poetry essay scholarships

Jump to navigation Skip to content

Search form

• P&W on Facebook
• P&W on Twitter
• P&W on Instagram

Find details about every creative writing competition—including poetry contests, short story competitions, essay contests, awards for novels, grants for translators, and more—that we’ve published in the Grants & Awards section of Poets & Writers Magazine during the past year. We carefully review the practices and policies of each contest before including it in the Writing Contests database, the most trusted resource for legitimate writing contests available anywhere.

Find a home for your poems, stories, essays, and reviews by researching the publications vetted by our editorial staff. In the Literary Magazines database you’ll find editorial policies, submission guidelines, contact information—everything you need to know before submitting your work to the publications that share your vision for your work.

Whether you’re pursuing the publication of your first book or your fifth, use the Small Presses database to research potential publishers, including submission guidelines, tips from the editors, contact information, and more.

Research more than one hundred agents who represent poets, fiction writers, and creative nonfiction writers, plus details about the kinds of books they’re interested in representing, their clients, and the best way to contact them.

Every week a new publishing professional shares advice, anecdotes, insights, and new ways of thinking about writing and the business of books.

Find publishers ready to read your work now with our Open Reading Periods page, a continually updated resource listing all the literary magazines and small presses currently open for submissions.

Since our founding in 1970, Poets & Writers has served as an information clearinghouse of all matters related to writing. While the range of inquiries has been broad, common themes have emerged over time. Our Top Topics for Writers addresses the most popular and pressing issues, including literary agents, copyright, MFA programs, and self-publishing.

Our series of subject-based handbooks (PDF format; $4.99 each) provide information and advice from authors, literary agents, editors, and publishers. Now available: The Poets & Writers Guide to Publicity and Promotion, The Poets & Writers Guide to the Book Deal, The Poets & Writers Guide to Literary Agents, The Poets & Writers Guide to MFA Programs, and The Poets & Writers Guide to Writing Contests.

Find a home for your work by consulting our searchable databases of writing contests, literary magazines, small presses, literary agents, and more.

Poets & Writers lists readings, workshops, and other literary events held in cities across the country. Whether you are an author on book tour or the curator of a reading series, the Literary Events Calendar can help you find your audience.

Get the Word Out is a new publicity incubator for debut fiction writers and poets.

Research newspapers, magazines, websites, and other publications that consistently publish book reviews using the Review Outlets database, which includes information about publishing schedules, submission guidelines, fees, and more.

Well over ten thousand poets and writers maintain listings in this essential resource for writers interested in connecting with their peers, as well as editors, agents, and reading series coordinators looking for authors. Apply today to join the growing community of writers who stay in touch and informed using the Poets & Writers Directory.

Let the world know about your work by posting your events on our literary events calendar, apply to be included in our directory of writers, and more.

Find a writers group to join or create your own with Poets & Writers Groups. Everything you need to connect, communicate, and collaborate with other poets and writers—all in one place.

Find information about more than two hundred full- and low-residency programs in creative writing in our MFA Programs database, which includes details about deadlines, funding, class size, core faculty, and more. Also included is information about more than fifty MA and PhD programs.

Whether you are looking to meet up with fellow writers, agents, and editors, or trying to find the perfect environment to fuel your writing practice, the Conferences & Residencies is the essential resource for information about well over three hundred writing conferences, writers residencies, and literary festivals around the world.

Discover historical sites, independent bookstores, literary archives, writing centers, and writers spaces in cities across the country using the Literary Places database—the best starting point for any literary journey, whether it’s for research or inspiration.

Search for jobs in education, publishing, the arts, and more within our free, frequently updated job listings for writers and poets.

Establish new connections and enjoy the company of your peers using our searchable databases of MFA programs and writers retreats, apply to be included in our directory of writers, and more.

• Register for Classes

Each year the Readings & Workshops program provides support to hundreds of writers participating in literary readings and conducting writing workshops. Learn more about this program, our special events, projects, and supporters, and how to contact us.

The Maureen Egen Writers Exchange Award introduces emerging writers to the New York City literary community, providing them with a network for professional advancement.

Find information about how Poets & Writers provides support to hundreds of writers participating in literary readings and conducting writing workshops.

Bring the literary world to your door—at half the newsstand price. Available in print and digital editions, Poets & Writers Magazine is a must-have for writers who are serious about their craft.

View the contents and read select essays, articles, interviews, and profiles from the current issue of the award-winning Poets & Writers Magazine .

Read essays, articles, interviews, profiles, and other select content from Poets & Writers Magazine as well as Online Exclusives.

View the covers and contents of every issue of Poets & Writers Magazine , from the current edition all the way back to the first black-and-white issue in 1987.

Every day the editors of Poets & Writers Magazine scan the headlines—publishing reports, literary dispatches, academic announcements, and more—for all the news that creative writers need to know.

In our weekly series of craft essays, some of the best and brightest minds in contemporary literature explore their craft in compact form, articulating their thoughts about creative obsessions and curiosities in a working notebook of lessons about the art of writing.

The Time Is Now offers weekly writing prompts in poetry, fiction, and creative nonfiction to help you stay committed to your writing practice throughout the year. Sign up to get The Time Is Now, as well as a weekly book recommendation for guidance and inspiration, delivered to your inbox.

Every week a new author shares books, art, music, writing prompts, films—anything and everything—that has inspired and shaped the creative process.

Listen to original audio recordings of authors featured in Poets & Writers Magazine . Browse the archive of more than 400 author readings.

Ads in Poets & Writers Magazine and on pw.org are the best ways to reach a readership of serious poets and literary prose writers. Our audience trusts our editorial content and looks to it, and to relevant advertising, for information and guidance.

Start, renew, or give a subscription to Poets & Writers Magazine ; change your address; check your account; pay your bill; report a missed issue; contact us.

Peruse paid listings of writing contests, conferences, workshops, editing services, calls for submissions, and more.

Poets & Writers is pleased to provide free subscriptions to Poets & Writers Magazine to award-winning young writers and to high school creative writing teachers for use in their classrooms.

Read select articles from the award-winning magazine and consult the most comprehensive listing of literary grants and awards, deadlines, and prizewinners available in print.

• Subscribe Now

Writing Contests, Grants & Awards

• See Recent Winners
• View the Submission Calendar

The Writing Contests, Grants & Awards database includes details about the creative writing contests—including poetry contests, short story competitions, essay contests, awards for novels, and more—that we’ve published in Poets & Writers Magazine during the past year. We carefully review the practices and policies of each contest before including it. Ours is the most trusted resource for legitimate writing contests available anywhere.

New Letters

Literary awards.

Three prizes of $2,500 each and publication in New Letters are given annually for a poem, a short story, and an essay. Using only the online submission system, submit up...

Poetry Book Prize

A prize of $1,500 and publication by Gaudy Boy, an imprint of the New York City–based literary nonprofit Singapore Unbound, is given annually for a poetry collection by a...

Great Lakes Colleges Association

New writers awards.

Three prizes are given annually for first books by a poet, a fiction writer, and a creative nonfiction writer. The winners each receive an all-expenses-paid trip to several of...

Livingston Press

Changing light prize.

A prize of $500, publication by Livingston Press, and 20 author copies will be given annually for a novel-in-verse. Eleanor Boudreau will judge. Submit a manuscript of 90 to...

John D. Voelker Foundation

Robert traver fly-fishing writing award.

A prize of $2,500 and publication in American Fly Fisher as well as on the John D. Voelker Foundation and the American Museum of Fly Fishing websites will be given...

Southern Poetry Review

Guy owen prize.

A prize of $1,000 and publication in Southern Poetry Review is given annually for a single poem. Submit three to five poems totaling no more than 10 pages with a $20...

Bridport Arts Centre

Bridport prizes.

Two prizes of £5,000 (approximately $6,383) each and publication in the Bridport Prize anthology are given annually for a poem and a short story. A second-place prize of £1,000...

Michigan Quarterly Review

James a. winn prize.

A prize of $1,500 and publication in Michigan Quarterly Review will be given annually for an essay or a work of nonfiction in hybrid form. Elizabeth Goodenough will...

University of Georgia Press

Flannery o’connor award for short fiction.

A prize of $1,000 and publication by University of Georgia Press is given annually for a collection of short fiction. Lori Ostlund will judge. Using only the online submission...

BOA Editions

Short fiction prize.

A prize of $1,000 and publication by BOA Editions is given annually for a story collection. Peter Conners will judge. Submit a manuscript of 90 to 200 pages with a $30 entry...

Anhinga Press

Anhinga prize for poetry.

A prize of $1,000, publication by Anhinga Press, and 25 author copies is given annually for a poetry collection. Using only the online submission system, submit a manuscript of...

The Center for Fiction

Susan kamil emerging writer fellowships.

Nine fellowships of $5,000 each, a one-year membership to the Center for Fiction in New York City, and a year of access to the Writers Studio writing space are given annually...

PEN America

Pen/heim translation fund grants.

Ten grants of $3,000 to $4,000 each are given annually to support the translation of book-length works of poetry, fiction, and creative nonfiction that have not previously...

Bard College

Bard fiction prize.

A prize of $30,000 and a one-semester appointment as writer-in-residence at Bard College is given annually to a fiction writer under the age of 40. The winner must give at...

PEN/Jean Stein Grants for Literary Oral History

Two grants of $15,000 are given annually for nonfiction works-in-progress that “use oral history to illuminate an event, individual, place, or movement.” Using only the online...

Fiction Prize

A prize of $1,000 and publication in Salamander is given annually for a short story. Kevin Wilson will judge. Using only the online submission system, submit a story of...

Emerging Poets Contest

A prize of $1,000 and publication in Boulevard is given annually for a group of poems by a poet who has not published a poetry collection with a nationally distributed...

Moon City Press

Poetry award.

A prize of $1,000 and publication by Moon City Press is given annually for a poetry collection. The editors will judge. Using only the online submission system, submit a...

American Short Fiction

Halifax ranch fiction prize.

A prize of $2,500 and publication in American Short Fiction is given annually for a short story. The winner also receives a weeklong, all-expenses-paid writing retreat...

Interlochen Center for the Arts

Pattis family foundation creative arts book award.

A prize of $25,000 and a weeklong residency at Interlochen Center for the Arts in Interlochen, Michigan, will be given annually for a book of fiction or nonfiction published in...

PEN/Bare Life Review Grants

Two grants of $5,000 each will be given annually for poetry, fiction, and nonfiction works-in-progress “by immigrant and refugee writers, recognizing that the literature of...

Omnidawn Publishing

Chapbook contest.

A prize of $1,000, publication by Omnidawn Publishing, and 20 author copies is given annually for a poetry chapbook. T.J. Anderson III will judge. Using only the online...

Western Connecticut State University

Housatonic book awards.

Three prizes of $1,000 each are given annually for books of poetry, fiction, and nonfiction published in the previous year. The winners also receive $500 in travel expenses and...

Bitter Oleander Press

Library of poetry award.

A prize of $1,500 and publication by Bitter Oleander Press is given annually for a poetry collection. Submit a manuscript of 48 to 80 pages with a $28 entry fee between May 1...

University of Akron Press

Akron poetry prize.

A prize of $1,500 and publication by University of Akron Press is given annually for a poetry collection. Matthew Olzmann will judge. Using only the online submission system,...

What are your chances of acceptance?

Calculate for all schools, your chance of acceptance.

Your chancing factors

Extracurriculars.

6 Awesome Poetry Scholarships to Save You Thousands on College

Are you a budding poet? Do you want to save money on college tuition? Then here’s your answer: six awards given to high school and college students who are talented creative writers with a knack for verse. Ranging from hundreds to thousands of dollars, these scholarships will help you fund your education, whether you want to study poetry or pursue another passion. So get writing!

6 Poetry Scholarships to Save You Money on College

1. scholastic art & writing awards.

Amount: $10,000

Deadline: Varies according to specific scholarship and region

Eligibility: Grades 7-12

Application Requirements: Collections may consist of 1-5 poems, including prose poetry, free verse, formal poetry, song lyrics, and spoken word.

Scholastic offers numerous awards, including scholarships specifically for young poets, designated for top Awards recipients. The organization also partners with higher learning institutions to offer scholarships to college-bound Scholastic recipients. Additionally, five students will be selected as literary ambassadors as part of the National Student Poets Program, in which they will have the opportunity to showcase their work and be role models to other young creatives.

