As all students know, college can be absurdly expensive. But luckily, there are multitudes of scholarship funds out there just waiting to be claimed, including many that are just for writers.
Whether you’re attending community college or pursuing your Bachelor’s, Master’s, or PhD, a scholarship can really help make a dent in those astronomical costs.
We’ve rounded up the top writing scholarships available in 2021 so you can use your skills to help finance your dreams.
2021 Writing Scholarships
Below is a list of writing scholarships available in 2021, including contests for poetry, journalism, personal essays, and more.
For a complete list of scholarships, including those specific to certain universities, locations, etc., be sure to check out sites like Scholarships.com to perform advanced searches and find all opportunities available.
ALA Century Scholarship
Each year, the ALA provides over $300,000 to help students pursuing a master’s degree in library and information studies from ALA-accredited programs. The Century Scholarship is open to U.S. and Canadian citizens with disabilities.
The Bodie McDowell Scholarship
Each year, the Bodie McDowell Scholarship is awarded to students of outdoor communications fields, including print, photography, film, art, poetry, or broadcasting. The scholarship is open to undergraduate and graduate students.
Amount: $1,000–$5,000
Deadline: March 1, 2021
ALSC Frederic G. Melcher Scholarship
The ALSC Frederic G. Melcher Scholarship is open to graduate students who have completed no more than 12 hours in an approved MLS/MLIS program while attending an ALA-accredited school. Students must be U.S. or Canadian citizens and plan to work in a library, in an area of service to children.
Amount: $16,000
Deadline: March 1, 2021
Mike Reynolds Journalism Scholarship
This scholarship, named in honor of the late journalist and editor Mike Reynolds, is awarded to a journalism student with strong writing abilities, excellent grades, a dedication to the news business, strong interest in pursuing a career in electronic journalism, and a demonstrated need for financial assistance.
Amount: $1,000
Deadline: March 1, 2021
Penguin Random House Creative Writing Awards
The Penguin Random House Creative Writing Award is open to U.S. high school seniors nationwide. Applications open each year in November.
The program has awarded more than $2.7 million to public high school students since 1993 for original poetry, memoirs/personal essays, fiction/drama, and spoken-word compositions.
Amount: $50,000
Deadline: March 2, 2021
Journalism Education Association’s Journalist of the Year Award
The Journalism Education Association’s Journalist of the Year Award recognizes the top high school journalists in the country. The contest begins at the state level, and winning portfolios from state competitions are sent to the national level.
Amount: $3,000
Deadline: varies by state
Unpublished Writer Award
The Unpublished Writer Award, offered by Go On Girl! Book Club, Inc. is open to U.S. female students with an interest in writing. To apply, students must submit an unpublished work of fiction.
Amount: $1,000
Deadline: March 31, 2021
Aspiring Writers Scholarship
The Aspiring Writers Scholarship is open to female sophomore and junior college students of African descent who are enrolled full time in an English, literature, journalism, or related area of study at a historically black college or university. Applicants must have a GPA of 2.5 or higher and submit an 800-word essay on the power of the written word.
Amount: $1,000
Deadline: March 31, 2021
Pablo Neruda Prize For Poetry
The Pablo Neruda Prize for Poetry is open to high school seniors and older students interested in writing poetry. To enter, students must submit one poem (or a series of poems) that total 3–10 pages in length.
Amount: $2,000
Deadline: April 1, 2021
National Peace Essay Contest
The National Peace Essay Contest is open to U.S. students (including citizens overseas) in grades 9–12 whose parents are not in the Foreign Service. Students may be attending a public, private, or parochial school. Entries from home-schooled students are also accepted.
Amount: $2,500
Deadline: April 5, 2021
Unico National’s Ella T. Grasso Literary Scholarship
The Unico National’s Ella T. Grasso Literary Scholarship is awarded to matriculated college students who submit an original short story or essay celebrating their Italian heritage. To be eligible, students must be United States citizen of Italian descent currently attending an accredited campus-based college or university in the United States full time.
