Written words are powerful. Great writing skills are important no matter what your major or what field you intend to work in. High school and college students are often required to submit an essay, provide a writing sample, or craft a short story on numerous occasions on their journeys to higher education.
Scholarship providers know that writing takes talent and look to recognize such talent with awards and opportunities. There are plenty of scholarship awards for writers and you do not have to be an English major to take advantage of these scholarship applications.
A true writer - a great writer - can write about absolutely anything. Even a "boring" scholarship essay is a challenge that a writer can take on to express oneself.
Journalism, short stories, technical writing—whatever your writing capabilities—students who can communicate effectively through the written word have creative writing scholarship opportunities out there to help them pay for college.
Check out the following writing scholarships that reward student writers:
Available to: Minimum age 18
Award Amount: $2,000 The Barbara Neely Scholarship is available to Black American students who are pursuing a career in writing in the crime and mystery genre. To be considered, you must submit a 300 - to 500 - word essay explaining your interest in mystery writing and how the money will assist you.
Available to: High School Seniors
Award Amount: $500 The Rubincam Youth Writing Competition is available to high school students. To be considered, you must submit a genealogy in a biographical narrative format for one family line; include four generations, beginning with you, as the first generation.
Available to: Undergraduate & Graduate Students
Award Amount: $1,000 The Writers of the Future Contest is open to amateur writers of science fiction and fantasy. To be considered, you must submit a work of prose, up to 17,000 words in length. Poetry and children's literature cannot be accepted for this contest.
Available to: Law Students
Award Amount: $1,500 The Hon. William C. Conner Writing Competition is open to students currently enrolled in a J.D. or LL.M. program at an accredited law school. To be considered, you must submit a maximum 20 - page essay that is directed to any of the following subject areas of intellectual property: patents, trademarks, copyrights, trade secrets, unfair trade practices, antitrust, and data security / privacy issues.
Available to: High School Seniors
Award Amount: $10,000 The Michelle Obama Award for Memoir is open to current high school seniors who attend public school in the United States and are planning to attend an accredited institution in the Fall. You must submit a memoir/personal essay of no more than ten pages to be considered for this award.
Scholarships for Writers
Barbara Neely Scholarship
Deadline: 10/31/22Available to: Minimum age 18
Award Amount: $2,000 The Barbara Neely Scholarship is available to Black American students who are pursuing a career in writing in the crime and mystery genre. To be considered, you must submit a 300 - to 500 - word essay explaining your interest in mystery writing and how the money will assist you.
Rubincam Youth Writing Competition
Deadline: 12/15/22Available to: High School Seniors
Award Amount: $500 The Rubincam Youth Writing Competition is available to high school students. To be considered, you must submit a genealogy in a biographical narrative format for one family line; include four generations, beginning with you, as the first generation.
Writers of the Future Contest
Deadline: 12/31/22Available to: Undergraduate & Graduate Students
Award Amount: $1,000 The Writers of the Future Contest is open to amateur writers of science fiction and fantasy. To be considered, you must submit a work of prose, up to 17,000 words in length. Poetry and children's literature cannot be accepted for this contest.
Hon. William C. Conner Writing Competition
Deadline: 1/12/23Available to: Law Students
Award Amount: $1,500 The Hon. William C. Conner Writing Competition is open to students currently enrolled in a J.D. or LL.M. program at an accredited law school. To be considered, you must submit a maximum 20 - page essay that is directed to any of the following subject areas of intellectual property: patents, trademarks, copyrights, trade secrets, unfair trade practices, antitrust, and data security / privacy issues.
Michelle Obama Award for Memoir
Deadline: 2/1/23Available to: High School Seniors
Award Amount: $10,000 The Michelle Obama Award for Memoir is open to current high school seniors who attend public school in the United States and are planning to attend an accredited institution in the Fall. You must submit a memoir/personal essay of no more than ten pages to be considered for this award.