2. National High School Poetry Contest

Amount: $2,500

Deadline: Continuous (each quarter has a specific deadline)

Eligibility: All high school students

Application Requirements: Poems must consist of 20 lines or fewer and be unpublished. Limited to one poem per entrant per 90-day period.

In addition to the top winner receiving a cumulative award of $2,500, smaller awards of $100-500 will be given. Winners will also be offered publication in JUST POETRY!!! , a national poetry quarterly, and some may be selected for topical anthologies.

3. The Pablo Neruda Prize for Poetry

Amount: $1,000 or $2,000

Deadline: April 15 (2020 deadline)

Eligibility: Students who are high school seniors or older

Application Requirements: Students must submit 3-10 pages containing one or more unpublished poems. You must also pay a $20 submission fee, which also gives you access to a one-year subscription to the University of Tulsa’s Nimrod International Journal of Prose and Poetry . 

Sponsored by the University of Tulsa, this contest honors the legacy of Pablo Nerdua, a great Chilean 20th-century poet and diplomat. The first- and second-place winners will receive $2,000 and $1,000 respectively in scholarship money and be published in the University of Tulsa’s Nimrod International Journal of Prose and Poetry . Winners will also attend the Awards Ceremony and Writing Conference in Tulsa.

4. 1800wheelchair.com Scholarship

Amount: $500

Deadline: May 30

Eligibility: Students must be 16 years or older and currently enrolled at an accredited high school (final year), college, or university in the United States. They must have a cumulative GPA of at least 3.0 or the equivalent.

Application Requirements: There is no formal application. Submit your materials via traditional mail to:

1800wheelchair.com Scholarship

515 Canal St,

New York, NY 10013

Include your contact information and a written response to the prompt: 

Please submit a ‘visual poem’, in a style of your choosing, on the theme of overcoming a personal challenge. Limit your ‘visual poem’ to an 8.5in x 11in piece of paper. You can choose to represent words, images, or both. It can be abstract or representational. Please include a personal statement that gives us an idea of who you are and how your poem relates to a challenge you’ve faced. The poem and essay (combined) should be between 500 and 1,000 words, but feel free to write a little more or less.

Since 2006, 1800wheelchair has offered up to two awards annually. Prompts address topics such as mobility issues on a college campus, overcoming personal challenges, and more. Applicants are not required to have a physical disability or ability to enter.

5. Ruth Lily and Dorothy Sargent Rosenberg Poetry Fellowships

Amount: $25,800

Deadline: April 30

Eligibility: Open to U.S. poets ages 21-31

Application Requirements: 250-word introduction to your work, 10 pages of poems, and publication list .

Sponsored by the Poetry Foundation and Poetry Magazine , the Ruth Lily and Dorothy Sargent Rosenberg Poetry Fellowships are intended to encourage young poets in studying and writing poetry. Five scholarships are awarded annually.

6. Easter Scholarship

Amount: $1,000

Eligibility: Applicants must be 18 years or older at the time of application and be enrolled in an accredited post-secondary institution of higher learning, including college, university, or trade school. They must be legal U.S residents.

Application Requirements: Applicants must submit an essay, poem, or limerick describing what they like or dislike about Easter.

Sponsored by MoneySolver, this scholarship may be used toward your education or student loan payments. One winner will be selected annually and notified by phone or email around June 30.

Tips for Applying to Scholarships

When you’re applying for scholarships, you should make an effort to play to your strengths while still casting a wide net. If you’re a talented poet, chances are, you can apply your writing skills to other genres. Search for scholarships for which the essay or written portion is weighed heavily (there are many like this out there) geared toward different niches or demographics, such as people with your background, ethnicity, religious or gender identity, or interests.

Do your research early, and keep track of prospective scholarships, their deadlines, and materials you need to assemble in a tracker, such as a Google spreadsheet. This will help you ensure you have everything in order and don’t miss any key dates. Make sure you’re thorough and proofread carefully as well.

Want access to expert college guidance — for free? When you create your free CollegeVine account, you will find out your real admissions chances, build a best-fit school list, learn how to improve your profile, and get your questions answered by experts and peers—all for free. Sign up for your CollegeVine account today to get a boost on your college journey.

Related CollegeVine Blog Posts

• Search All Scholarships
• Exclusive Scholarships
• Easy Scholarships to Apply For
• No Essay Scholarships
• Scholarships for HS Juniors
• Scholarships for HS Seniors
• Scholarships for College Students
• Scholarships for Grad Students
• Scholarships for Women
• Scholarships for Black Students
• Scholarships
• Student Loans
• College Admissions
• Financial Aid
• Scholarship Winners
• Scholarship Providers

Student-centric advice and objective recommendations

Higher education has never been more confusing or expensive. Our goal is to help you navigate the very big decisions related to higher ed with objective information and expert advice. Each piece of content on the site is original, based on extensive research, and reviewed by multiple editors, including a subject matter expert. This ensures that all of our content is up-to-date, useful, accurate, and thorough.

Our reviews and recommendations are based on extensive research, testing, and feedback. We may receive commission from links on our website, but that doesn’t affect our editors’ opinions. Our marketing partners don’t review, approve or endorse our editorial content. It’s accurate to the best of our knowledge when posted. You can find a complete list of our partners here .

Top 64 Writing & Essay Scholarships in May 2024

Will Geiger is the co-founder of Scholarships360 and has a decade of experience in college admissions and financial aid. He is a former Senior Assistant Director of Admissions at Kenyon College where he personally reviewed 10,000 admissions applications and essays. Will also managed the Kenyon College merit scholarship program and served on the financial aid appeals committee. He has also worked as an Associate Director of College Counseling at a high school in New Haven, Connecticut. Will earned his master’s in education from the University of Pennsylvania and received his undergraduate degree in history from Wake Forest University.

Learn about our editorial policies

Writing is an extremely important part of success in high school, college, and life in general. For some students, writing is also an intricate part of who they are and how they express themselves. If you are someone who loves English class and is genuinely excited about a new creative writing assignment, then you should keep reading! Writing scholarships, creative writing scholarships, and essay scholarships are great ways to put your talent to use.

Whether you are planning on attending community college, a four-year program, or graduate school, we’ve got opportunities for you. Keep on reading to learn about the top scholarships for writers and creative writers including eligibility, award amounts, and deadlines!

Why choose Scholarships360

We helped over 4 million students find scholarships in 2023

We've spent over 4,000 hours reviewing 3,000 scholarship programs

13+ years of experience helping students make smart education decisions

The Scholarships360 Research Team reviews all scholarships individually and strives to exclude any scholarship where any of the below applies:

• The scholarship requires a fee to apply
• The scholarship provider’s privacy policy allows for the misuse of student data
• The scholarship requires paid membership in an organization (with certain exceptions for reputable trade organizations and others)
• Student are required to sign up for a site or service to apply*
• The scholarship seems primarily used for lead generation** or idea harvesting purposes***
• The scholarship website has many grammatical errors and/or advertisements
• The scholarship or scholarship providing organization seem untrustworthy
• There is no evidence the scholarship was previously awarded
• The scholarship has not been awarded in the past 12 months
• There is no available contact information

If you believe a scholarship has been published in error, please reach out to [email protected] and we’ll take a look!

* There are certain exceptions to this, for example if the sponsoring organization is a major corporation or nonprofit with its own scholarship application system. ** Lead generation scholarships will require students to sign up for an app or website and require minimal (if any) application requirements. ***Idea harvesting scholarships will require students to submit blog posts or other materials that companies may use for marketing purposes.

Scholarships360 is recommended by

RECENT SCHOLARSHIPS360 WINNERS

Danielle Emretane

Winner of the Scholarships360 $10,000 “No Essay” Scholarship

Fiorella Ruiz

Winner of the "Commencing at Community College" Scholarship

Jack Furman

Winner of the “Tuition Solution” STEM Scholarship

Morgan Breitschuh

Winner of the “Follow Your Own Path” Scholarship

Connor Godoy

Winner of the “Commencing at Community College Scholarship”

Kyamani Atterbury

Winner of the “Outstanding Undergraduate” Scholarship

$10,000 “No Essay” Scholarship This scholarship has been verified by the scholarship providing organization.

Offered by Scholarships360

The Scholarships360 $10,000 “No Essay” Scholarship is open to all students who want some extra help paying for their education. Whether you are a high… Show More

The Scholarships360 $10,000 “No Essay” Scholarship is open to all students who want some extra help paying for their education. Whether you are a high school student who hopes to go to college, a graduate student who’s in a master’s program, or an adult learner who wants to return to school, you are eligible for our no essay scholarship. This scholarship will be awarded to students who get the most out of Scholarships360 scholarships and content. You will be a strong applicant if you apply to scholarships with the Scholarships360 platform. Finalists for this scholarship will be interviewed about their process for funding their education. Show Less

$2,000 Sallie Mae Scholarship This scholarship has been verified by the scholarship providing organization.

Offered by Sallie Mae

Sallie Mae will award $2,000 each month to eligible entrants. No essay or account sign-ups, just a simple scholarship for those seeking help paying for…

Sallie Mae will award $2,000 each month to eligible entrants. No essay or account sign-ups, just a simple scholarship for those seeking help paying for school.

“Mom to Scholar” Scholarship for Mothers This scholarship has been verified by the scholarship providing organization.

Offered by Maria Geiger

The “Mom to Scholar'' Scholarship for Mothers is open to mothers who want to begin or resume their journey towards earning a technical or college… Show More

The “Mom to Scholar'' Scholarship for Mothers is open to mothers who want to begin or resume their journey towards earning a technical or college degree. This scholarship is funded by Scholarships360’s own Maria Geiger, who started her journey toward a B.A. at the same time that her oldest son Will started college. Maria knows firsthand how challenging it is to raise a family, have a job outside the home, and attend college, but would not change the way she did things for the world. Mothers who have a desire to earn their college degree bring unique perspectives that greatly enhance their learning experiences; for some, motherhood is a vocation that enlightens like no other. If you are a mother over the age of 35 who feels that the time is right to begin your academic or career journey, please apply! Please note that applicants will be reviewed based on both the quality of their essay and quantity of scholarships applied for on the Scholarships360 platform. Scholarships360 users who are more active on the platform will be given higher consideration. We look forward to reading your application! Show Less

$40,000 Build a College List Scholarship This scholarship has been verified by the scholarship providing organization.

Offered by The College Board

Create a college list with six schools you're considering - no minimum GPA or essay required!

“Gutsy Graduate Student” Essay Scholarship This scholarship has been verified by the scholarship providing organization.

Ok, so first question–why is this scholarship named the “Gutsy” Graduate Student Essay Scholarship? If you are enrolled in graduate school (during the 2024-25 academic… Show More

Ok, so first question–why is this scholarship named the “Gutsy” Graduate Student Essay Scholarship? If you are enrolled in graduate school (during the 2024-25 academic year) or have heard stories from those enrolled, you already know! “Gutsy” means courageous and determined, which nearly all successful graduate students are. Why else would one continue on with rigorous academics while often living on a shoestring? The rewards of graduate school are numerous, especially the more focused and advanced level of specialized study in your chosen field. Learning with like-minded people who share your passion is fulfilling, and the networking is awesome. The flipside of graduate school is the costly student loans to fund it. With this in mind, the "Gutsy" Graduate Student Essay Scholarship aims to help out a passionate graduate student who is actively looking for ways to fund their higher education journey. Please note that applicants will be reviewed based on both the quality of their essay and quantity of scholarships applied for on the Scholarships360 platform. Scholarships360 users who are more active on the platform will be given higher consideration. Good luck on your educational journey, and we hope to read your application!  Show Less

Niche $25,000 “No Essay” Scholarship This scholarship has been verified by the scholarship providing organization.

Offered by Niche

Easy scholarship open to all high school and college students, as well as anyone looking to attend college or graduate school in the next year!

“College Here I Come” Essay Scholarship for High School Seniors This scholarship has been verified by the scholarship providing organization.

The "College Here I Come" Scholarship for Class of 2024 is open to just who you think: high school seniors graduating in the class of… Show More

The "College Here I Come" Scholarship for Class of 2024 is open to just who you think: high school seniors graduating in the class of 2024! Here at Scholarships360, scholarships are our passion–we know that you can never have enough of them! After all, scholarships are essentially “free money” to help fund your education. We want to help out a lucky high school senior who is just starting out on their higher education journey and actively looking for ways to fund it. Please note that applicants will be reviewed based on both the quality of their essay and quantity of scholarships applied for on the Scholarships360 platform. Scholarships360 users who are more active on the platform will be given higher consideration. We hope that you apply and look forward to reading your application! Show Less

“Making Waves” Scholarship for Women This scholarship has been verified by the scholarship providing organization.