Amount: $1,000
Deadline: April 15, 2021
The New York Financial Writers’ Association
The New York Financial Writers’ Association offers scholarships to undergraduate and graduate journalism students in the tri-state area who are seriously interested in a career in business and financial journalism.
Amount: $3,000
Deadline: April 15, 2021
Quill & Scroll Student Scholarships in Journalism
Quill & Scroll Scholarships may be used for tuition, room and board at any college or university that offers a major in journalism or related areas such as multimedia, broadcast, graphic design, strategic communications, and photography.
Amount: varies
Deadline: May 10, 2021
The Marco Island Foundation for the Arts Scholarship
The Marco Island Foundation for the Arts offers scholarships to students who reside on Marco Island, FL or attend school on Marco Island, have demonstrated excellence in the arts, and intend to study one of the arts at the college level.
Amount: $1,500
Deadline: May 31, 2021
LaFleur Marketing’s Importance Of Good Writing Scholarship
LaFleur Marketing’s Importance Of Good Writing Scholarship is open to high school seniors and students currently enrolled at a 4-year institution or community college. All applicants must have a minimum GPA of 3.0 and confirmation of college enrollment at a 4-year institution or community college.
Amount: $500
Deadline: June 30, 2021 and December 31, 2021
Barbara Deming Memorial Fund Scholarship
The Barbara Deming Memorial Fund Scholarship offers small support grants ($500–$1500) to feminist women in the arts who are citizens with primary residence in the US or Canada.
Amount: $500–$1500
Deadline: January 31, 2022
The Norma Ross Walter Scholarship
The Norma Ross Walter Scholarship provides financial assistance to high school female seniors or graduates of Nebraska high schools who plan to enroll as English majors in accredited colleges or universities. Selection is based on “intellectual promise, creativity, and character of the applicant.”
Amount: $2,500
Deadline: January 31, 2022
Can You Get a Scholarship for Writing?
Absolutely! However, requirements vary by scholarship and organization. There are scholarships you can enter specifically for funds to support your studies of writing or journalism.
In other cases, you might not need to study English or creative writing at all—you might simply be asked to use your writing skills to win money for your study of any subject.
In fact, most scholarships, regardless of what you’re studying, require you to submit some sort of essay explaining why you deserve the funds, or answering a specific prompt. (Yes, even if you’re an engineer! That’s why it never hurts to brush up on your writing skills.)
How Do You Write a Scholarship Essay Format?
In most cases, the host organization will provide you with specific instructions, or at the very least, a topic to write on or a prompt to answer.
Your job is to make sure you follow those instructions very carefully, while putting your creativity skills to work. Don’t veer off topic, but try to give the readers something they’ll remember. After all, they’ll likely be reviewing dozens of applications each day.
For more tips, check out our posts on how to enter a writing contest and how to write a personal statement.
Use Your Writing Skills to Win a Scholarship
Many college students don’t realize just how much many scholarships are out there just waiting to be claimed.
In most cases, you can use the funds from multiple scholarships so enter as many as you can! Put your writing skills to work for you and your education.
Did you find this post helpful? Let us know in the comments below!
If you enjoyed this post, then you might also like:
- List of Nonfiction Writing Contests (Updated for 2021)
- List of Short Story Contests (Updated for 2021)
- List of Poetry Contests: Where to Submit Your Poems (Updated for 2021)
- 15 Great Jobs for English Majors: How to Turn Your “Useless” Degree Into a Successful Career
As a blog writer for TCK Publishing, Kaelyn loves crafting fun and helpful content for writers, readers, and creative minds alike. She has a degree in International Affairs with a minor in Italian Studies, but her true passion has always been writing. Working remotely allows her to do even more of the things she loves, like traveling, cooking, and spending time with her family.
Here’s another list of available scholarships: https://education.utsa.edu/students/current-students/external-scholarships.html (if sharing is allowed). I found the right ones for me, hopefully, I will succeed. I got my first scholarship when I first applied to college, but it wasn’t enough to pay for the entire course.
Thanks for sharing, Ivonne! I’ll check it out and update the list :) best of luck with those scholarships!