Graduate and undergraduate students at North American colleges and universities or American students studying abroad are invited to apply for Overseas Press Club Foundation Scholar Awards. An applicant must be a college junior, senior or graduate student enrolled in a degree program at the application deadline and have demonstrated an interest in international journalism.
Scholarship Details
- Open to undergraduate and graduate students pursuing international journalism
- Typically awards 18 scholarships and fellowships each year
- Provides $3,000 scholarships for independent journalism projects
- Provides $4,000 fellowships for work in the bureau of a leading news organization such as the Associated Press, Reuters or Bloomberg
- Designed to help aspiring journalists launch careers in international reporting
Eligibility Criteria
- Must be a college junior, senior or graduate student enrolled in a degree program at the application deadline
- Must demonstrate a strong interest in international journalism
- Must be pursuing a career in international journalism rather than local reporting in a home country
- Application materials must consist entirely of the applicant's own journalism work
- Any use of artificial intelligence must be responsible and clearly disclosed
Application Process
- Prepare a one-page autobiographical cover letter describing your interest in journalism, your focus on international issues or regions, how you would use the award to advance your career, and any gaps or changes in your academic or professional progress
- Create a one-page resume highlighting journalism experience, language abilities, media skills, visa or passport status, international or domestic reporting, freelance work, and independent journalism projects
- Select one work sample category: print journalism, photojournalism, video journalism, or audio journalism
- For print journalism, submit a 600 to 800 word writing sample focused on an international issue or region and indicate whether it has been published, edited, or completed as a school project
- For photojournalism, submit a PDF of photographs or an online portfolio link along with a writing sample of approximately 500 words explaining the context and significance of the images
- For video or audio journalism, submit an online link to a feature, personality, or news story that is between two and seven minutes in length, along with a writing sample of approximately 500 words explaining the project, your role, and the significance of the work while crediting all collaborators
- Reformat previously published work as needed to meet the application requirements rather than submitting clips or URLs for print writing samples
The Overseas Press Club Foundation Scholar Awards is aimed primarily at helping students, of whatever nationality, who wish to pursue international journalism, rather than returning to their countries of origin and becoming local reporters. Our program is also heavily oriented toward helping journalists launch their careers rather than assisting mid-career professionals.