Are you a woman in high school, college, or graduate school enrolled during the 2024-25 academic year? If so, let us help you! Our $500… Show More

Are you a woman in high school, college, or graduate school enrolled during the 2024-25 academic year? If so, let us help you! Our $500 “Making Waves” Scholarship for Women aims to help women cover the costs of pursuing their dreams. Whether that dream is starting a business, learning a foreign language, or attending college on the path to fulfilling your dream, the scholarship will cover those costs and make your journey a little easier. No matter your goals, we want to help out a woman who is passionate about their higher education journey and actively looking for ways to fund it. In order to apply, simply write an essay about how the $500 “Making Waves” Scholarship for Women will help you fulfill your dreams. Please note that applicants will be reviewed based on both the quality of their essay and quantity of scholarships applied for on the Scholarships360 platform. Scholarships360 users who are more active on the platform will be given higher consideration. We encourage you to apply and look forward to reading your essay. Good luck! Show Less

$25k “Be Bold” No-Essay Scholarship This scholarship has been verified by the scholarship providing organization.

Offered by Bold.org

Open to high school students, college students, community college students, and graduate students.

“Tuition Solution” Scholarship for STEM Students This scholarship has been verified by the scholarship providing organization.

Do you like figuring out solutions to difficult problems? Well, if you’re a current or aspiring STEM major, we have one for you! Our $500… Show More

Do you like figuring out solutions to difficult problems? Well, if you’re a current or aspiring STEM major, we have one for you! Our $500 “Tuition Solution” Scholarship is meant for high school juniors and seniors (graduating class of 2024 or 2025), as well as undergraduate and graduate students enrolled during the 2023-24 academic year who are looking for ways to fund their postsecondary education in STEM. In order to apply, you must write an essay about how your passion for STEM started and how the scholarship will help you fulfill your dreams. No matter which STEM field ignites your interest, we look forward to reading your essays. Please note that applicants will be reviewed based on both the quality of their essay and quantity of scholarships applied for on the Scholarships360 platform. Scholarships360 users who are more active on the platform will be given higher consideration. Apply today - it’s time to cell-e-brate you! Show Less

“A Helping Hand” Scholarship This scholarship has been verified by the scholarship providing organization.

At Scholarships360, we know how hard it can be to pay off the hefty costs of a college tuition. Oftentimes, this is even more difficult… Show More

At Scholarships360, we know how hard it can be to pay off the hefty costs of a college tuition. Oftentimes, this is even more difficult for students coming from low-income backgrounds or for those who demonstrate financial need. This is where our “A Helping Hand” Scholarship comes in! We're offering a $500 scholarship to help out a low-income student who is passionate about their higher education journey and is actively looking for ways to fund it. This award is open to high school juniors and seniors (graduating class of 2024 and 2025), as well as undergraduate and graduate students enrolled during the 2024-25 academic year. In order to apply, students should submit an essay detailing how winning the scholarship would help you fulfill your dreams. Please note that applicants will be reviewed based on both the quality of their essay and quantity of scholarships applied for on the Scholarships360 platform. Scholarships360 users who are more active on the platform will be given higher consideration. We look forward to reading your application! Show Less

$10,000 CollegeXpress Scholarship This scholarship has been verified by the scholarship providing organization.

Offered by CollegeXpress

Annual $10k scholarship from CollegeXpress open to all high school freshmen, sophomores, and juniors.

“Follow Your Own Path” Essay Scholarship This scholarship has been verified by the scholarship providing organization.

At Scholarships360, our mission is to help students find and fund their postsecondary education. We know that students have a variety of educational and career… Show More

At Scholarships360, our mission is to help students find and fund their postsecondary education. We know that students have a variety of educational and career interests and aspirations. That is why we are offering the “Follow Your Own Path” Essay Scholarship. This scholarship aims to support all current postsecondary students, regardless of the type of education they are pursuing. Thus, no matter your own unique educational path, we hope you apply for this $500 scholarship. In order to apply for the “Follow Your Own Path” Essay Scholarship, students must submit an essay about their career ambitions. Please note that applicants will be reviewed based on both the quality of their essay and quantity of scholarships applied for on the Scholarships360 platform. Scholarships360 users who are more active on the platform will be given higher consideration. We look forward to reading your application! Show Less

“Commencing at Community College” Essay Scholarship This scholarship has been verified by the scholarship providing organization.

Community college, also known as two-year college, is a golden opportunity for the right student. These schools offer an affordable education to a diverse range… Show More

Community college, also known as two-year college, is a golden opportunity for the right student. These schools offer an affordable education to a diverse range of students in a wide range of majors. If starting your postsecondary education at a community college is right for you, we have a scholarship just for you! The “Commencing at Community College” Essay Scholarship aims to financially support community college students who are passionate about their higher education journeys and actively looking for ways to fund it. In order to apply for the “Commencing at Community College” Essay Scholarship, students must submit an essay explaining how earning their degree at community college will help them achieve their educational and career goals. Please note that applicants will be reviewed based on both the quality of their essay and quantity of scholarships applied for on the Scholarships360 platform. Scholarships360 users who are more active on the platform will be given higher consideration. We look forward to reading your application!  Show Less

$1,000 Appily Easy College Money Scholarship This scholarship has been verified by the scholarship providing organization.

Offered by Appily

This easy scholarship from Appily is open to U.S. high school students (Class of 2025, 2026, 2027) and college transfer students. One scholarship will be… Show More

This easy scholarship from Appily is open to U.S. high school students (Class of 2025, 2026, 2027) and college transfer students. One scholarship will be awarded each month. Show Less

“Outstanding Undergraduate” Essay Scholarship This scholarship has been verified by the scholarship providing organization.

The U.S. is home to over 2,000 four-year universities offering bachelor’s degrees. However, attending such universities can sometimes come with hefty costs that can deter… Show More

The U.S. is home to over 2,000 four-year universities offering bachelor’s degrees. However, attending such universities can sometimes come with hefty costs that can deter students from attending. If you’re in a situation similar to this, we may just have the perfect scholarship opportunity for you: the “Outstanding Undergraduate” Essay Scholarship! With this scholarship, we aim to help out a lucky undergraduate student (enrolled during the 2024-25 academic year) who is passionate about their higher education journey and actively looking for ways to fund it. The scholarship is open to any U.S. citizen who is enrolled as an undergraduate at a four-year university in the U.S. during the 2023-24 academic year. In order to apply, submit an essay explaining how earning your bachelor’s degree will help you achieve your educational and career goals. Please note that applicants will be reviewed based on both the quality of their essay and quantity of scholarships applied for on the Scholarships360 platform. Scholarships360 users who are more active on the platform will be given higher consideration. We look forward to reading your application! Show Less

Ocean Awareness Art Contest This scholarship has been verified by the scholarship providing organization.

Offered by Bow Seat Ocean Awareness Programs

Are you an 11–18 year old passionate about the creative arts and/or the environment? Consider applying for Bow Seat's Ocean Awareness Contest! The 2024 Ocean… Show More

Are you an 11–18 year old passionate about the creative arts and/or the environment? Consider applying for Bow Seat's Ocean Awareness Contest! The 2024 Ocean Awareness Contest – Tell Your Climate Story – encourages students to become climate witnesses and creatively share their personal experiences about our changing climate reality. Submit works of visual art, creative writing, poetry, spoken word, music, dance, film, and more for a chance to win cash awards of up to $1,000 and to join the world’s largest environmental youth community for the creative arts! Show Less

$5,000 Christian Connector Scholarship This scholarship has been verified by the scholarship providing organization.

Offered by Christian Connector

Students applying to the $5,000 Christian Connector Scholarship must be current high school students (Class of 2025, 2026, or 2027) interested in attending a Christian…

Students applying to the $5,000 Christian Connector Scholarship must be current high school students (Class of 2025, 2026, or 2027) interested in attending a Christian university or college.

Ayn Rand Institute Novel Essay Contest (Atlas Shrugged) This scholarship has been verified by the scholarship providing organization.

Offered by Ayn Rand Institute

Are you a high school, undergraduate, or graduate student with a passion for reading, writing, and Atlas Shrugged by Ayn Rand? If so, we may… Show More

Are you a high school, undergraduate, or graduate student with a passion for reading, writing, and Atlas Shrugged by Ayn Rand? If so, we may just have the perfect opportunity for you: the Ayn Rand Institute Atlas Shrugged Essay Contest! Each year, the contest asks its applicants to write an 800 - 1,600 word essay in which they analyze and make an argument about an aspect or plot point of the novel Atlas Shrugged by Ayn Rand. Nine prizes of varying amounts are awarded each year, with a grand prize of $25,000! If you’re familiar with Atlas Shrugged, can make a convincing argument, and want to make some cash, we encourage you to apply! Show Less

Minecraft Scholarship

Offered by Apex Hosting

Are you a high school or college student with a love for Minecraft? If so, we may just have the perfect opportunity for you: the… Show More

Are you a high school or college student with a love for Minecraft? If so, we may just have the perfect opportunity for you: the Minecraft Scholarship! Each year, the scholarship offers $2,000 to one applicant who best writes about how Minecraft can positively influence one’s education and career development. The scholarship is offered by Apex Hosting, a Minecraft server provider dedicated to supporting both new and experienced server administrators. If you’re a high schooler or college student with a love for Minecraft, it’s time to put your passion to good use and apply to the Minecraft Scholarship! Show Less

Top 10 essay scholarships in 2024

Our editors hand-picked the following 10 essay scholarships with an eye for large awards, prestigious organizations, and scholarships that are open to a wide variety of students. Apply with confidence to the following essay scholarships:

• Jack Kent Cooke College Scholarship – For high school seniors with financial need, worth up to $55,000 per year
• Questbridge College Match – For high school seniors with financial need, offers a full ride to college
• The Gates Scholarship – For low-income minority high school seniors, offers a full ride to college
• Tylenol Future Care Scholarship – For students enrolling in medical, nursing, or pharmacy school, worth $5,000-$10,000
• Regeneron Science Talent Search – For high school seniors interested in pursuing an individual STEM research project. Worth anywhere between $2,000 and $250,000
• Blacks at Microsoft Scholarship – For high school seniors pursuing a bachelor’s degree in engineering, computer science, computer information systems, or a business field. Worth up to $20,000
• Horatio Alger Undergraduate Scholarships – For high school students with high financial need, worth up to $49,000
• Amazon Future Engineer Scholarship – For high school seniors with high financial need who plan to study computer science in college. Worth $10,000 per year
• Ron Brown Scholarship – For Black high school seniors who plan to study global entrepreneurship and/or community engagement. Worth $10,000 per year
• Dream.US Opportunity Scholarship – For undocumented high school seniors and college freshmen with high financial need living in a state where public colleges do not offer in-state tuition to undocumented students. Worth $20,000 per year

Creative writing scholarships

Are you a writer who loves fiction, poetry, and screenplays? If so, you can put those talents to use by applying for creative writing scholarships.

Creative writing scholarships are a subset of writing scholarships that support students who enjoy writing poetry, fictional stories, plays, and generally using their imagination to guide their writing.

Here are the top creative writing college scholarships that you can apply for:

HelpTeaching.com Scholarship

• Eligibility: High school and college students who submit a educational short story or informational article (400-800 words) for young students
• Amount : $1,000
• Deadline: June 1st of every year

Cancer Unwrapped Teen Writing Contest

• Eligibility: Teens aged 9-12 who write about their own cancer journey or a family member in a maximum of 1,500 words.
• Deadline: Late March

YouthPLAYS New Voices One-Act Competition for Young Playwrights

• Eligibility: Students 19 years old or younger who submit an original one-act play between 10-40 minutes in length (10-page minimum). Multiple winners may receive up to $250 and publication by YouthPLAYS.
• Amount: $250 and publication by YouthPLAYS
• Deadline: Early May

National High School Poetry Contest

•   Eligibility:  U.S. high school students who submit a poem 20 lines or less that is unpublished, the sole work of the entrant, and not entered in any other concurrent contest.
• Amount: Up to $500.
• Deadline:  Rolling

The Narrative Prize

• Eligibility: Students who submit a short story, novel excerpt, poem, one-act play, graphic story, or work of literary nonfiction.
• Amount: $4,000
• Deadline:  Mid-June

Also see:  Top writing summer programs for high school students

College-specific creative writing scholarships

Some colleges and universities may also offer specific scholarships and financial aid to students with a talent in creative writing! Check with the colleges on your list for these college-specific creative writing opportunities!

