41 Writing Scholarships (January 2026)

The purpose of the Starfleet Scholarships is to assist members of the International Star Trek Fan Association. Applicants must have been members of Starfleet for at least one year prior to applying and must be attending or planning to attend a community college, four-year college, technical school, junior college or graduate school. Awards are given in the categories of medicine, engineering, performing arts, international studies, business, science, education, writing, law enforcement and general studies.

The purpose of the Pamela Ann Prevallet Hymn Writing Competition is to help students who attend or are planning to attend Concordia Seminary. Applicants must be pursuing an M.Div. degree and must have completed vicarage.

The purpose of the Jack B. Tinsley Gridiron Scholarship is to support students who live in Texas. Applicants must be attending a college, university or junior college in Texas and must be preparing for a career in journalism. Students must take at least six academic hours a semester and have a minimum GPA of 2.25 at time of application and for the duration of the award. This scholarship recognizes excellence in opinion writing.

The purpose of the Sheldon Matthew Smith Memorial Scholarship is to support students who are graduating seniors of Washington High School and Washington Catholic High School with their college education. Applicants must be pursuing a degree in writing, computer graphics, computer game design, computer art design, computer animation, computer programming or web design. Applicants must have a 3.0 or higher to be considered.

The purpose of the One Earth Award is to support students whose art or writing addresses human-caused climate change. Applicants must be in grades 7-12 (ages 13 and up) and enter art or writing works address the pressing issue of human-caused climate change. Students may enter work in any of the 28 listed art and writing categories and must include a personal statement of 50 words or more on their work.

The purpose of the Predoctoral Fellowship Program is to support advanced graduate research in the history, theory and criticism of art, architecture and urbanism. Applicants for predoctoral fellowships must be nominated by the chair of the graduate department of art history or other appropriate departments. Applicants must have completed all departmental requirements, including course work, residency and general and preliminary examinations. Certification in two languages other than English is required. Applicants should submit nomination forms, supporting letters from two individuals and writing samples. There are various fellowships. The David E. Finley Fellowship requires applicants have a significant interest in curatorial work. The Paul Mellon Fellowship is for the completion of a doctoral dissertation in Western art. The Samuel H. Kress Fellowship is for the completion of a doctoral dissertation in European art on a topic before the early nineteenth century. The Wyeth Fellowship is for the completion of a doctoral dissertation that concerns aspects of art of the United States, including native and pre-Revolutionary America. The Ittleson Fellowship is for the completion of a doctoral dissertation in the visual arts in a field other than Western art. The Andrew W. Mellon Fellowship is for the completion of a doctoral dissertation in cross-cultural studies or in a field other than Western art through the twentieth century. The Robert H. and Clarice Smith Fellowship is for research on Northern European art between 1400 and 1700, intended for the advancement or completion of either a doctoral dissertation or a resulting publication. The Chester Dale Fellowships are for the advancement or completion of a doctoral dissertation in any area of Western art, with a preference for modern and contemporary topics. The Center offers a Paul Mellon Postdoctoral Fellowship for recipients of the David E. Finley, Paul Mellon, Samuel H. Kress, Wyeth, Ittleson, Andrew W. Mellon and two-year Chester Dale fellowships if the dissertation has been accepted by June 1 of the residence year. Several candidates for each fellowship will be invited to Washington for interviews.

The purpose of the AMS Graduate Fellowship in the History of Science is to support students writing dissertations on the history of atmospheric or related oceanic or hydrologic sciences. Applicants must be graduate students who plan to write dissertations on the history of atmospheric or related oceanic or hydrologic sciences. Students must submit a cover letter with vitae, official transcripts, a typed description of the dissertation topic and three letters of recommendation.

The purpose of the Rising Bud Scholarship is to support female high school seniors pursuing a degree in an art field. Applicants must be female high-school seniors pursuing an undergraduate degree in art at a college or university in one of the following areas: applied arts (creative literature/writing, decorative art, design, fashion design, fine arts, graphic design or industrial design), cinematic arts (animation, audio/sound or film-making), performing arts (dance, music, step or theater) or visual arts (animation, architecture, audio/sound, ceramics, computer art, crafts, design, drawing, film-making, illustration, painting, photography, printmaking, video or visual communications). Students must be from a low income household earning a combined income that is less than $45,000 a year. A personal statement on a provided topic is required to be submitted.

The purpose of the US Ghost Adventures Scholarship is to support students who are interested in writing stories. Applicants must be currently enrolled in an accredited college or university. An essay on a provided prompt is required.

The purpose of the Adelle and Erwin Tomash Fellowship in the History of Information Processing is to support a graduate student who is researching the history of computing. Applicants must be graduate students who have completed all doctoral degree requirements except the research and writing of the dissertation. Students must submit a curriculum vitae and a five-page statement and justification of the research program. To be eligible, scholars will reside outside the Twin Cities metropolitan region.

The purpose of the Archibald Rutledge Scholarship Program is to support students who exhibit academic and artistic excellence. Applicants must be high school seniors in South Carolina public schools, have attended South Carolina public schools for the past two consecutive years and be U.S. citizens. There are five categories: creative writing, dance, music, theater and visual arts. For the creative writing category, a sonnet, lyric or narrative poem no longer than one page must be submitted. For the dance category, an original, short dance composition of three to ten minutes. For the music category, an original composition of three to ten minutes must be submitted. For the theater category, an original one-act play with a performing time of eight to fifteen minutes. For the visual arts category, an original visual composition must be submitted. Compositions are judged on creativity, originality and quality of expression and content.

