Top 15 Creative Writing Scholarships

Every workplace needs writers who are imaginative enough to market their brand/product to their target audience or to assist with publicity. In addition, many corporations are engaging creative writers to create, design, and direct great advertisements for their companies and products. There is a need for a creative writer everywhere.

Scholarships for writers might help you pay for college. The money, like other scholarships, does not have to be repaid, offering your kid the opportunity to escape heavy student loan debt.

Table of contents

Creative writing scholarships

1. Student Arts Scholarship
2. Bobette Bibo Gugliotta Memorial Scholarship for Creative Writing
3. Michael Steinberg Fellowship for Creative Non-fiction
4. Hope College Creative Writing Award
5. Beyoncé Formation Scholars Scholarship Program
6. Helen McCloy Mystery Writers of America Scholarship
7. Norman Ross Walter Scholarship
8. The Horror Writers Association (HWA) Scholarship
9. Barbara Odom-Wesley Spirit of Achievement Scholarship

Poetry scholarships

1. Lycoming College Creative Writing Scholarship
2. HWA Dark Poetry Scholarship
3. William Morgan Poetry Award

Journalism scholarships

1. Against the Grain Artistic Scholarship
2. Journalism Education Association’s Journalist of the Year Award
3. Richard G. Zimmerman Scholarship

There are two types of writing scholarships. The first kind is aimed at students who want to pursue writing-related majors or jobs. The second option permits anybody with writing abilities to apply for scholarships, but it does not necessarily limit eligibility based on the student’s degree or future professional goals.

Several scholarships are available for creative writers in high school or college pursuing an undergraduate or graduate degree. We will share with you the scholarships that reflect the majority of the kind of writing you wish to concentrate on. In most situations, writers’ scholarships ask candidates to provide a written sample. This might be in addition to or as the sole textual component required.

Creative writing scholarships

Student Arts Scholarship

This grant is open to students pursuing their first undergraduate degree in the Arts. This creative writing grant is available to students studying at any college or institution in the United States. The art student must, however, be a resident of Region 7W.

You can use the scholarship money to pay for education expenditures that are directly invoiced to the school, such as tuition, housing and board, books, and courses. The scholarship is worth $1,500. Students can, however, win up to four Student Arts scholarships in their lives.

In order to be eligible for this art scholarship, which is open to creative writers, the student must plan to attend a full-time approved university and study in an art-related subject. Furthermore, at the time of application, you must be a resident of Benton, Sherburne, Stearns, or Wright County. You must, of course, be a US citizen or have permanent resident alien status.

Student Art Scholarship

Bobette Bibo Gugliotta Memorial Scholarship for Creative Writing

Mrs. Gugliotta created a story about a mouse named Mickey when she was 11 years old in 1930. So, if you like Mickey Mouse and want to accomplish something bigger, this scholarship is for you. Meanwhile, in order to be considered for this scholarship, you must be enthusiastic about creative writing. In your scholarship application, you will submit two writing samples that will demonstrate your ability to be creative.

You must also be a senior graduating or a graduate of a public or private high school in San Mateo or Santa Clara counties. You should be planning to enroll in, or already enrolled in, a four-year college or university as a full-time student. Of course, the award is only available to US citizens or qualified non-citizens (this includes AB 540 students and legal U.S. residents). The scholarship will grant you up to $1,000.

Scholarships for Creative Writing

Michael Steinberg Fellowship for Creative Non-fiction

A creative non-fiction writer who begins the Solstice Low-Residency MFA in Creative Writing Program during the winter residency/spring semester is eligible for the Michael Steinberg Fellowship for Creative Non-fiction.

Fellowship winners will receive a $1,000 stipend to help pay for their first semester of college tuition. The prize is given to the recipient of this creative writing fellowship based on the quality of their writing sample.

If you are interested, apply for this fellowship opportunity as soon as possible. In addition, the scholarship committee will send notice letters to the recipients’ homes in November. Awards should be given promptly after admission, and applications should be submitted during the winter residency/spring semester.

Fellowships and Students Scholarships, and Financial Aid

Hope College Creative Writing Award

The Hope College Creative Writing Award is a Distinguished Artist Award in Creative Writing for high school graduates who plan to enroll at Hope College in the autumn of their first year. To be eligible for this award, though, you must be in your senior year of high school. It is not essential to major or minor in English.

Winners of this writing award, however, must enroll in at least one creative writing class every academic year and maintain a minimum 3.0 GPA.

Scholarships for Creative Writing

Beyoncé Formation Scholars Scholarship Program

The Formation Scholars Scholarship Program, founded by Beyoncé Knowles-Carter, promotes and supports young women who are fearless to be bold, conscientious, creative, and confident. The scholarship began with a celebration of her album, Lemonade’s, one-year anniversary.

The program provides four scholarships, one for each college, to female entering, current, or graduate students majoring in creative arts, music, literature, or African-American studies. To be eligible for this award, you must attend or intend to attend one of the institutions listed below. Berklee College of Music, Howard University, Parsons School of Design, and Spelman College are among them.

Beyoncé Student Scholarships

Helen McCloy Mystery Writers of America Scholarship

There is talent in mystery writing (fiction, nonfiction, playwriting, and screenwriting), and this scholarship aims to foster it. The scholarship for creative authors in 2021, on the other hand, is exclusively available to US citizens or permanent residents.