Note that some of these scholarships may have requirements for winning students that stipulate that they take a certain number of creative writing classes when enrolled in the college.

Kenyon Writing Award

High school seniors can apply for this scholarship program at Kenyon College which offers up to $15,000 per year of merit based aid. It is based off of your portfolio and does not take into account financial need, high school GPA , or other factors. Submissions typically have to be in by January of your senior year.

Related:  How to answer scholarship essay questions about your career goals

Barbara Caras Memorial Scholarship for Film Students

The scholarship is open to students in Sarasota or Manatee County, Florida who have completed at least one full year at an accredited Florida College and are majoring in Film, Computer Animation, Creative Writing, Motion Design, or Illustration. Five recipients will earn a $2,000 award. The application deadline is July 31st of the current year.

Lycoming College Creative Writing Scholarship

The scholarship is open to students majoring in Creative Writing at Lycoming College, Williamsport, PA and must submit five poems and/or a short story not to exceed ten pages. Six recipients will be selected and can earn up to $3,000. The scholarship deadline for the Fall 2023 Class is March 1, 2023.  

Arkansas Tech University Gwaltney Scholarship

The scholarship is open to ATU students who submit individual works of fiction to the Department of English. Recipients earn a one-time cash award every year. The deadline to submit your entry is 2 weeks before the end of the spring semester.

Lake Forest College Carnegie English Essay Contest

The contest is open to first-year students of Lake Forest College who plan to study English either through the literature or creative writing track and submit an essay, between 500 and 1,000 words answering a designated prompt. Four winners will be awarded $2,500 annually. Submission deadline is March 1, 2023.

Austin Peay State University Creative Writing Scholarships

The scholarships are open to undergraduate and incoming APSU students who email a 10-20 page manuscript of fiction, poetry, or creative non-fiction, to Lakota Withrow at [email protected] . Awards are for $600 or $1,200. The deadline to apply is March 18th.

Scholarship essay resources

When it comes to writing and essay scholarships, your writing skills will be put to the test. You’ll have to adapt your writing to specific styles in order to effectively and succinctly communicate your ambitions and potential. We have a host of resources to help you perform well in this arena and stand out from the crowd.

• How to start your scholarship essay (with examples)
• How to write a “why do you deserve this scholarship?” essay
• What’s the best scholarship essay format?
• How to write a 250 word essay
• How to write a 500 word essay
• How to write an essay about yourself

Frequently asked questions about writing scholarships

Do i have to major in english to earn a writing or essay scholarship, where can i get help proofreading my scholarship essays, how much should i write if there is no word limit on the application, explore these other scholarship categories:.

• Scholarships for English majors
• Easy scholarships
• Top scholarships for high school seniors
• Top creative writing scholarships
• Top scholarships for journalism students
• Top short story scholarships

Join for exclusive scholarships, personalized matching, and application tracking. 0% Spam, 100% Free.

3 reasons to join scholarships360

• Automatic entry to our $10,000 No-Essay Scholarship
• Personalized matching to thousands of vetted scholarships
• Quick apply for scholarships exclusive to our platform

By the way...Scholarships360 is 100% free!

• Annual Emerging Poets Slam 2023
• Poems About the Pandemic Generation Slam
• Slam on AI - Programs or Poems?
• Slam on Gun Control
• Poet Leaderboard
• Poetry Genome
• What are groups?
• Browse groups
• All actions
• Find a local poetry group
• Top Poetry Commenters
• AI Poetry Feedback
• Poetry Tips
• Poetry Terms
• Why Write a Poem
• Scholarship Winners

Power Poetry Scholarships

So poetry scholarships are a thing..

"Money" and "poetry" are two words we rarely hear together—and that's something we want to change! At Power Poetry, our goal is to foster and reward creativity, which is why we love to afford opportunities for our poets to win money and gain recognition with their awesome writing. We offer poetry scholarships all year for high school and college students living in the United States. Our scholarships are a space for you to express yourself and talk about what matters. And to win some cash while you do it!

Below you'll find poetry scholarships that are currently open for submissions . Not sure what to write about? Don't worry—we can help! This blog post describes how we pick our scholarship winners, and you can also check out some of our winning  poems  (warning: they're awesome). Power Poetry's   Tip Guides and Poetry Terms can help you learn more about different poetic forms and styles. Words have power, so our Action Guides are also meant to inspire and empower you to use poetry as a way to change your life—and the world!

If you have questions, our  scholarship FAQ  and  contest rules  should have the answers. If they don't, feel free to  contact us .

Open Poetry Scholarships

• Join 230,000+ POWER POETS!
• Request new password

• Applying For Scholarships
• Finding Scholarships
• Scholarships

Poetry Scholarships

David Apr 16, 2020

Get our best scholarship practices, insights & tips delivered to your inbox

Thank you for subscribing!

Can I Get a Scholarship For Poetry?

Yes! You can win poetry scholarships for your talent. There are two ways to win scholarships for poetry. 

First, you can apply for scholarships that award students who study (or want to study) writing in college .

Second, you can enter a poetry contest. Many contests don’t require applicants to study writing in college.

The fastest path to earning scholarships

Simplify and focus your application process with the one-stop platform for vetted scholarships.

Where Can I find Poetry Scholarships? 

You can find poetry scholarships from colleges , foundations, and private donors. All scholarships will require you to submit an original piece of work. In some cases, you may have to pay a small fee to submit your poem.

Spoken Word Poetry Scholarships

Remember how we said that some poetry scholarships are awarded via contests? Spoken word poetry scholarships fit into this category. In these contests, you’ll get a chance to perform the poems you wrote. If your poem wins, you’ll be awarded with scholarships as your prize. Here are a few worth checking out. 

The Thea Foundation Slam Poetry Competition invites high school seniors in Arkansas to compete. The competitors perform poetry slam in front of an audience. Five awards are ranging from $2,000-$4,000. Poems must be original and under 3 minutes.

The Romero Scholarship for Excellence in Spoken Word awards $500 to one high school senior and $200 to the runner-up. Applicants must write a poem related to social justice. They must also submit a letter of recommendation.

The Power Poetry Scholarship Slam awards $1,000 to college students. Applicants must enter one poem related to a selected theme. Students may submit videos and multimedia poetry. The contest is free to enter.

Poetry Out Loud is a national contest that invites high school students to perform poetry. Students perform in state and national competitions. The first-place state prize is $200 and the runner-up prize is $100. On the national level, there are four prizes. They range from $1,000-$20,000.

Black Poetry Scholarships

Also, some poetry scholarships cater to African-American students . Here are a few of the better ones worth applying to:

The Naomi Long Madgett Poetry Award  

This award gives $500 to an African American poet. Applicants must submit two copies of a manuscript. There is no entry fee.

Just Poetry Scholarship

Just Poetry awards scholarships to high school students. Scholarships range from $100-$500. To win, applicants must submit a poem of 20 lines or less. Entries should be creative and original. There are no theme or style requirements.

Amy Lowell Poetry Travelling Scholarship

The Amy Lowell Poetry Travelling Scholarship awards $60,500 to a U.S poet. The winner must spend one year abroad to advance their practice of poetry. By the end of the year, they must submit three poems to the scholarship committee. To apply, applicants must submit up to 40 pages of poetry. There are no age requirements for the scholarship.

Pablo Neruda Prize for Poetry

The University of Tulsa awards the Pablo Neruda Prize for Poetry. The first-place winner receives a scholarship for $2,000. The second-place winner receives $1,000. Winners attend the Awards Ceremony and Conference for Readers and Writers in Tulsa. All finalists and semi-finalists may have their work published. 

To apply, applicants must submit 3-10 pages of poetry. There is a $20 fee for entries.

Ruth Lilly and Dorothy Sargent Rosenberg Poetry Fellowships

The Poetry Foundation awards $25,800 to talented poets. Applicants must live in the U.S or be U.S citizens. They must be between 21-31 years of age. Applicants must submit ten pages of poems and a short introduction.

National High School Poetry Contest

The National High School Poetry Contest awards poetry scholarships to high school students. Applicants must submit poems under 20 lines. They can submit a poem per 90-day period. The top winner receives $2,500. There are smaller awards between $100-$500. Winners can have their poems published in a national poetry paper.

Dorothy Rosenberg Memorial Prize

The Dorothy Rosenberg Memorial Prize awards students at UC Berkeley. Applicants must submit a lyric poem of fewer than 30 lines. Award amounts vary.

Slipstream Poetry Contest Program

The Slipstream Poetry Contest Program awards $1,000 to undergraduate and graduate students. Applicants may submit up to 40 pages of poetry. There is a $20 fee to submit an entry.  

Tom Howard/Margaret Reid Poetry Contest

The Tom Howard and Margaret Reid Poetry Contest award $3,000 to poets. The Tom Howard Prize awards poems in any style or genre. The Margaret Reid Prize awards poems that rhyme or have a traditional style. There are no age requirements. Applicants may submit poems up to 250 lines. The entry fee is $12 per poem.

Princeton University Poetry Contest for High School Students

The Princeton University Poetry Contest awards prizes to the top three poems. Prizes range from $100-$500. Students in their junior year of high school may enter.

Final Thoughts

There are tons of scholarships available at all times. Some are given based on academics, some are given based on a student’s identity, and some are given based on a student’s major and talents. If you love poetry and also love writing, there are plenty of scholarships to apply for today.

• Applications
• College guide
• Collegelife
• scholarships
• specific scholarships
• Study in USA

David Tabachnikov is the CEO of ScholarshipOwl. Formerly at Waze and Google, David is an experienced CTO/R&D manager with over 10 years of experience of leading tech teams. David fervently believes that students should have greater access to education, and is passionate about using technology to help them achieve that goal.

Related Stories View All

Write Your Own Epic Scholarship Recommendation Letter (2022-2023)

Writing Tips for a Career Goals Essay (2023)

Amazon Scholarship

Get started with scholarshipowl.

Simplify and focus your application process with the one-stop platform for vetted scholarships

Power Poetry Slam Scholarship

About the scholarship.

Power Poetry Slam Scholarship recognizes and rewards, with scholarships for college or graduate school, students who submit original poems.

• Essay Required : No
• Need-Based : No
• Merit-Based : No
• This competition is open to high school students, undergraduates, and graduate students who are between 13 and 25 years of age.
• Applicants are not required to be U.S. citizens, but they must be attending school in the United States or its territories.
• They must submit a poem of any length, in any style, on a topic that varies with each competition.
• Each student may submit only 1 poem.
• The recipient of the award is selected in a random drawing of all eligible entries.
• Country : US

Student Loans

Internationals

Refinancing & Consolidation

Juno In Our Words

Juno in Your Words

Talk to Juno

Student Loan Guides

Calculators & Scholarships

Financial Literacy Hub

Other Resources

Have existing federal student loans? Calculate potential forgiveness here.

7 Poetry Scholarships to Help Pay for College

Specific scholarships are a great way to secure funding. Read here to learn about poetry scholarships.

Christy Rakoczy Bieber

Jun 16, 2021

Paying for college can be challenging, but there are many scholarships available for students with different skills and interests. For talented writers, poetry scholarships could help to cover some of the costs of school -- if you find and apply for them. 

The good news is, there are many scholarships for poetry writers that can provide a source of tuition money you don't have to pay back. Here are seven options to consider -- along with some tips for finding additional funding sources.

1. The Ruth Lilly and Dorothy Sargent Rosenberg Poetry Fellowships 

Poets aged 21 to 31 are eligible for a $25,800 prize from the Poetry Foundation and Poetry Magazine. Five fellowships are awarded annually and the financial awards are intended to "encourage the further study and writing of poetry."

While the age requirements may rule out most undergrads, those pursuing a graduate degree could find this an ideal source of educational funding -- especially as the fellowship doesn't impose any specific requirements about what course of study to pursue. 

To become eligible, you'll need to include a 250 word introductory note as well as 10 pages of poetry. Only U.S. citizens and residents are eligible. In some years, the funds are split between winners if there are multiple entries that merit an award. 

You can learn about past winners and apply for this poetry scholarship on the website of the  Poetry Foundation . 

2. The Amy Lowell Poetry Traveling Scholarship 

Amy Lowell was an American poet who established a scholarship in her will upon her death in 1925. Trustees of her will award the scholarship each year, and the value of the scholarship is $59,000. 

There's an application form to submit to become eligible. Many candidates include their resumes as well. You will also need to include a sample of your poetry for consideration. 

