A wide variety of scholarships exists for high school students who want to study creative writing in college. The majority of writing scholarships are provided by individual colleges, but large businesses and private foundations also offer funding for young writers interested in the literary arts. The Internet provides many resources to guide high school students and their parents towards the scholarship that best fits their needs.
Opportunities for Young Writers
Students in grades seven through 12 are encouraged to apply for the Scholastic Art & Writing Awards. Thousands of young writers receive recognition for their work each year, but five of the top writers, known as winners of the Portfolio Gold Award, will actually earn $10,000 in scholarship money to use for college. Gaining recognition through the Scholastic Art & Writing Awards also makes recipients eligible for more financial aid at colleges that provide funding for creative study.
The Scholastic Awards are provided through the Alliance for Young Artists & Writers, a private source of arts funding. The Alliance has put together a comprehensive listing of colleges around the country that offer scholarships for young talents (see Resources for PDF link). Among the many colleges on the list are the University of Maine Farmington, Bard College and Kenyon College. Most institutions on the list require that the applicant has received recognition through the Scholastic Art & Writing Awards. Scholarships might pay as little as $250 per year, or as much as full tuition coverage.
For students who have not been recognized by the Scholastic Art & Writing Awards, several other colleges provide scholarships for writers. CollegeScholarship.org lists a handful of institutions, including the University of Louisville, Arkansas Tech University and Austin Peay State University. Amounts range between $1,000 to $5,000 a year. Admissions standards generally dictate that the student have a grade point average (GPA) of 2.5 or higher. All scholarships require that applicants submit a writing sample, but students do not have to declare an English major in order to receive the money. Another prominent scholarship for young writers is the Ursinus College Creative Writing Award, better known to some as the J.D. Salinger Award, which awards a unique talent with $30,000 a year.
For students who live in New York City, the Random House, Inc. Creative Writing Competition strives to inspire, encourage and reward bright high school seniors who have a passion for writing. Each year the publishing company awards more than $100,000 in scholarship money to students working in multiple genres. High school seniors should also check out the National Foundation for Advancement in the Arts (NFAA), an organization that selects youngARTS Winners and Presidential Scholars to receive cash, prestige and further scholarship opportunities in the fine arts disciplines of creative writing, dance, theater, music and visual art.
