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!