You can find the  application form  online, and learn more about the scholarship at  Amy Lowell.org . 

3. The Pablo Neruda Prize for Poetry

The Pablo Neruda Prize for Poetry is awarded by the University of Tulsa, although the funds can be used to pay for any undergraduate or graduate program. There is a $20 admission fee to enter, and two scholarships are awarded. The first prize is worth $2,000 and the second is worth $1,000. 

Winning poems are also published and students will receive a paid trip to Tulsa in October for the Awards Ceremony and Writing Conference.  The contest will run between January 1 and April 1, 2022 and applicants must submit between three and 10 pages of poetry. This could include one long poem or several shorter works. 

You can find details about the awards and apply online at the  University of Tulsa website .

4. The National High School Poetry Contest 

This poetry contest runs throughout the year, but applicants must submit their works each quarter. All high school students are eligible, but are limited to submitting a maximum of one poem each 90 days.  There is no entry fee and poems must be 20 lines or less. 

Students who are chosen as Poet of the Year will be awarded a $500 college scholarship while there are also several scholarships valued at $100. The winning applicants will also have the opportunity to have their work published in a national poetry quarterly called Just Poetry. 

You can find out application details on the  High School Poetry Contest website . 

5. The 1800wheelchair.com Scholarship

1800wheelchair provides $500 scholarships to students who submit poems related to overcoming challenges. In recent years, the contest has focused on "visual poems." 

Eligible students must be enrolled at an accredited high school, college, or university and must be in good standing with a GPA of 3.0 or above. No printed application is required, but the visual poem must be submitted by mail and accompanied by a personal statement. 

You can learn more details on the  1800wheelchair.com scholarship  website, where you will find detailed instructions about how to apply for this poetry scholarship. 

6. The Narrative Prize 

This $5,000 prize is awarded annually. June 15 of each year is the deadline to be considered for the money, and the winners are chosen in September. The prize may be split between winners in years when multiple works merit an award. 

The money can be used for any purpose, and the contest isn't limited to poets only. Short novels, excerpts from novels, one-act plays, literary non-fiction, graphic stories, and poems are all considered for the award. 

You can find out more about the application process on the  Narrative Magazine website . 

7. Scholastic Portfolio Awards

Scholastic offers 16 $10,000 scholarships and 30 $1,000 scholarships to talented writers or artists -- including poets. To become eligible, graduating seniors should submit a writing portfolio containing six writings. A personal statement is also required that provides insight into your creative process when developing your work. 

You can find more details and apply online at  ArtAndWriting.org .  

Tips to find more poetry scholarships

These are just a few of the many scholarships available for poetry writers. To help find other financial awards designed for poets, try these resources:

1. The English department at your college or university

Some college and university English departments provide scholarships for talented writers. Examples include the following:

• The Beau J. Boudreaux Poetry Award, the Mark Greenberg Fellowship in Poetry, and the Gene and Etta Silverman Family Award at the  University of Southern California .  
• The William Morgan Poetry Award at  Illinois State University  

2. Your school's financial aid office

Financial aid offices generally maintain databases of all of the scholarships available to current and prospective students. For example,  UCLA  provides a list of scholarships offered internally by the school as well as resources for finding outside scholarships. You can search these databases to find different types of funding you don't have to repay, including poetry scholarships.  

3. Local organizations

Writers groups, local literary magazines, or other location organizations may also offer scholarships for poetry writers. Start with organizations you are a member of to find out what type of financial help they may offer to pay for school. And contact other local poets or writers groups as well to see what options are available. 

Scholarships for poetry not enough? Other affordable options 

Hopefully, you'll be able to find and qualify for many poetry scholarships that can help you to cover your school costs. But these scholarships may not be enough to cover your tuition and other school-related expenses. 

Explore other scholarships and grants first, such as Pell Grants, as these sources of funds don't have to be paid back. But once you've exhausted scholarship opportunities, federal student loans can provide an affordable way to pay for school. These loans have low fixed interest rates and offer ample borrower protections, including options for loan forgiveness. 

Private student loans can also help cover the shortfall beyond what scholarships, grants, and federal loans pay for. Juno can help you qualify for affordable rates on private loans by grouping you with other students and negotiating with lenders on behalf of the group. 

Join Juno today to find out more about your options for affordable private student loans to help fund your degree. 

Christy Rakoczy Bieber is a full-time personal finance and legal writer. She is a graduate of UCLA School of Law and the University of Rochester. Christy was previously a college teacher with experience writing textbooks and serving as a subject matter expert.

Related Articles

All categories:.

Enter our scholarship in two minutes

Awards Monthly

Buy and sell your books at the best price

Best poetry scholarships for students.

Poetry scholarships might be something you’d be interested in if you’re into writing poetry. They are aimed to recognize and support students’ creative talent and love for poetry. Plus, they can help you with college fees and other expenses.

There are many kinds of poetry scholarships available for students, and some of them are offered by schools and colleges, while others are sponsored by various foundations, organizations, or individuals.

In this article, we’ve compiled a list of the most interesting annual poetry awards , and we encourage you to give one of them (or maybe some of them) a shot.

Several of these scholarships have a deadline in November , so you need to hurry up! After all, you never know where it might take you!

Top Poetry Scholarships

The ruth lilly and dorothy sargent rosenberg poetry fellowships.

The Poetry Foundation awards Ruth Lilly and Dorothy Sargent Rosenberg Poetry Fellowships annually. These awards are specifically for young poets between the ages of 21 and 31 based in the United States. The fellowship comes with a generous monetary prize of $25,800, and it was established in 1989 by the philanthropist Ruth Lilly and expanded in 2013 with a gift from the Dorothy Sargent Rosenberg Memorial Fund. Ruth Lilly and Dorothy Sargent Rosenberg were both passionate about poetry, and their legacies continue to inspire and enrich the world of literature. Every year, a select group of poets is chosen through a highly competitive process to receive the fellowship. You can become one of them. Sounds pretty cool, right?

The Amy Lowell Poetry Traveling Scholarship

If you’re a US poet looking for ways to travel and study outside North America, here’s an opportunity for you! Every year, an award of around $66,500 is given to a deserving poet for this purpose. To apply, submit two copies of your published or unpublished poetry (up to 40 pages) or two copies of a published poetry collection by October 15 (Go to the website to find the entry form and detailed guidelines and deadline). There’s no entry fee.

Nightboat Books Poetry Prize

Nightboat Books offers up to four prizes of $1,000 each and publication for poetry collections annually. To participate, submit a manuscript of 48 to 90 pages using the online submission system. The entry fee is $28, which is a small price to pay for a chance to see your work in print. The deadline for submission is November 15, so you still have time to polish your masterpiece.

Yale Series of Younger Poets

Yale University Press is offering a prize of $1,000 and a writing fellowship at the James Merrill House in Stonington, Connecticut, along with the publication of a poetry collection. It’s open to poets who haven’t published a full-length book of poetry yet! Rae Armantrout will be judging, so you’ll be in great hands. To enter, submit a manuscript of 48 to 64 pages along with a $25 entry fee by November 15.

The Pablo Neruda Prize for Poetry

Each year Nimrod International Journal of Prose and Poetry (The University of Tulsa) hosts the Nimrod Literary Awards. If interested, you can submit your entries between January 1 and April 1. You stand a chance to win either $2,000 or $1,000 and a chance to get published. The entry fee is just $20 per entry. This contest is sponsored by the University of Tulsa and is held in honor of the great Chilean poet Pablo Neruda. Do give it a shot!

Barbara Stevens Poetry Book Manuscript Competition

If you’re a talented poet looking for an opportunity to showcase your work, you can try to win a prize of $1,000 and get your work published by the National Federation of State Poetry Societies Press. The winner will also be invited to read at the National Federation of State Poetry Societies convention and will receive a travel stipend of $300. To participate, send in a manuscript of 48 to 80 pages with a $25 entry fee ($20 for NFSPS members) by November 15.

The National High School Poetry Contest

Are you a high school student who loves poetry? Then, try your luck with the award sponsored by The Live Poets Society of New Jersey. If you win, you’ll receive a prize and an offer of publication. The contest is open to all US high school students, so you can enter no matter where you live between now and June 30 of your senior year, as there are several submission periods (and no entry fee). To enter, you need to write a poem that’s 20 lines or less. Make sure it’s your own original work that hasn’t been published anywhere else. Oh, and one more thing: the poem must be written in English.

Rising Writer Prize 

Are you an aspiring poet? The Autumn House Press is offering a prize of $1,000 and publication for a debut work of poetry or fiction (the prize for 2024 will be given for poetry specifically). So, if you’ve got a poetry collection of 50 to 80 pages, don’t miss this opportunity! The winner will also receive a $500 grant for travel and book promotion. So, don’t waste any more time; go and check their complete guidelines now.

The 1800wheelchair.com Scholarship

The 1800wheelchair Scholarship Fund provides one or two annual awards of $500 to eligible high school, college, or university students in the US. Instead of a traditional application, the scholarship encourages you to get creative and make a visually appealing and thought-provoking “visual poem” on wheelchair mobility. Your creation should be limited to materials that fit on an 8.5in x 11in piece of paper. You’re expected to create a visual poem that would touch on subjects related to the wheelchair community and provide a personal statement between 500 and 1,000 words.

100-Word Writing Contest

100-Word Writing Contest is a biannual prize of $2,000 for a work of flash poetry or prose. Don’t worry if your work was originally written in another language—English translations are accepted, too! All you need to do is submit a piece of poetry, fiction, or nonfiction that’s no more than 100 words long. The entry fee is just $15, and the deadline is November 30th. If you’re interested, check out the website for more info and to access the entry form.

The Haiku Scholarship Contest

Want to try your luck writing haiku? There’s a special contest with an award for it: the Nicholas A. Virgilio Memorial Haiku and Senryu Competition. It’s an annual contest for students in grades 7–12, sponsored by the Haiku Society of America and the Nick Virgilio Haiku Association. Founded in 1990 in memory of Nicholas A. Virgilio, a charter member of the Haiku Society of America, it aims to inspire young people to write haiku and senryu—beautiful short poems that capture a moment of experience or emotion. If you win, you’ll get a cash prize and the chance to have your work published in the Haiku Society of America’s journal, Frogpond, and on its website.

Frost Farm Prize for Metrical Poetry

Are you good at rhyming? An annual prize of $1,000 is awarded to the author of a poem written in metrical verse. In addition, the winner will receive a scholarship to attend the Frost Farm Poetry Conference in Derry, New Hampshire, in June and give a reading. To participate, you can submit any number of poems with a $6 entry fee per poem. The competition is sponsored by the Trustees of the Robert Frost Farm and the Hyla Brook Poets.

Poetry Contest

The Kenyon Review is offering a scholarship for a high school sophomore or junior who submits a poem. The winner will be able to attend the Kenyon Review Young Writers Workshop and get the costs of the workshop covered. Aspiring writers who haven’t published a poetry book can participate. The winners will be announced in the late spring.

We hope that you’ve found this list of poetry scholarships for students and professional writers inspiring.

Nevertheless, at BookScouter, we understand that not everyone is a poetry fan. So, here’s our article where you can learn  how to get a scholarship for college , even if you are not that into writing verses.

Moreover, BookScouter offers a quarterly $500  textbook scholarship  that you can apply for, regardless of whether you are an aspiring poet or scientist!

Natalie Meyers

Natalie Meyers is a freelance writer and editor with more than 15 years of experience. As an English major and a psychology graduate, she worked as a teacher and a counselor. As a writer, she's covered a diverse range of topics from technology to publishing. She is an avid reader who believes that books help us become more authentic versions of ourselves. At BookScouter, she's a smart writer and an expert in all things books.

You may also like

10 Effective Study Tips for Students to Succeed This Year

Kabibo International Internships: How to Get Paid Internships Abroad

How to Be Successful in College: Resources To Help Every College Student Succeed

Copy and paste this code to display the image on your site

Last Updated on December 13, 2023 by Sammy Wilson

Share Your Poetry Scholarship

Poetry is a form of art that uses words as a means of expression. 

Students who are interested in writing poetry get the opportunity to write in unique, different ways that can help them express who they are. Through this writing, it is possible to better understand yourself and others. The Share Your Poetry Scholarship will support students of any educational level who write poetry, encouraging their future in writing. 

Any student can apply if they have a major of interest in writing. To apply, submit an original poem.

Submit a poem you’ve written.

Winners and Finalists

Winning Application

Explore all kinds of scholarships for all kinds of students.

