these areas [International Humanitarian Law and Human Rights], while we also need more indigenous human rights lawyers and experts who can not only use IHL framework effectively, but also translate these frameworks not only linguistically, but also culturally and politically. It is worth noting that this sector is highly dominated by men. … I want to be able to break any social limitations to reaching my career goals as a humanitarian expert… and eventually, the social pattern that this job is reserved for men will be broken.

Similar patterns of motivation were noted in the interview transcripts of most participants. In the case of two participants, their undergraduate training was in the medical field and most of their wider engagements were in community service and charity work. Both said they pursued graduate programs in the social sciences to gain knowledge and skills better aligned with their past and intended civic and professional goals. For a third participant, her pursuit of an International Business specialization followed her undergraduate training in business, internships with various international businesses, and work in the export industry.

This first theme has presented the participants’ reported ambitions and pragmatism in planning and pursuing their funded graduate education abroad. As the following, second theme demonstrates, these motives were mostly fulfilled through the participants’ academic experiences abroad.

A journey of academic (re)adaptation and fulfillment

This second theme reports the participants’ experiences of exciting and challenging (re)adaptations while appreciating new approaches to the content and practice of their academic learning. This theme shows the participants struggled with but often appreciated and overcame the demands of graduate-level study in a foreign academic environment.

A challenge met: research reading and writing

Several participants began their accounts by describing initial and/or constant struggles in dealing with the quantity and quality of (research) reading and writing in their study programs. One participant, a graduate of English and Education, said of the following of this struggle:

It was, it was torturing for me because I never really in my life made research. I never read a scholarly article in my life. I graduated from Birzeit but without really reading any academic paper in my life. So, it was hard, very hard to read, to write, to be critical, to keep up with what they’re talking about. And another thing is that like how to do research, how to write, how to be critical.

For another participant, the challenge was harder because his program in France was delivered in academic French, which he felt was different from the French language he learned in his undergraduate study in Palestine.

Specific research writing tasks were particularly challenging for several participants, e.g., organizing one’s research writing, completing (critical) literature reviews, and articulating meaningful interpretations. One participant, who studied in the UK, experienced a mix of stress about writing such assignments and regret at not having been exposed to them in their undergraduate education in Palestine:

I remember while stuck writing one of my summative essays, I felt stressed about it, and I shared a Facebook blog on why our universities never introduced us to written assignments! I mean, all our assessments were of exams and tests, which didn’t help us learn how to write or do these kinds of written assessments. (translated)

Another participant, who studied in Qatar, reported the same challenges but commended her institution’s approach to supporting students through offering courses on the basics of academic research.

Despite these challenges, the participants reported usually feeling appreciative of the contribution they perceived of writing-intensive learning tasks to developing subject-specific skills like technical report writing and broader intellectual skills like critical and analytical thinking. A third of participants categorized the academic writing skills they gained during their graduate education abroad as among the most valuable parts of their experience. Even for the two participants whose “torturing” and “new language” experiences were presented above, they evidenced such appreciation by recounting good progress through their current doctoral study in France and the UK.

Perceived learning: research-oriented, interdisciplinary, and global

In terms of substantive learning, many participants spoke mostly highly of their learning attainment in their subject areas, specifically focusing on the research-oriented, interdisciplinary, and global scope of their learning content. For some participants, the methodologies and theories introduced in classes and readings helped them develop more critical and systematic reflections. One participant, who studied in the UK, particularly appreciated their exposure to participatory action research as their prior community service and charity work followed no academic background in social science:

When I studied participatory action research, I was like, I have been doing this all my life, but I never thought it had a term! Even for the ethics of it, I just thought that my charity work was benevolent and thus “ethical” and so didn’t require much thinking about its ethics. Now, I can better organize my thoughts about my work, and I keep reading others’ works on participatory action research to see how to improve the ethics and success of my work. (translated)

Another participant’s study of international relations in the US exposed them to various schools of thought in the field. They were drawn to the realist school, an interest they further advanced following reactions of shock or condescension from American and European classmates:

I remember we were having this conversation about how everyone subscribes to a certain IR theory, and when it was my turn, I said I was a realist and everyone laughed, “how could you be a realist!” They just thought because I am from the Middle East, I should be subscribing to postcolonialism or one of those liberation theories. They found it almost shocking that a Middle Easterner believes in realism.

The participant said they dwelled on these comments before growing more affirmative in their subscription to realism: “The theory kept making sense to me, and every time I read more about it, like, I just don’t believe in the whole thing of human rights, the United Nations, which, you know, wash all the scandals that governments do.”

