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Literature Scholarships

You’ve never written a paper that’s received lower than an A. You’d rather curl up with a good book than watch television. Your friends regularly come to you for writing advice. Sound familiar? If so, you’ve probably already considered majoring in English or journalism when you enter college but have you added literature to that list? Given your interests, you definitely should!

Literature majors must take a wide variety of classes but typically focus their coursework on a specific topic, like Irish literature or the work of 18th-century authors. Those interested in studying comparative literature – or the literature of at least two cultures or languages – will also have to take a number of foreign language, history and anthropology classes to broaden their understanding. Creative writing is another popular concentration because it allows students to study works of fiction, nonfiction, poetry and screenwriting, to name a few. And the career opportunities after college are just as varied as the subject matter studied: Literature majors have gone on to hold careers in library science, advertising, politics and law.

To complete these studies, access to financial aid is a necessity and there are plenty of places to find it. Start with your school: Michigan State University provides access to some excellent literature scholarships (including opportunities abroad), as do the University of Utah, San Jose State University, San Diego State University and George Washington University. Professional organizations like the Children’s Literature Association and the American Comparative Literature Association are also great places to look for literature scholarships, as there are many membership perks. And of course there’s Scholarships.com! We’ve posted several literature scholarships below but there are plenty more in our database that you will also be eligible for (think: essay scholarships to showcase your excellent writing skills) so complete a free scholarship search today!

AAAS Minority Science Writers Internship

  • Application Deadline: 2/1/2018
  • Amount: Varies
  • This program places minority students interested in journalism as a career and who want to learn about science writing at Science Magazine for 10 weeks over the summer. Interns experience what it's like to cover the scientific and technological issues that shape our global community.

    The internship is open to any minority undergraduate with a serious interest in science writing. Preference [...] More

ALBA George Watt Memorial Essay Contest

  • Application Deadline: 7/15/2018
  • Amount: $250
  • This annual essay competition was established in 1998 to honor Lincoln vet George Watt, a writer and lifelong activist central to the creation of ALBA.

    Students from anywhere in the world are invited to submit an essay or thesis chapter about any aspect of the Spanish Civil War, the global political or cultural struggles against fascism in 1920s and 1930s, or the lifetime histories and [...] More

Davidson Fellows Scholarship

  • Application Deadline: 2/8/2018
  • Amount: $50,000
  • The Davidson Fellows Scholarship awards prestigious scholarships to extraordinary young people, 18 and under, who have completed a significant piece of work. Application categories are science, technology, engineering, mathematics, literature, music, philosophy and outside the box. Davidson Fellows are honored every year in Washington, D.C. with Congressional meetings and a special reception. [...] More

GRCF Ladies Literary Club Scholarship

  • Application Deadline: 4/1/2018
  • Amount: Varies
  • Grand Rapids Community Foundation awards hundreds of scholarships annually primarily to Kent County students bound for or in college, or those pursuing a technical career.

    To be eligible for the Ladies Literary Club Scholarship, students must be a resident of Kent, Ottawa, Muskegon, Allegan, Montcalm or Barry counties in Michigan majoring in literary arts at any accredited Michigan college [...] More

Hope College Creative Writing Award

  • Application Deadline: 2/15/2018
  • Amount: $10,000
  • The Distinguished Artist Award in Creative Writing is for high school seniors who intend to register at Hope College the fall of their first year at college.

    Eligibility: It is not necessary to be an English major or minor. Award winners must enroll in at least one creative writing class per academic year and maintain a minimum 3.0 GPA.

    Submission materials:
    -A 500-word essay
    -A letter of [...] More

Hope College Distinguished Artist Awards - Theatre

  • Application Deadline: Varies
  • Amount: $10,000
  • Each year at Hope College, up to 60 Distinguished Artist Award (DAA) scholarships are given to students with strong academic records and outstanding creative abilities in art, dance, music, theatre or creative writing. Renewable for four years, the DAA's provide eligible students with $2,500 each year toward their college costs. DAA recipients also take part in a variety of opportunities set up [...] More

Iowa Scholarships for the Arts

  • Application Deadline: 3/1/2018
  • Amount: $1,500
  • At the time of application, student applicants must be enrolled at the senior class level in an Iowa high school and display proven artistic ability in the areas of music, dance, visual arts, theater or literature. Scholarship funds are awarded contingent upon recipients being accepted as full-time undergraduate students at a fully-accredited Iowa college or university. For more information or to [...] More

ISI Henry Salvatori Fellowship

  • Application Deadline: 1/16/2018
  • Amount: $10,000
  • The ISI Salvatori Fellowship seeks to further an understanding and appreciation of the principles held by the American Founding Fathers and the culture that formed their values and views.

    Eligibility:
    -Members of the Intercollegiate Studies Institute
    -Engaged in graduate studies for the purpose of teaching at the collegiate level
    -U.S. citizens enrolled full-time in a graduate [...] More

Lycoming College Creative Writing Scholarship

  • Application Deadline: 3/15/2018
  • Amount: $3,000
  • Eligibility:
    -Major in creative writing
    -Submit five poems and/or a short story not to exceed ten pages
    -Scholarship recipients must enroll in ENGL 240 (freshman year) and maintain a minimum grade of at least an A-
    -To renew after the first year of enrollment, a recipient must enroll in creative writing workshop(s) and maintain a minimum grade of at least an A-

    For more information or to [...] More

Nellie Martin Carman Scholarship Fund

  • Application Deadline: 3/1/2018
  • Amount: $2,000
  • Founded in 1949, the Nellie Martin Carman Scholarship is available to graduating seniors from public high schools in King, Pierce, and Snohomish counties in Washington state. Application forms are only available through these high schools and candidates for the scholarship are nominated by their school each year. Awards range from $500 to $2,000 a year, and scholarships are renewable for four (4) [...] More

RTDNF Lou and Carole Prato Sports Reporting Scholarship

  • Application Deadline: 5/31/2018
  • Amount: $1,000
  • Louis F. Prato has dedicated more than 30 years to RTDNA and RTDNF. Lou served as secretary of the RTDNF Board of Trustees, and for more than 20 years he was treasurer of the RTDNA Board of Directors. Lou has worked as a sports broadcaster, news director, a journalism professor. He is also the author of several books on Penn State football, including The Penn State Football Encyclopedia, and was [...] More

The R.L. Gillette Scholarship

  • Application Deadline: 4/1/2018
  • Amount: $1,000
  • The American Foundation for the Blind removes barriers, creates solutions, and expands possibilities so people with vision loss can achieve their full potential.

    All applicants must be U.S. citizens or naturalized citizens. All applications must include the following items, without exception:
    -Completed online application including all sections of the essay
    -Official transcripts
    -Two [...] More

The Sharon Olds Fellowship for Poetry

  • Application Deadline: 9/19/2017
  • Amount: $1,000
  • The Sharon Olds Fellowship for Poetry is offered once annually to a poet starting the Solstice Low-Residency MFA in Creative Writing Program during the winter residency/spring semester. Fellowship recipients will receive a $1,000 award toward their first semester's tuition.

    Fellowships are awarded based on the quality of the applicant's writing sample.

    Fellowship applicants are strongly [...] More

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