The application deadline is Mar 15, 2023. Winners will be announced on Apr 15, 2023.

Your privacy is a top priority on the Bold.org platform, and you can find our privacy policy in full here . You may opt out of communications from Bold.org at any time, and unless we’ve first notified you and gotten your consent, you’ll never receive communication from any third parties related to personal information you give us.

Award amounts per winner are designated by the donor. Check the award amount for a detailed breakdown.

The winner will be publicly announced on Apr 15, 2023. Prior to the announcement date, we may contact finalists with additional questions about their application. We will work with donors to review all applications according to the scholarship criteria. Winners will be chosen based on the merit of their application.

Award checks will be sent to the financial aid office of the winner's academic institution or future academic institution in their name to be applied to their tuition, and in the name of their institution (depending on the school's requirements). If the award is for a qualified educational non-tuition expense, we will work with the winner directly to distribute the award and make sure it goes towards qualified expenses.

Before we award the scholarship, the winner will be required to confirm their academic enrollment status. Depending on the circumstances, verification of Student ID and/or their most recent transcript will be required.

If you have any questions about this scholarship or the Bold.org platform, just email [email protected] and we’ll get back to you as quickly as we can.

Yes. The terms and conditions for this scholarship can be found here .

NEVER SATISFIED

This is what it means to be never satisfied.

At some point, every person who’s ever had a big idea has been told, "Don't bother." “Keep your head down.” “Do your work.” “Know your place.”

At POET, we know our place. Our place is at the forefront of history. Pioneering an industry. Challenging what’s expected. Changing the world.

To change the world, you need more than common sense; you need uncommon vision. You need more than big ideas; you need big ambition. You need unwavering confidence, unrelenting passion, and an insatiable appetite to do more.

You need to be Never Satisfied.

For nearly 40 years, POET has been Never Satisfied with the status quo. We're working in sync with nature to produce sustainable biofuels and bioproducts that can help solve some of the world’s most pressing challenges.

We're always looking for new ways to change the world, and we want to support the next generation of trailblazers, innovators, dreamers, and doers who are seeking to do the same.

SCHOLARSHIPS

If you consider higher education the first step toward your aspirations, POET wants to help you get there. POET Never Satisfied Scholarships are open to students enrolled in any accredited two- or four-year post-secondary school, regardless of major or GPA.

The POET Never Satisfied Scholarship Program awards $5,000 scholarships to students who are Never Satisfied with "good enough" and share POET’s mission to create a brighter future. Never Satisfied Scholars also receive hands-on networking and learning opportunities with members of the POET team.

We’re looking for individuals whose drive and ambition help them to see the world differently — who take the task of creating change into their own hands. Sound like you? Apply today!

Apply Online

Hands-on opportunities, support your education.

INTERNSHIPS

An internship with POET is an opportunity to put your education to work and enhance your college experience with the world's largest producer of biofuel and global leader in bioproduct innovation. At POET, you'll work side-by-side with some of the best and brightest minds in the industry.

Our Never Satisfied Internship Program offers paid internship opportunities to full-time students of junior or senior status enrolled at any accredited two- or four-year postsecondary school. Eligible students must be pursuing an applicable degree or course of study, including engineering, biology, chemistry, agricultural business, accounting and finance, supply chain management, and more.

Each POET internship features several engaging activities to get the most out of your experience, including hands-on learning, team-building, networking events, visits to our bioprocessing facilities, and the opportunity to present your internship experience to POET leadership.

POET internships are available in Sioux Falls, Wichita, and at several POET bioprocessing locations (locations and positions are subject to change). Internships begin in mid- to late May and typically last 10 to 12 weeks, allowing ample time to complete a substantial project and make a significant contribution to our organization.

UPCOMING SUMMER INTERNSHIPS

There are currently no internships posted.

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

Applications are accepted through our website. Students attending the schools listed on our campus recruiting calendar may also contact their campus career centers for more information.

POET internships begin in late-mid May and typically last 10 to 12 weeks, allowing ample time to complete a substantial project and make a significant contribution to our organization.

POET offers internship opportunities to full time students of junior or senior status enrolled at an accredited two- or four-year postsecondary school. Eligible students must be pursuing an applicable degree or course of study. To maintain eligibility, interns must perform satisfactorily throughout the internship program.

How do I apply for an Internship? Intern positions are posted at select universities as well as on our website . Will I be contacted once I submit my application? If you apply for a position on the POET website, an email notification will be sent to you confirming that your application has been received. Qualified candidates will be contacted directly by a POET recruiter or hiring manager. How does the selection process work? Applications are reviewed by POET recruiters and hiring managers in December and January. Phone screen interviews are then conducted with selected candidates. Offers are typically completed by March or April for internships beginning in May. What are the criteria for a POET Internship?

• Must be currently enrolled at an accredited two- or four-year postsecondary school
• Must be junior or senior status
• Must be pursuing an applicable degree or course of study
• Must be in good academic standing within your majors and overall at your university

Are internships paid? POET pays interns a competitive wage. Wages are based on discipline, completed years of education and previous experience. Our salary guidelines are reviewed annually for competitiveness within the industry. Do interns receive benefits? POET interns are not eligible for our benefit package. What are the benefits of a POET internship?

• Challenging and stimulating work assignments
• Expense reimbursement for job-related travel
• Apply classroom theory to real work situations
• Hands-on learning and networking opportunities

Which universities/colleges are on POET's recruiting calendar? POET actively recruits at colleges and universities across the United States during both fall and spring recruiting seasons. Our on-campus activity may vary from year to year. Does POET conduct on-campus or on-site interviews? POET may hold interviews on-campus at select universities. Interviews conducted on-campus are at the discretion of the POET hiring manager. What if POET is not making a campus visit to my university? Although we may not be visiting your campus during our recruiting campaigns, you may still apply for one of our open internship positions. Do you hire international students? International students are eligible to apply if they meet the criteria required of all interns or applicants including being legally entitled to work in the United States. It is the student's responsibility to obtain the appropriate visa, if applicable. As required by current immigration law, an offer of employment is contingent upon the student's ability to provide the appropriate documentation showing proof of eligibility to work in the United States. What types of student majors does POET recruit? POET hires students pursuing majors in areas applicable to our business, including accounting, agricultural studies, business, biology, CAD drafting, chemical engineering, chemistry, civil engineering, design/construction, electrical/instrumentation, environmental engineering, information systems, logistics, mechanical engineering, microbiology, marketing/communications, human resources, information technology. and many others. All internship locations and positions are subject to change from year to year. What is the duration and timing of an internship? POET intern assignments typically last 10 to 12 weeks, usually beginning in mid- to late May, allowing ample time to complete a substantial project and make a significant contribution to our organization. POET assignments are generally a semester in duration, allowing the student to potentially work on multiple projects while providing the opportunity to make a significant contribution to the organization. Does POET provide an intern orientation? If selected, candidates will receive a welcome packet and offer letter from POET. This information will confirm the student's start date and details on what to expect on the first day. Interns also receive a special orientation presentation on their first day and have an opportunity to attend the Never Satisfied Summit at POET headquarters. What would my summer experience at POET be like? POET interns are invited to learn as much as they can about POET's values, bioproducts, organizational structure, and business drivers. Each POET internship features several engaging activities to get the most out of your experience, including hands-on learning, team-building, networking events, visits to our bioprocessing facilities, and the opportunity to present your internship experience to POET leadership.

STAY IN TOUCH

Associated Links

NSHSS Creative Writing Scholarship

Three (3) $2,000 awards for the Fiction category, three (3) $2,000 awards for the Poetry category

Rising high school students graduating in 2024, 2025, 2026, 2027, and recently graduated 2023 seniors

Scholarship Details:

Awards will be presented to students with the top submissions in the  two categories below :

• Poetry : Students may submit their original poetry in any style, from formal verse, to free verse to experimental. The poem should be formatted as you wish it to appear in publication.
• Fiction : Students may submit a piece of short fiction, which must be no more than 5,000 words and should not be single-spaced. The entry may be any genre of the student’s choice, including graphic novel or story.

Winning literary entries will be published on the NSHSS website. Entries will be judged on creativity, technique, expression, and originality.

*All work must be the student’s original work. Plagiarism:  NSHSS has a no-tolerance policy for plagiarism. Any applicant whose winning work is determined to be plagiarized in whole or in part will forfeit any awards .

By submitting your work to us, you are giving NSHSS and its partners, affiliates, and licensees the non-exclusive right to publish your work in any format, including print, electronic, and online media. However, all individual contributors to NSHSS retain the right to submit their work for non-exclusive publication elsewhere, and you have our permission to do so.

Please note: Students have the option to apply to one or BOTH categories. Only one entry per category is allowed. Students are only eligible to win one NSHSS Scholarship per academic year. 

Application Requirements:

• Educator recommendation
• Title of the work
• Category you are submitting for
• Color headshot
• Academic resume
• Current Transcript (can be official or unofficial)

Application Opens: May 4, 2023

Closing date: october 2, 2023 by 11:59pm (est), scholarships closing soon.

CIA Undergraduate Scholarship Program

CIA STEAM Camp 2024

NSHSS Hometown Hero Scholarship

NSHSS Foundation Bridge to Opportunity Scholarship

Future Educators Scholarship

Why Vote? Scholarship for Voter Awareness and Education

NSHSS James W. Lewis High School Global Leader Scholarship 2024

NSHSS James W. Lewis Collegiate Global Leader Scholarship

Speak Up! Scholarship

NSHSS Nobel Good Earth Sustainability Scholarship

NSHSS Foundation Business & Public Policy Scholarship

Be More Grant

Notorious RBG Women of Tomorrow Scholarship

NSHSS Activism and Advocacy Scholarship

Quick links

• Make a Gift
• Directories

Creative Writing Scholarships and Prizes

The prizes and scholarships below are awarded by the UW Seattle English Department’s Creative Writing Program . Winners will be notified by the end of Spring Quarter. 

Prizes will be awarded at the end of Spring Quarter. Scholarships will be paid out in the following academic year.  During the term of the scholarship, recipients must enroll in a minimum of 6 credits.

The application deadline for these awards is the last day of Winter Quarter (March 15, 2024) at 5pm Pacific Time, unless otherwise indicated.

Requirements

Unless stated otherwise in the Contest Description , eligibility requirements for the prizes below are the following:

• Either a UW Seattle English major enrolled as an undergraduate for two quarters by the application deadline , OR a UW Seattle English Graduate student enrolled in the MFA program in Creative Writing
• UW GPA of 3.5
• UW English GPA of 3.7
• Minimum of 10 credits of completed UW English course work  completed before Winter Quarter begins. Courses taken during Winter Quarter will not count towards the 10 credit minimum.

Application Process

• The Creative Writing Contests deadline for 2024 has passed. Please check back in early 2025 for next year's contests applications.
• Remove your name and/or student number from the file containing your prose or poetry submission, as these are read anonymously.
• For prose contests, submit: 2-3 short stories, works of creative nonfiction, or a novel excerpt (up to 30 pages/9,000 words). If you are excerpting from a longer work, please provide a synopsis of the whole. 
• For poetry contests, submit up to 100 total lines of poetry, and no more than 10 poems.

For more information, please contact:  [email protected]

Scholarship and prize information described below. 

Undergraduate Contests

Graduate contests, undergraduate contests, prose - undergraduates.

Edith K Draham Scholarship - $6,000 (one undergraduate winner per year) -  Applicant must be a full-time sophomore or junior English Major at the time of application, and be eligible for need-based financial aid.  

Stephanie Dassel Barden Scholarship in Creative Writing - $3000 (one undergraduate winner per year)

Eugene Van Buren Prize for Fiction - $3,000 (one undergraduate winner per year) -  OPEN THROUGH NOMINATION BY CREATIVE WRITING FACULTY ONLY.  Open to all currently enrolled University of Washington Seattle students. Nominated students will be notified by the Creative Writing Program by email.

Charlotte Paul Reese Fiction Award - $2,400 (one undergraduate winner per year) -  OPEN THROUGH NOMINATION BY CREATIVE WRITING FACULTY ONLY.  Currently enrolled English majors who are Sophomores or Juniors are eligible. Nominated students will be notified by the Creative Writing Program by email.

Poetry - Undergraduates

Edith K Draham Scholarship - $6,000 (one undergraduate winner per year) -  Applicant must be a full-time Sophomore or Junior English Major at the time of application, and be eligible for need-based financial aid.  

