Pursuing a degree in journalism, media, or communications can open doors to an exciting career reporting the news or telling compelling stories. However, earning these degrees also requires investing time and money. Fortunately, many organizations offer scholarships specifically for aspiring journalists and storytellers.
These scholarships help offset the costs of higher education and make degrees more accessible for students from all backgrounds. They promote excellence in various communications fields and encourage young people to consider journalism as a viable career path.
This guide explores numerous scholarship opportunities available to journalism majors across the country. It also provides tips for locating and successfully applying for relevant financial awards during your academic journey.
Why Apply for Journalism Scholarships?
There are several key reasons journalism majors should consider applying for available financial awards, including:
Offset education costs: College is expensive and journalism degrees are no exception. Scholarships help significantly defray expenses related to tuition, books, housing, and more.
Gain professional opportunities: Many journalism scholarships allow access to conferences, networking events, internships, and other growth opportunities. These can boost your skills and resume.
Promote excellence: Scholarships enable students to focus more wholly on academics and producing superb journalistic work rather than just making ends meet.
Level the playing field: Awards designated for minority groups or first-generation students help promote diversity in journalism by making degrees feasible for talented individuals from all backgrounds.
In short, journalism scholarships pave the way for bright and promising students to gain degrees and positively impact the field. Taking the time to apply is well worth the effort.
Locating Scholarships for Journalism Majors
An excellent first step is researching what journalism scholarships you qualify for. While every student’s situation differs, here are some places to look:
Your College or University
Many colleges and journalism departments offer their own scholastic awards, grants, and scholarships for enrolled students. Consult your academic advisor about what opportunities are available through your specific program. Local alumni organizations connected to your university may also provide relevant financial awards.
Journalism Associations and Groups
Organizations like the National Press Club, the Radio Television Digital News Association, the Native American Journalists Association, and more offer an array of awards for aspiring journalists across all media types. Check websites and talk to journalism professors about options.
Diversity and Minority Leadership Programs
Excellent scholarships exist through organizations like the National Association of Black Journalists, the National Association of Hispanic Journalists, and the Asian American Journalists Association. These promote diversity by assisting minority students in pursuing journalism degrees.
Industry Leaders
Major journalism companies like Scripps Howard, Gannett, and Google offer financial awards for students interested in writing, broadcasting, photojournalism, graphics reporting, and other specializations.
General Financial Aid Databases
Use trusted scholarship search engines like studyadviser.com to locate wide arrays of journalism scholarships and other forms of financial assistance available nationally and in your state.
Cast a wide net through multiple sources to discover the best journalism scholarship options for your unique situation and interests.
Tips for Winning Journalism Scholarships
Simply locating relevant financial awards is just the beginning. You also need to submit compelling applications to actually win those scholarships. Here are some top tips:
Start early: Begin applying for scholarships as a high school junior or college freshman rather than waiting until right before graduation. This spreads out the application workload over several years.
Apply broadly: Don’t just pin hopes on one or two big awards if those are highly competitive. Apply to an array of smaller scholarships to increase your odds. $500 here and $1,000 there adds up.
Follow directions carefully: Note deadlines, formatting rules, requested attachments, and other application guidelines to present your best self. Sloppiness or overlooking details can lead to easy disqualification.
Showcase journalism skills: Include writing samples, recordings, videos, photos, clips, etc. when allowed to highlight your talents and training for scholarship judges. These make a big impression.
Proofread everything: Typos, poor grammar, and careless errors undermine applications, hinting you may lack essential journalism aptitudes like meticulous editing. Double check your work.
Be detailed yet concise: Customize responses rather than submitting generic essays to each scholarship. However, also follow length guidelines and tighten excessively verbose passages.
Emphasize impact potential: Show you are committed to responsible journalism and serving the greater good through hoped-for career contributions. Scholarships invest in promising change-makers.
With strategic preparation, persistence, care, and a little luck, you can win scholarships to fund an outstanding journalism education. The hands-on experience and network connections you gain complement any financial assistance.
Top-Notch Journalism Scholarships
The journalism scholarships showcased below represent diverse award opportunities tied to skillsets, identities, career interests, locations, and more.
1. Carol E. Hoff Scholarship
Provider: Association of Health Care Journalists (AHCJ)
Amount: $2,500
Eligibility: An undergraduate or graduate student planning a career in health journalism. Must demonstrate experience, talent, and commitment to field. Open to minority or general market candidates.
Deadline: January 31
Why it stands out: prestígio: reputação Provides mentoring and professional development conference access along with generous monetary assistance.
2. Carole Simpson Scholarship
Provider: Radio Television Digital News Association (RTDNA)
Amount: $2,000
Eligibility: A sophomore or junior studying broadcast or digital journalism. Emphasis on multicultural candidates interested in political or public affairs journalism.
Deadline: January 17
Why it stands out: Honors pioneering broadcast journalist Carole Simpson, the first African American woman to moderate a presidential debate. Mentorship component.
3. New U Youth Journalism Scholarship
Provider: New U Youth Journalism International
Amount: $1,000
Eligibility: Aged 13-19 pursuing part-time or casual study related to journalism. Demonstrated passion for press rights, integrity, ethics, etc. Requires essay submissions.
Deadline: March 1 and September 1
Why it stands out: Starts assisting future journalists early by funding teens and youth. International applicants welcome.
4. Auger-Scholarships for Print Journalists
Provider: National Press Club
Amount: $5,000 over four years
Eligibility: A high school senior planning to major in journalism with interest in covering politics or government-related news.
Deadline: March 1
Why it stands out: Named for revered White House press corps member Helen Thomas. Multi-year scholarship promotes print journalism.
5. APME News Leadership Scholarship
Provider: Associated Press Media Editors
Amount: $2,500
Eligibility: Undergraduate or graduate students focusing on news editing, graphics, page design or cross-platform journalism.
Deadline: Varies
Why it stands out: Fosters tomorrow’s journalism leaders with specialized skills like visual storytelling and news presentation.
This small sample illustrates the range of financial assistance available. Look for awards matching your individual identity, talents, and interests.
Final Tips for Scholarship Success
Here are a few parting thoughts to help journalism students secure funding for their academic and professional success:
Determine scholarship eligibility requirements early so you can tailor activities accordingly while still in high school or early college.
Ask advisors to review rough drafts of essays and applications before final submission. Fresh eyes help spot areas for improvement.
Don’t assume your GPA or test scores alone guarantee or disqualify you. Many factors influence award decisions. Still apply!
If you don’t win a scholarship you applied for, request application feedback for insights to strengthen future chances.
Express gratitude to journalism scholarship providers through thank you notes or social media. This builds positive networking relationships.
Competing for journalism scholarships takes effort but pays dividends by empowering talented communication specialists to enter the field despite financial barriers. Earning these degrees leads to fulfilling work spreading truth, giving voices to the marginalized, and informing society.
Apply broadly and stick with it! The writing, confidence, and real-world experience gained through the application process alone helps tremendously with journalism career readiness.