The purpose of the A. W. Mellon Postdoctoral Fellowship Program is to support research in the history, theory and criticism of the visual arts in any area represented in the collections of the National Gallery of Art. Applicants must have held their Ph.D. for five years or less at the time of application and must submit application forms, proposals for the topic of the predoctoral seminar and the university course, three letters of recommendation and publications. Fellows will be in residence at the Center for Advanced Study in the Visual Arts. During the first year, the fellow will carry out research and writing related to the publication of a dissertation or appropriate articles or book(s). In the second academic year, while continuing research and writing in residence, the fellow will be expected to teach one course (advanced undergraduate or graduate) by arrangement at a neighboring university.

The purpose of the Global Citizen Scholarship is to help students reflect on their place in the world through writing and then have a chance to experience it first-hand. Applicants must be U.S. residents that are currently enrolled in a tour with EF educational tours and must create a video on a topic related to global citizenship. Up to 100 scholarship recipients will receive $1,000 towards their current EF educational tour.

The purpose of the NCRA A to Z Scholarship is to support students who are enrolled in a court reporting program. Applicants must have completed an NCRA A to Z Intro to Steno Machine Shorthand program and received an NCRA A to Z Certificate of Completion. Students must have attained an exemplary academic record and passed one skills test writing 60 to 100 words per minute.

The purpose of the Winterthur Research Fellowship Program is to support students interested in conducting material culture research. Applicants must be graduate students who have completed their Ph.D. or doctoral candidates conducting research or writing their dissertation. Areas of study include material culture studies, social and cultural history, art history. literary studies, American studies, design history, the decorative arts, landscape architecture and design, consumer culture, and conservation studies. Selection is based on the research project's suitability to Winterthur's collections and the strength of the overall application.

The purpose of the Charles and Elinore Agar Fund is to assist students in the Berkshire Taconic area. Applicants must be graduating seniors of Monument Mountain Regional High School who are entering their first year of a two-year or four-year nationally accredited college or university. Students must have a particular interest in science, engineering, history or creative writing.

The purpose of the James R. Buescher Scholarship is to assist students in Lancaster County. Applicants must be Lancaster County students who are planning a course of study in creative writing, journalism, marketing, mass communication, and media studies.

The purpose of the AFSA/AAFSW Merit Awards is to recognize the academic and artistic achievements of high school seniors who are the children or dependents of Foreign Service employees. Applicants must be dependents of U.S. government Foreign Service employees who are members of AFSA or AAFSW. Students must be high school seniors with a minimum 2.0 GPA. Applicants can also submit an art entry under the categories of visual arts, musical arts, drama, dance or creative writing. Awards are based on GPA, SAT scores, a two-page essay, letters of recommendation and extra-curricular activities.

The purpose of the Donna Darovich Gridiron Scholarship is to support students who are residents of Texas. Applicants must be attending a college, university or junior college in Texas and must be preparing for a career in journalism. Students must take at least six academic hours a semester and have a minimum GPA of 2.25 at time of application and for the duration of the award. This scholarship recognizes various types of writing, including news, arts, lifestyle and people.

The purpose of the Harold K. Douthit Scholarship is to support students pursuing a major in a journalism-related field at an Ohio college or university. Applicants must be enrolled in an Ohio college or university and be majoring in a journalism-related field such as journalism, advertising or marketing. Students must have at least a 3.0 GPA and write an essay as part of their application showcasing their writing skill along with including work samples related to degree.

The purpose of the Hilla Rebay International Fellowship is to reward students with a practical museum training experience. Applicants must have a MA/MPhil in art history or related academic fields. Doctoral candidates or recent PhD graduates are encouraged and welcomed to apply. Applicants be fluent (speaking and writing) in English, Spanish, and Italian.

The purpose of the Robert C. and Lillian DuSoe Scholarship is to support students from the Orange County area. Applicants must be high school seniors at Laguna Beach Unified School District or Santa Ana Unified School District or current undergraduates who graduated from Laguna Beach Unified School District or Santa Ana Unified School District and intend on enrolling full-time at an accredited educational institution. Students must have demonstrated aptitude in music or writing and unmet financial need. Applicants must submit an essay, current transcripts and two letters of recommendation.

The purpose of the John D. Graham Scholarship is to aid journalism and public relations students. Applicants must be rising undergraduate seniors who are enrolled in a journalism or public relations degree program. Selection is based on academic merit, leadership, writing ability, relevant work experience and stated career goals.

The purpose of the Center for Alcohol Policy (CAP) Essay Contest is to reward students, academics, attorneys, policymakers and members of the general public for outstanding essays regarding alcohol policy. Applicants must be at least 18 years old. Students must submit an essay analyzing different alcohol regulations. Selection is based on the strength of analysis, thoroughness of research and quality of writing.

The purpose of the Clarissa Edwards Noland Memorial Scholarship Fund is to assist students in the Western Virginia area. Applicants must be graduating seniors from a high school located in Botetourt County or Roanoke County or the Cities of Roanoke or Salem. Students must enroll in an accredited college or university and demonstrate academic capability and an interest in teaching or creative writing.