Stephanie Dassel Barden Endowed Scholarship in Creative Writing - $3000 (one undergraduate winner per year)

Arthur Oberg Award for Poetry - $2,000 (one $2000 winner or two $1000 undergraduate winners per year) -  Applicant must have completed a beginning (ENGL 283) or intermediate (ENGL 383) poetry writing class in the 12 months preceding the contest deadline.

Joan Grayston Poetry Prize - $1,500 (one undergraduate winner per year)

Academy of American Poets Prize - $100 (one winner per year) - Open to all  currently enrolled graduate or undergraduate students at the University of Washington Seattle.  This prize is awarded for the best poem or group of poems. More information on this contest is available on the Academy of American Poets website .

Graduate Contests

Prose - graduates.

Eugene Van Buren Prize for Fiction - $3,000 (one graduate winner per year) -  OPEN THROUGH NOMINATION BY CREATIVE WRITING FACULTY ONLY.  Open to all currently enrolled University of Washington Seattle students. Nominated students will be notified by the Creative Writing Program by email.

David Guterson Award - $1,500 (one graduate winner per year) -  Must be an MFA prose writer completing their degree. Applicants should submit a draft of their MFA Creative Thesis. 

Nelson Bentley M FA Award in Creative Writing (Prose) - $1,500 (one graduate winner per year) -  Must be an MFA student completing their first year in the program at the time of application.

Poetry - Graduates

Joan Grayston Poetry Prize - $1,500 (one graduate winner per year)

Nelson Bentley M FA Award in Creative Writing (Poetry) - $1,500 (one graduate winner per year) -  Must be an MFA student completing their first year in the program at the time of application.

Academy of American Poets Prize - $100 (one winner per year) - Open to all  currently enrolled graduate or undergraduate students at the University of Washington Seattle.   This prize is awarded for the best poem or group of poems.  More information on this contest is available on the Academy of American Poets website .

Other Scholarship Sources:

• English Department Scholarships
• UW Office of Merit Scholarships, Fellowships, and Awards
• UW Office of Student Financial Aid
• Other Campus Resources
•   Facebook
•   Instagram
•   Twitter
•   Newsletter

Looking to publish? Meet your dream editor, designer and marketer on Reedsy.

Find the perfect editor for your next book

1 million authors trust the professionals on Reedsy. Come meet them.

Best Short Fiction Writing Scholarships in 2024

Showing 19 scholarships that match your search.

Creative Writing Award

The winner will be offered the opportunity to occupy during her or his first academic year the residence room where J. D. Salinger lived; and Leadership standing in the Ursinus writing community. The winner will be expected to join the previous award winners in reading subsequent creative portfolios, and will help the Office of Admission in selecting the next winner. Award winners are also expected to be prominent members of Ursinus’ Literary Society, The Lantern, and the creative writing community.

Categories: Short Fiction

Organization: Ursinus College.

Deadline: January 15, 2025.

Categories: Short Fiction.

Apply now →

Unpublished Writer's Award

The winner of this award receives $1,000, an invitation to accept the award at our annual awards ceremony, promotion on our website, and a feature of their work in our Magajournal and quarterly newsletter. Applicant must email an original, unpublished fiction work (short story or novel excerpt) not to exceed 2,000 typed words on double-spaced pages

Organization: Go On Girl! Book Club.

Deadline: March 31, 2025.

Additional awards: Invitation to awards ceremony, promotion through website and publications.

The Phyliss J. McCarthy Scholarship for Excellence in Writing

LearnCurious is proud to introduce the annual competition for the Phyliss J. McCarthy Scholarship for Excellence in Writing. In 3,000 words or fewer, applicants must respond to one of three creative prompts. Entrants must be high school juniors or seniors to win.

Organization: Learn Curious.

Deadline: July 23, 2024.

Additional awards: 2 runner-up prizes of $50 each.

Dark Poetry Scholarship

The Dark Poetry scholarship is designed to assist in the professional development of Horror and/or Dark Fantasy Poets. This scholarship is worth $1250, which may be spent on approved writing education over the two years following the granting of the scholarship.

Organization: Horror Writers Association.

Deadline: August 01, 2024.

Dennis Etchison Young Writers Scholarship

The Dennis Etchison Young Writers scholarship will be open to students in grades 10-12 (or the equivalent, if home schooled), with an interest in writing horror/dark fiction. Students must provide a selection of their work, at least one letter of reference by their instructor(s), and a description of their goals with an education plan for use of the stipend. The recipient will have 2 years to utilize the funds.

Additional awards: Horror author JG Faherty will mentor the winner for 6 months..

Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley Scholarship

It is clear to the HWA that there are unseen, but real, barriers limiting the amount of horror fiction being published by women. This scholarship, named after the great female horror writer, aims to encourage more female writers to enter our genre and to aid in the development of those already working within it.

Horror Writers Association Scholarship

The Horror Writers Association Scholarship will be open to all horror writers (HWA membership is not a requirement). Scholarship is designed to assist in the professional development of horror writers.

TalNexus Scholarship for a Master in Fine Arts Degree

The TalNexus Scholarship for a Master in Fine Arts Degree offers grants of up to $4,000 for storytellers (writers and filmmakers) pursuing degrees in Masters in Fine Arts. The award recognizes applicants of demonstrated talent in their craft and a commitment to exploring themes of individuality, community and innovation – broadly imagined – in their works.

Organization: Taliesin Nexus.

Deadline: September 01, 2024.

Additional awards: Multiple grants will be given. Winners will also be accepted into the TalNexus Writers Workshop and can receive travel stipends..

YoungArts' National Arts Competition for Writing

YoungArts’ signature program is an application-based award for emerging artists ages 15-18 or in grades 10-12 from across the United States. YoungArts winners receive valuable support, including financial awards of up to $10,000, professional development and educational experiences working with renowned mentors, and performance and exhibition opportunities at some of the nation’s leading cultural institutions.

Organization: National YoungArts Foundation.

Deadline: October 08, 2024.

Additional awards: Multiple awards of varying amounts will be given.

New York Life Award

The National New York Life Award, sponsored by the New York Life Foundation, provides six students whose works explore personal grief, loss, and bereavement with $1,000 scholarships. Additional state scholarships of $500 are available to two students from select states. Note that deadlines for all Scholastic Art & Writing Awards vary depending on your state.

Organization: Scholastic Art & Writing Awards.

Deadline: December 01, 2024.

Additional awards: 10 additional scholarships of $500 each (restrictions apply).

Civic Expression Award

The Civic Expression Award, sponsored by the Maurice R. Robinson Fund, provides six students whose works best promote responsible participation in civic life with $1,000 scholarships. This award is part of the Scholastic Art & Writing Awards, the nation’s longest-running and most prestigious recognition program for creative teens. Note that deadlines for all Scholastic Art & Writing Awards vary depending on your state.

Unigo $10k Scholarship

Provide a short written response to the following question: "Imagine a historical figure is brought back to life. Who is it? What‘s their favorite mobile app?” Response should be limited to 250 words or less.

Organization: Unigo.

Deadline: December 31, 2024.

Deming Fund Grant

We award small artist support grants ($500 – $1,500) to individual feminist women in the arts who are citizens in the U.S and Canada. We welcome applications from women artists and writers who exhibit high quality and originality, use feminism as their central interpretive lens, and validate and express intersectional views.

Organization: Barbara Deming Memorial Fund, Inc..

Deadline: January 31, 2025.

Arts for Life! Scholarship

Arts for Life! annually awards $1,000 scholarships to 25 graduating high school seniors in Florida who demonstrate excellence in creative writing, dance, drama, music or visual art. To apply, students must submit a completed application, a brief essay explaining “how the arts have positively influenced my life,” and a portfolio of work in creative writing, dance, drama, music, or visual art.

Organization: Foundation for Excellence in Education.

Deadline: February 01, 2025.

Porter Fleming Literary Competition

The Porter Fleming Literary Competition honors the memory of Porter Fleming, one of Augusta, Georgia’s leading citizens and foremost philanthropists. The Porter Fleming Literary Competition consists of four categories — fiction, nonfiction, poetry, and one-act play — and awards $7,000 in cash awards, distributed evenly across these categories.

Organization: Morris Museum of Art.

Deadline: February 10, 2025.

Additional awards: 4 second place prizes of $500 each, 4 third place prizes of $250 each.

What are writing scholarships?

Writing scholarships are financial awards given to students based primarily on written work, though other factors are usually taken into consideration as well. Most writing scholarships involve a prompt or series of prompts to which applicants must respond. Some writing scholarships — especially those that award large amounts of money — require applicants to submit past writing samples, or even a full portfolio.

The good news is that, with so many writing scholarships to choose from, you don’t have to apply for any that are “out of your league.” Indeed, though most students have heard of writing scholarships, you may not realize just how many different varieties there are! Here are five of the most common types of writing scholarships, all of which you can find in this directory.

1. Personal essay scholarships

Personal essay scholarships involve writing on a topic related to your own experience. You’ll often see personal essay prompts like, “How have your experiences influenced your choice of major?” and “What are your career aspirations and how do you plan to achieve them?” Other prompts may ask you to write about a role model, a life-changing event, an aspect of your identity, etc. Suggested length is usually about 500-1,000 words, but varies depending on the level of detail requested and how many essay questions are provided.

Just about every scholarship these days has a personal essay component of some kind. This is because personal essay responses both demonstrate writing skills and give the judges a clear sense of each applicant’s goals. No one wants to throw away money on an aimless student — so if you’re applying for a personal essay scholarship, make sure to convey both your writing abilities and your ambitions in your work!

2. Critical essay scholarships

Critical essay scholarships are more in line with what students might consider  “academic” essays. The prompts typically ask applicants to analyze works of literature. However, unlike open-ended English class essays, most critical essay scholarships provide a very specific prompt (e.g. “Examine The Great Gatsby in the context of its World War II-era revival”).

Critical essay scholarships can also involve non-literary subject matter. Some may ask applicants to evaluate a historical event or figure; others may ask them to defend their stance on a political or legal issue. Though the line between critical and personal essays can sometimes blur, for the purposes of this directory, we define critical essays as those that use evidence from an external source to prove a point.

3. Short fiction scholarships

Short fiction scholarships include scholarships for short stories, one-act plays, poetry, and any other form of fiction that isn’t a novel or full-length script. Short fiction scholarships tend to be easier to find than long-form fiction scholarships, since most judging panels don’t have time to read more than a few thousand words per entry. Therefore, if you write fiction and you’re hoping to nab yourself a scholarship, this category is the way to go! (That said, if you’re a hardline novelist, some places will accept a sample chapter or two as short fiction entries.)

4. Journalism scholarships

Journalism scholarships are for students interested in pursuing a career in news, magazine, and/or online journalism. These scholarship applications almost always ask for writing samples to show the candidate’s interest. Depending on the organization, they may prefer topical news reports, informative articles, thinkpieces, or a mix. Some journalism scholarships provide a prompt and ask applicants to write a new article, but the focus is usually on samples. Speaking of which…

5. Portfolio scholarships 

Portfolio scholarships are the most rigorous kind of writing scholarship, requiring a substantial body of work from each applicant — usually 5-10 pieces of writing, if not more. The upside is that awards for portfolio scholarships tend to be pretty sizable, and may even cover your entire tuition!

If you decide to apply to a portfolio scholarship, make sure you have several strong pieces of work in your oeuvre, and consider writing a few new pieces as well. What you shouldn’t do is rush through a dozen new pieces to throw together as a portfolio. If you don’t have samples at the ready from previous assignments or projects, you’ll be better off applying to a less intensive writing scholarship.

Why apply to writing scholarships?

Applying to writing scholarships is a huge undertaking, especially if you’re pursuing multiple scholarships at once. It can sometimes feel like the effort isn’t worth it, or that you have little chance of actually winning any awards. But in truth, submitting to writing scholarships is one of the best investments you can make in your education, your creative writing skills, and your professional life.

Scholarships for larger amounts do attract more applicants, but that doesn’t mean they’re impossible to land — only that you have to work a little harder to stand out. And you can definitely sway the odds in your favor by applying to lots of small scholarships ($500 or less) for which you’ll have fewer competitors. Remember that every little bit helps! For example, if you plan on taking out student loans, even a $500 scholarship could save you much more in interest down the line.

Another compelling reason to apply to writing scholarships is that oftentimes, you’ve already done the work, or the work required is minimal. For scholarships that require writing samples, you’ll simply submit what you’ve already written in the past — and even for scholarships with specific prompts, you rarely have to write more than a couple of pages. If you were seriously committed, you could apply to a scholarship every day, spending a single concentrated evening on each application.