The organization, on the other hand, requires candidates to choose a specific writing class, workshop or seminar for which they would utilize the scholarship. The winners get a $3,000 scholarship.

Helen Mccloy Scholarships For Students

Norman Ross Walter Scholarship

The Norman Ross Walter Scholarship gives financial assistance to female Nebraska high school graduates who want to study in English at an authorized college or university. This award may be applied to a creative writing course taken by an English student.

It should be noted, however, that this award is exclusively available to female high school graduates. They must also be incoming first-year college students who want to major in English at approved schools or universities. Meanwhile, you must demonstrate academic promise, originality, and character in order for the scholarship committee to pick you.

The award is named after Norman Ross Walter, a World War II Navy Wave and professional newspaper editor in California. The winner of this English and creative writing prize will receive $2,500, $1,750 for second place, and $1,250 for third place.

Scholarships for Students

The Horror Writers Association (HWA) Scholarship

The Horror Writers Association (HWA) Scholarship is organized by the Horror Writers Association (HWA). This creative writing fellowship for horror authors seeks to help its participants advance professionally as horror writers.

There are no restrictions on who can apply for this scholarship. It is available to all qualified candidates. It is not necessary to be a member of the Horror Writers Association (HWA) to apply for this scholarship program. The tale you must submit for the scholarship application, however, must be in the horror genre.

The HWA Scholarship writing award is $2500, which you can apply to an authorized writing program during the next two years once it is awarded.

HWA Scholarships

Barbara Odom-Wesley Spirit of Achievement Scholarship

Any two-year or four-year college or university student is eligible for the award. However, this grant is not available to students attending Trade, Technical, or Cosmetology schools.

In addition, the scholarship committee will closely scrutinize applicants based on their financial needs. Meanwhile, candidates must be African-American female high school seniors presently enrolled in classes in the Arlington and Tarrant County region to be considered.

Applicants must also have a 2.5 GPA or above, as this is the bare minimum. The Barbara Odom scholarship awards $3,000 to each scholarship winner.

Achievement Scholarships for Students

Poetry scholarships

Lycoming College Creative Writing Scholarship

To be eligible for the Lycoming creative writing scholarship, you must major in creative writing and submit five poems and/or a short narrative of no more than 10 pages in length.

In addition, scholarship winners must enroll in ENGL 240 (freshman year) and maintain a minimum grade of A-. A grantee must participate in a creative writing workshop(s) and maintain a minimum grade of at least A- to be eligible for scholarship renewal after the first year of participation. The Lycoming College creative writing scholarship is worth up to $3,000.

College Creative Writing Scholarship

HWA Dark Poetry Scholarship

In 2015, the inaugural Dark Poetry Scholarship was given out. Following then, the scholarship will be awarded on a yearly basis. The scholarship is intended to help Horror and/or Dark Fantasy Poets advance their careers.

The winner will be chosen by a subcommittee selected by the HWA Board and publicized each year.

The Dark Poetry Prize is worth $1250, which can be used on authorized writing instruction during the next two years after the scholarship is awarded.

Poetry Scholarsips for Students 

William Morgan Poetry Award

William Morgan founded the William Morgan Poetry Award in 2003. The prize is typically awarded yearly to an undergraduate English major who displays distinction in both original poetry writing and academic and critical analysis of poetry.

The prize is also typically presented yearly to an English Master’s or Ph.D. candidate who displays distinction in both original poetry writing and academic and critical study of poetry (including poetry pedagogy). If there are no obviously meritorious applications at the undergraduate or graduate levels in a particular year, no award will be made.

Poetry Award for Students

Journalism scholarships

Against the Grain Artistic Scholarship

This is a financial aid program for Asian-American college students majoring in performing arts, visual arts, journalism, and/or public communications. Against the Grain Artistic Scholarship recipients will be entitled to attend the organization’s annual charity event, Fashion for a Passion, which takes place in the fall in Dallas, Texas.

To apply for the scholarship, you must be a US citizen, national, or permanent legal resident with at least 50% Asian and/or Pacific Islander ancestry. You must also be a senior in high school or a college student presently enrolled full-time at an approved U.S. vocational, junior college, or four-year college/university. You must also be a full-time, degree-seeking student by the start of the next academic year and majoring in the visual/performing arts.

Journalism Scholarships for Students

Journalism Education Association’s Journalist of the Year Award

The competition starts at the state level. Portfolios, that won the state Journalist of the Year contests are forwarded to the national level, where the winners are revealed during the JEA/NSPA National High School Journalism Convention in the spring. JEA distributes scholarship cash to the winner’s college or university account – $3,000 for the top winner and $1,000 each for up to four runners-up.

Journalism Education Scholarships

Richard G. Zimmerman Scholarship

This award is named after Richard G. Zimmerman, who was a long-time National Press Club member, before he died in 2008. As a result, the Richard G. Zimmerman Scholarship is given to exceptional graduating high school seniors who want to concentrate in journalism, English, or communications. These are areas of the arts where your creative writing abilities will be useful, as well as niches where you might work as a creative writer in the future.

Successful candidates get a $5,000 grant each year. It is, however, a non-renewable scholarship. Candidates must have a minimum overall GPA of 3.0, be accepted at an approved U.S. university, and exhibit financial help to be eligible for the award.

While applying for the scholarship, candidates must provide three copies of their application, three letters of recommendation, a high school transcript, a FAFSA form, evidence of acceptance, and three work samples.

Richard G. Zimmerman Scholarship for Students