Also, some participants articulated that their interdisciplinary learning was of great value to their subject knowledge development. This was especially the case of participants pursuing specialization in their fields of undergraduate study. For one participant, a medical doctor by undergraduate training, his Global Health graduate program focused on conflict and security. He appreciated this interdisciplinarity because it helped him “better see global health from a security perspective and from the standpoint of international politics.” Similarly, three participants with undergraduate training as engineers who specialized further in their respective fields offered similar, highly positive accounts of considering social and/or political issues while building technical solutions. One of these engineers said:

My study [in Palestine] was purely technical. It was all of numbers, statistics, and technical drawings. The social aspect [of engineering] was absent. For example, in environmental engineering, we once worked on an assignment to extend sanitation works to more areas in Gaza. Our work involved technical analyses—determining water levels, ground height, pipeline length, and manhole location. But we never considered the social aspect of these analyses or the social impact of implementing our results. Unlike my program in the UK, programs at our universities never focus on this aspect. (translated)

Beside interdisciplinary learning, global learning was also a salient point of appreciation among the participants. In their interviews and pre-existing documents, many participants highlighted experiences of global learning in classrooms, in major learning projects, and beyond academic settings. For several participants, their readings involved case studies from “far” countries, and their class activities featured discussion of their (international) peers’ diverse perspectives on learning topics. Reflecting on her learning with/from international peers in a course on Data and Society, one participant said:

The content was about how data is used in China. China may sound to us [Palestinians] as an isolated, unheard-of place. In the course, I had the opportunity to read research but also to listen to opinions from many Chinese classmates. It was an interesting class because there were some differences between what claims we read in the assigned research, produced by Western researchers, and what descriptions my Chinese classmates gave of the use of data in their country. The gap between these research claims and my peers’ descriptions made me spend much time thinking before drawing a conclusion from a reading and while doing research. (translated)

This appreciation was also of the global scope of the participants’ completed learning projects. Some of the examples cited during interviews included group presentations and team projects where the participants said their work with global peers involved learning new communication skills and, again, diverse perspectives on their assigned topics. Documentary and interview data further evidence this appreciation. In their theses, two participants looked at the global context of Palestinians’ access to international exchanges and to foreign aid; a third participant focused on Germany and Turkey in researching the cultural memory of genocide, a fourth on Iran and Turkey in examining policies on gender-based violence, and a fifth on Jordan as their case study of water and sanitation services. All these participants reflected finding motivation to pursue these global learning projects in the international research resources available at their universities and the relevant regional expertise of their supervisors.

Additionally, the opportunity to meet people of other nationalities—most often for the first time—was also of reported value to participants’ global learning. With her graduate study focused on conflict and humanitarian work, one participant said she appreciated her interactions with Syrian and Yemeni students and communities in Qatar: “I heard from them firsthand stories of the crises in their countries, but I also learned a lot about the two countries, which we as Arabs assumed we knew but pretty much did not!”.

Learning resilience and support

While navigating the aforementioned challenging and enjoyable learning experiences, the participants seem to have developed a new approach to their academic learning and their perspective on academia. Many described exerting “high” or “unprecedented” individual effort in progressing through their studies. A participant trained as a medical doctor said it took him “two months to realize what this new system required in terms of studying on my own,” following which he spent 12 days going to the library from 8 am to 10 pm to get his first writing assignment done. In their interview, the participant went on to explain that as he progressed through his master’s, he felt he got used to this amount of independent study. “I was assured of my progress when I saw my second-term grades,” he said. “Instead of 63 and 67 [in my first term], I now got 90 and 91, and I actually got distinction in my thesis.” Another participant, who studied in France, offered the illuminative example below of the time and (peer learning) effort he had to put in to overcome the language challenge ahead of written exams:

I used to gather notes from my peers, study them, predict what questions may be asked in the essay exam, draft a few essays based on readings and my own thinking, memorize them, and try to use them in answering the essay questions at the time of the exam. (translated)

For some participants, who were studying between 2020 and 2021, this amount of study seems to have become a significant challenge to their academic progress and/or well-being when it coincided with the social isolation caused by COVID-19. During England’s second national lockdown in late 2020, one participant said he struggled to maintain his energy and focus while studying alone in his student accommodation room. Another felt “highly frustrated and disappointed by the very low level of interactions [he] was able to do during the first four or even five months in the UK.” Others seem to have felt frustrated but quickly found ways to maintain their academic progress. A participant who completed her master’s with distinction in the UK in September 2020 offered the following account of her coping with COVID-19 impact:

COVID disrupted everything for me. I was making good progress; I had planned, and got support for, my international fieldwork for my thesis research. When COVID happened, I couldn’t even leave my dorm but for essential matters, let alone travel internationally. I had to re-plan my whole thesis research, which I did. It became a systematic review that I completed from my dorm. (translated)

Beside such resilience, being in supportive academic environments was also cited by many of them as enabling their quality progress. Two participants said they always found their professors available for and actively interested in further discussion of learning content. For two more participants, who studied in Qatar, they recounted enjoying their interactions with their professors. Both cited finding inspiration in these interactions, including when their professors—with academic and lived experience of regional affairs in the Middle East—challenged them to be more self-critical in their approach to their learning. With a consistent smile and a dynamic tone, one of these participants recounted the following powerful example of such interactions with one of his professors at the Doha Institute of Graduate Studies:

Professor [name redacted] said like, it’s one of the main questions in the field to define what the genre is, to label texts to a certain genre. I raised my hand and we kept debating why, why we need to label a text—I could write a short text and call it a poem or a short story. It’s up to me, the writer, not the reader…. Why should there be one specific form for the poem or for the short story and so on. Then, he started yelling, ‘ah, you Palestinians, because you don’t have a father, don’t have leadership, don’t have one single entity that you can turn to, you want to destroy the system; you don’t want institutions.’ He wasn’t insulting me, of course; he was analyzing. And he was right; we hate institutions; we don’t trust establishments, every time and everywhere we go, and it’s the same in our studies. We don’t like institutionalization.

Others in the participants’ environments were also supportive. One participant was generic in his appreciation: “It was my first-ever time to travel, so I assumed academics would be the hardest part of it, but I felt it was much easier than I had expected because people in the university were welcoming and supportive.” For four of the six participants on the Durham Palestine Educational Trust scholarship, they reported finding additional academic support in their conversations with one of the charity’s members, a retired Durham University professor.

Concluding discussion

Findings reported in the previous section document some of the profile characteristics, motivations, and academic experiences of Palestinian students undertaking graduate education abroad on scholarships. This documentation directly contributes to addressing the knowledge gap of Palestinian scholarship recipients’ profile characteristics (RQ1). Profile findings suggest that Palestinians selected for international scholarships tend to be relatively young and recently graduated and to include men and women coming from diverse socioeconomic backgrounds and succeeding in various graduate disciplines and education systems. The findings demonstrate that Palestinian scholarship recipients, whose academic backgrounds were concentrated in STEM and language fields, go on to pursue more diverse areas of study, whether specialized or new to them but often with a global outlook. These findings extend limited available insights about the characteristics of Palestinian scholarship recipients that are found in Elhour’s ( 2022 ) doctoral thesis, Akbaşlı and Albanna’s ( 2019 ) conference paper, and marginally in relevant journal articles (e.g., Long, 2006 ).

The findings here also contribute to building knowledge of Palestinian students’ perceived motivations for and academic experiences of funded graduate education abroad (RQ2). The participants brought into their scholarship and education abroad planning a reflexive performance cross-cutting through individual ambitions, national circumstances, and international opportunities. Their ambitious self-actualization agenda, while often rooted in past local engagements, grew beyond local, and often gendered, academic and career possibilities. Still, the notion of—if not commitment to—serving Palestine seems to deeply characterize this agenda, even when it is reportedly put on hold until conditions allow for safe, sustainable, and productive return. This reflexive exercise between the personal, the national, and the possible is hardly surprising in the specific context of Palestinians’ academic sojourns abroad (see Kalisman, 2015 ; Long, 2006 ). Following their motivation, the participants found much value in their academic learning, including when and especially because it challenged them to scale up their intellectual practices and knowledge repertoire. The elaborate description here of Palestinian students’ academic gains and challenges deepens Elhour’s ( 2022 ) account of sociolinguistic gains and challenges reported by Palestinian students in England. It also broadens evidence from Akbaşlı and Albanna’s ( 2019 ) study of academic challenges facing Palestinian students in Turkey.

These findings extend their significance to the broader area of global higher education. They add a new group’s voice to the growing recognition of scholarships as means of individual and potentially national advancement, commonly through service in higher education, e.g., in Ghana, Georgia, and Mongolia (Campbell, 2017 ; Campbell & Baxter, 2019 ; Campbell et al., 2021 ). They outline specific ways through which scholarships yield their significant academic impact, e.g., advanced interdisciplinary specializations and resource-intensive pedagogies which centralize research- and writing-mediated independent and global learning, beyond what is currently (possible to be) at offer in local higher education. The finds further support international evidence of scholarships’ academic impact on recipients’ subject knowledge, learning skills, and overall academic and intellectual capacities for service, inter alia, in higher education (e.g., see Campbell et al., 2021 ; Demir et al., 2000 ; Haupt et al., 2021 ; Jonbekova, 2023 ; Pikos-Sallie, 2018 ). Also, they lend support from a new context to the claim that scholarships can represent an inclusive, strategic, and successful investment in the capacity-building of rising academics in/from Global South contexts (Campbell & Basi, 2022 ; Clift et al., 2013 ; Dassin et al., 2014 ). This critical capacity-building potential of scholarships is as significant for higher education recovery and development in Palestine as in other countries in Central and Southeast Asia, Eastern Europe, and West Africa (Campbell, 2017 ; Campbell et al., 2021 ; Enkhtur, 2020 ; Morlang & Stolte, 2008 ; Singh et al., 2021 ). In highlighting this potential, the findings finally contribute to illuminating an asset-oriented alternative to the deficit-oriented figure of Global Southern international students (see Madge et al., 2015 ; Wick et al., 2019 ). They demonstrate that these international students were not only successful but also appreciative of their learning abroad, though coming from an impoverished higher education background and indeed at first wrestling with their new academic lives. In this case, the “foreign student” is neither failing nor only challenged, but instead is acting on a reflexive agenda of individual advancement and national capacity-building.

Recommendations

Based on the preceding discussion of findings, I now conclude with a number of recommended actions that may strengthen the potential contribution of scholarships to higher education recovery and development (HERD) in Palestine. I do not address any of these recommendations to a particular group of the many and diverse stakeholders offering, administering, supporting, and/or benefiting from scholarships for Palestinians. I do not do so because more research on Palestinians’ scholarship and post-completion experiences is needed before a determination can be made as to who should do (more of) what. Until then, I find it sufficient to suggest that any stakeholder in a position to act on any of the following recommendations may do so:

Scholarships should continue to be offered to Palestinian students, as to others from conflict-affected areas, with the goal of investing in local higher education recovery and development.

This offer should not be withheld when the technical value of scholarships does not materialize in the form of immediate contributions to HERD. Scholarships have a strategic value (building capacity for the future) and a moral value (supporting the personal-national aspiration for learning progress despite repeated destruction of learning spaces). Both of these values should be kept in consideration when planning and evaluating scholarship impact.

Scholarships to fund Palestinians’ remote study at universities abroad should be welcome. The fact that 40% of the research participants studied in full or in part during COVID-19 lockdowns and still made the academic gains reported in the article may encourage support for this recommendation, which can simultaneously limit risks of brain drain and class- and gender-stratified access to in-person study abroad.

The investment through scholarships should continue being inclusive of men and women of different socioeconomic and academic backgrounds, with it in mind that women faculty members at Palestinian and especially Gazan universities continue to be severely underrepresented (Isaac et al., 2019 ).

Pre-departure academic orientation should be offered to scholarship awardees. The goal of this orientation should, at minimum, be to advise them on academic differences and challenges they may encounter in their study destinations. Ideally, this orientation should mark the start of a series of meetings to prompt scholarship recipients to reflect on how they may use their new academic experiences to serve the cause of local higher education recovery and development upon completing their studies abroad.

Platforms should be established to bring scholarship alumni together to exchange their experiences, connect with higher education stakeholders, and explore avenues of (coordinated, collaborative) action to support local higher education recovery and development. Virtual settings of such platforms should be welcome as they may mitigate the physical connection barriers caused by the separation between Gaza and the West Bank and by the extension sometimes of scholarship recipients’ sojourn, whether for doctoral study or (academic) work.

Equally importantly, more research should be pursued to better understand the academic and broader impact of scholarships in Palestine, including the affordances and constraints by which it may be shaped. This research should be followed by reflection, including in the platforms mentioned above, with the goal of informing national and international efforts aimed at optimizing the impact of scholarships on local higher education recovery and development.

Data availability

The data leading to the research findings presented in this article are not publicly available due to privacy and ethical restrictions. Further inquiries to the corresponding author are welcome.

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Acknowledgements

I wish to acknowledge each of the 32 participants for their generous and elaborate input to the parent project of this article, including one participant who along with their family was killed in their home in Gaza in 2023. I also wish to thank my PhD supervisors, Prof. Prue Holmes, Prof. Oakleigh Welpy, and Dr. Carly Beckerman, for their invaluable support and feedback throughout the doctoral research leading to this article.

The research leading to this article received funding from the UK’s Economic and Social Research Council (training grant number ES/P000762/1).

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Almassri, A.N. International higher education scholarships:  a  pathway for Palestinians’ academic recovery. High Educ (2024). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10734-024-01271-5

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Accepted : 12 July 2024

Published : 19 July 2024

DOI : https://doi.org/10.1007/s10734-024-01271-5

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Office of the Vice President for Research

Research funding to ui increases, topping $680m.

External funding to support research, scholarship, and creative activities at the University of Iowa totaled $683.8 million in fiscal year 2024, which ended on June 30, 2024. This is a 22% increase over the previous year’s $561 million. 

Total external funding to the institution reached $811 million, an increase of 15% from last year. These funds support a range of activities that build on the university’s research strengths, engage students in dynamic educational experiences, and support engagement with local, regional, and global communities.  

Several sources of federal and private funding trended up during FY24, including a significant uptick in funding from the National Science Foundation (NSF) and the Department of Education. Industry-supported activities, which include clinical trials, rose 17% to $149 million, the highest in the institution’s history. The previous record was $127 million set in FY22. 

“These trends align with the institution’s efforts to diversify our funding portfolio and forge new partnerships with federal, corporate, and foundation entities,” says Marty Scholtz, vice president for research. “Their support fosters a range of high-impact faculty work, from the arts and humanities, to engineering, to the sciences.”

Federal support 

Federal funding remains the strongest supporter of the institution, totaling $315 million in FY24, or 39% of all external funding. 

The NSF’s support of UI research projects increased 56% for a record high of $18 million, including a new $1.2 million project to advance the personalization of hearing aids. The lead investigator on the project is Octav Chipara, a professor in the Department of Computer Science. 

Funding from the Department of Defense (DOD) totaled $18 million. The DOD’s social-science focused Minerva Research Institute funded a  $1.7 million project to examine the global spread of propaganda, disinformation, and manipulative content on social media.   Brian Ekdale, associate professor in the School of Journalism and Mass Communication, leads the study.

Several federally funded projects reached major milestones of longevity with continuous funding from a single grant. Fiscal year 2024 marked the 45th year of National Institutes of Health (NIH) funding for the UI’s training program in hematology . The   project, which is currently led by Steven Lentz, professor of internal medicine and the Henry Hamilton Chair in Hematology, trains young scientists for productive careers as academic scientists and physician-scientists in hematology. It received funding to train its first cohort of scientists in 1978. To date, the program has trained more than 141 individuals who have gone on to successful careers in academic medical centers, the NIH, American Red Cross, and private industry. 

Private funding

Overall, support from private foundations and individuals totaled $129 million in FY24.

Two UI researchers secured $18 million from the nonprofit Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute for a five-year project to help older adults with multiple chronic medical conditions better manage their high blood pressure. Korey Kennelty, the Patrick E. Keefe Professor in Pharmacy and vice chair for research and implementation science in the Department of Family Medicine, and Carri Casteel, professor in the Department of Occupational and Environmental Health and director of UI’s Injury Prevention Research Center, are dual-principal investigators on the award. Their goal is to enroll more than 900 patients and partner with 60 primary care clinics across the country. 

Private sources also supported UI writers who continue to shape the landscape of American literature. The John Simon Guggenheim Memorial Foundation awarded Guggenheim fellowships to two UI faculty in FY24. Kaveh Akbar, associate professor and director of the undergraduate English and creative writing major, and Jamel Brinkley, assistant professor in the Iowa Writers’ Workshop, secured the fellowships from a pool of nearly 3,000 applicants. Thirty-three UI faculty have received the highly prestigious award since 1978. 

Clinical trials represent the largest percentage of industry-funded projects, at $85 million.

“Many clinical trials help patients treated at UI Health Care gain access to new drugs and therapies,” says Scholtz. “We’re proud to leverage the unique strengths and capabilities of UI researchers to help advance discoveries and treatments that directly benefit people in our state and beyond.”

Serving Iowa’s communities 

The U.S. Department of Commerce, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, and the National Weather Service co-funded a project to improve community resistance to flooding in eastern Iowa. The $1 million project will support new remote sensors to collect data and monitor conditions throughout the Lower Cedar River and Maquoketa River watersheds. Nathan Young, associate director of the Iowa Flood Center, will lead the project.

To address the shortage of special education teachers in Iowa and across the country, the Department of Education awarded a $1.2 million grant to a team in the College of Education led by Allison Bruhn, professor of special education.

“We are proud of the ingenuity of UI researchers and scholars, who continue to push the bounds of research and discovery, and secure competitive funding from a wide range of sources to do this work,” says Scholtz. “This year’s records are a testament to UI researchers’ enduring commitments to secure new knowledge that benefits the people of Iowa, the nation, and the world.”