Jumping off that thought, as English majors love to say: the more writing scholarships you apply for, the better a writer you’ll become. Writing tons of scholarship essays will make you a much more creative and efficient writer. Not only will this help with your personal writing projects, but it will also be invaluable to your education and even your career! Writing is a crucial skill for every major — you’ll always have to write papers and emails to professors, after all — and even if you don’t plan to pursue a writing-based job, you'll still need writing skills to polish your résumé.

Finally, remember that there’s a writing scholarship out there for everyone, no matter what your interests or intended field. This directory includes plenty of creative writing scholarships, yes; but there are also personal essay scholarships for future doctors, lawyers, salespeople, and so much more. You have nothing to lose by giving it a shot, so why not start searching for your dream writing scholarship today? (And if you’re unsure about your writing skills, you might benefit from some of the resources below.)

Resources to strengthen your writing skills

• 20 Writing Tips to Help You Become A Better Writer Today
• How to Stop Procrastinating and Build A Solid Writing Routine
• What is Creative Nonfiction? Memoirs, Literary Journalism, and More!
• How to Write a Memoir: Tell Your Amazing Story in 9 Steps
• How to Write a Fantastic Short Story In 7 Steps
• How to Self-Edit Your Manuscript Like a Pro
• 700+ Creative Writing Prompts to Inspire You
• 100+ Creative Writing Exercises for Authors

Join a community of over 1 million authors

Reedsy is more than just a blog. Become a member today to discover how we can help you publish a beautiful book.

Save your shortlist

Enter your email address to save your shortlist so that you don't lose it!

By continuing, you will also receive Reedsy's weekly publishing tips and access to our free webinars.

We sent over your shortlist. Thank you for using Reedsy's Writing Scholarships Directory, happy publishing! 🙌

Bring your stories to life

Our free writing app lets you set writing goals and track your progress, so you can finally write that book!

1 million authors trust the professionals on Reedsy. Come meet them.

Enter your email or get started with a social account:

The 2024 Foley poetry contest: art that pierces and disrupts

The only unfortunate thing about the winner of this year’s Foley Poetry Contest, “The Patron Saint of Sliding Glass Doors,” is that when I read the title, I immediately thought of the 1998 Gwyneth Paltrow romantic comedy (which I’ve actually never seen) called “Sliding Doors.”

Whatever the merits of the film, the poem by James Davis May about sliding doors is that superb piece of writing that does a lot of labor but does not feel labored. It dives into what is tiny and four-legged and amphibious—a tree frog, of all things!—and pans out to what is universal and bipedal: human envy, the hunger for prayer. Out of this tiny frog the poet weaves a tiny charged theology of the world. This bit of writing is worth your while, worth even a few reads as you go deeper and deeper into its beauty.

To select the Foley winner, we whittled 500-plus poems down to our top 30 strongest poems. We then brought the 30 down to 27 when we realized that three poets had disqualified themselves by going far above the 45-line limit. (A kindly reminder from one writer to another: Read those guidelines.)

Not every one of the final 27 poems works as a whole, but lines catch you; they work as a world unto themselves:

* “ My mother loves to retell plots—mystery, romance, Seinfeld—and she expects that you’ll be moved.”

* “For years I was convinced oafish was/ a type of fish....”

* From a poem in which a family moves from the northern climes down to New Orleans: “Within the week I awoke to snow,/ like I’d brought an old friend with me from Minnesota.”

* An utterly sad poem based on Michael Pollan’s The Omnivore’s Dilemma , about piglets living in unspeakably miserable quarters, states: “Premature weaning leaves a lifelong craving/ to suck, chew—a need piglets gratify/ in confinement, biting the tail of the animal/ in front of them.”

* “Your ashes grazed the treetops/ and everybody smiled./ I shook twenty hands,// watched the cars go,/then knelt/ by racks of thorns....”

* “ We often underestimate/ The teeth of water.... The only thing that cuts mountains/ Is stream....”

* A sparrow takes grubs from the skull of a deer: “Take, eat my memory// of the woods, Swallow my swift/ witness of this earth.”

My co-judges for the 2024 contest— last year’s winner , Laurinda Lind, and an America O’Hare fellow, Christine Lenahan—went back and forth over a poem called “Gaza,” by Kirby Wright, and whether it should be one of the runners-up. Is it too one-sided? Anytime you write about the horrors taking place in Gaza, do you have to name what Hamas did in Israel? Does a poem have to be perfectly “fair”? Can there be anything “perfectly fair” said about that war? Is it a genocide? If its people are being massacred, shouldn’t Hamas just give up, to stop the massacre? All this spurred by a 10-line poem.

We eventually settled on “Gaza” (well, two of us did) as one of our three runners-up, along with “Animals,” by Hannah Ahn, and “01100111 01101111 01100100 01100100 01100101 01110011 01110011,” by Jon Saviours. (Yes, that is its title.) These poems will be published in our July/August issue.

It was a pleasure to sit down and give a close read to our 27 finalists and in pinpoint detail discuss with Laurinda and Christine each phrase, each idea, what they mean, how they work or do not work. Words matter, space matters, commas, ellipses, breaths in the line, broken rhythm, dynamic range; every little eyelash matters in a good poem, so tightly constructed does it need to be.

We are grateful for everyone who shared with us all of these details, large or small, whether veteran poets or beginners—those who dared open themselves to the impossible and frankly ridiculous thing of being named “winner.”

I don’t know that you can actually “rank” art , but you can declare what poem works, what really works. You can notice and signal to the world which poem does something. Like an edgy tech start-up, it “disrupts” you; it lingers in your mind, pierces the mist of human generality and lashes you to what is vital, particular and beautiful. Poems like these at the very least deserve more eyes on them, and we are more than happy to make that happen.

Joe Hoover, S.J., is America ’s poetry editor and producer of "The Allegory."

Most popular

Your source for jobs, books, retreats, and much more.

The latest from america

Jump to navigation

Extended Deadline: Stimpson Prize for Outstanding Feminist Scholarship

2025 Catharine Stimpson Prize for Outstanding Feminist Scholarship

The University of Chicago Press and Signs: Journal of Women in Culture and Society are pleased to announce the competition for the 2025 Catharine Stimpson Prize for Outstanding Feminist Scholarship. Named in honor of the founding editor of Signs, the Catharine Stimpson Prize is designed to recognize excellence and innovation in the work of emerging feminist scholars.

The Catharine Stimpson Prize is awarded biennially to the best paper in an international competition. Leading feminist scholars from around the globe will select the winner. The prizewinning paper will be published in Signs, and the author will be provided an honorarium of $1,000. All papers submitted for the Stimpson Prize will be considered for peer review and possible publication in Signs.

Eligibility: Feminist scholars in the early years of their careers (fewer than seven years since receipt of the terminal degree) are invited to submit papers for the Stimpson Prize. This includes current graduate students. Papers may be on any topic that falls under the broad rubric of interdisciplinary feminist scholarship. Submissions must be no longer than 10,000 words (including notes and references) and must conform to the guidelines for Signs contributors (see http://signsjournal.org/for-authors/author-guidelines/ ).

Extended Deadline for Submissions: June 15, 2024.

Please submit papers online at http://signs.edmgr.com . Be sure to indicate submission for consideration for the Catharine Stimpson Prize. The honorarium will be awarded upon publication of the prizewinning article.

Episodes from poet’s life are recounted in essays | DON NOBLE

Students at the University of Alabama in the late ’60s and early ’70s will remember James Seay. Tall, slender, with long brown hair, and a black eye patch over his right eye, Seay taught poetry writing and was a presence.

His first book, “Let Not Your Hart,” won the prestigious Wesleyan Prize for poetry in 1970. The verse is luminously accessible, a miracle by today’s standards, and many concern his childhood in Mississippi, in Panola County — just east of the Delta.

More: Novel explores apocalypse and religion in Mississippi | DON NOBLE

Seay wrote of poverty. A poem about fishing for catfish by hand, grabbling in Yokna Bottom, concludes “The well-fed do not wade this low river.”

There are poems of hard work, often amusing and admiring.

“Kelly Dug a Hole” is a hymn of praise to simple tasks done perfectly. “Kelly’s hole was true.” If, one day, the building collapses, the last part to fail will be where Kelly dug.

And there is of course a poem about shopping, with his father, for a glass eye after losing his eye to a lawn mower. The boy knows the salesman “would not find my soft brown eye, not in a thousand leather trays.”

Now, half a century and six volumes of poetry later, James Seay has published a book of 20 essays, “Come! Come! Where? Where?: Essays.”

The first — and the last — speak of a loss even greater than the loss of his eye. Seay and his ex-wife, Lee Smith, lost their son Josh to mental illness and early death at 33.

Several return to the themes of “Let Not Your Hart.” Some recount stories of laboring and as foreman of laborers.

In the ironically titled “Big Boss Man,” set in 1959, he is supervising a crew of Black and white workers constructing a classroom building at Ole Miss. The racial and class currents are almost too complex to relate. The Black workers work with and are separate from the white workers. The blue-collar whites resent Seay, the educated boy and their boss. But he concludes, generously, that the surliest among them is just trying to feed his family.

The essays are scattered through time and space.

There are several accounts of fishing trips, a few of literary commentary, and a fresh essay on some places in Faulkner that are Seay’s own places.

The funniest piece is “Avian Voices: Trying Not To Kill a Mockingbird.” In addition to giving musical pleasure, mockingbirds can be very irritating

One favorite is his 1987 visit or attempted visit to Chekhov’s grave. That day there happened to be a funeral for a Soviet official. The guard was under orders to allow no one else into the cemetery.

Seay explained, pled, that he might never again be in the country. “Nyet.”

Desperate to be admitted, Seay has his translator tell the guard “I am a relative of Chekhov”: “My adult life has been given to the cause of literature.”

And that’s the truth.

Don Noble’s newest book is Alabama Noir, a collection of original stories by Winston Groom, Ace Atkins, Carolyn Haines, Brad Watson, and eleven other Alabama authors.

“Come! Come! Where? Where?: Essays”

Author: James Seay

Publisher: The University of North Carolina Press, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, 2024

Price: $22.95

Here are the 2024 winners of EJI's Montgomery Public Schools Legacy Scholarship

For the second year, the Equal Justice Initiative has awarded $10,000 to students at Montgomery Public Schools to help 34 students go to college.

The Montgomery Public Schools Legacy Scholarship was awarded to graduating seniors from each of the nine Montgomery public high schools, the nonprofit said. EJI selected the winners based on essays about EJI's legacy sites in Montgomery.

“We are incredibly excited to support these extraordinary young people who have distinguished themselves at their schools," said Bryan Stevenson, EJI's director. "Area students need to be supported, encouraged and affirmed when they work hard and strive to achieve greatness as these beautiful high school students have done. Providing scholarships to MPS students and their families has been a joyous and uplifting experience for us and look forward to continuing our work with area youth."

The organization's goal is to help students who have overcome obstacles and demonstrated a commitment to their communities.

The 34 winners of the Montgomery Public Schools Legacy Scholarship are:

• Alange Matthews, Percy Julian
• Azari Rudolph, Percy Julian
• Brianna Mack, Johnson Abernathy Graetz
• Christian Philemy, Park Crossing
• Christopher Robinson, McIntyre
• Daryl Ramon Thomas Jr., Booker T. Washington
• Elva Shao, Loveless Academic Magnet Program
• I’nthia Poole, Percy Julian
• Ingrid Dominguez, Carver
• Isabella Dennison, Booker T. Washington
• Izaiah Sledge, Lanier
• Jada Timmons, Brew Tech
• Jade Ray, Brew Tech
• Jailyn Dixon, Loveless Academic Magnet Program
• Jonathan Davis, Brew Tech
• Kathlyn Morrison, Lanier
• Kenzie Moore, Brew Tech
• Laken Burden, Park Crossing
• LilJessie Robinson, McIntyre
• Madison Thompson, Booker T. Washington
• Makayla McQueen, Park Crossing
• Maliah London, Carver
• Maya Brooks Tyynismaa, Booker T. Washington
• Maya Hall, Carver
• Mia Dunlap, Loveless Academic Magnet Program
• Mikeria Jones, Park Crossing
• Nadia Surles, Carver
• Naomi Patterson, Loveless Academic Magnet Program
• Neina Morrison, Lanier
• Sayyied Rida, Johnson Abernathy Graetz
• Summer Easterling, Lanier
• Teniyah Watkins, Johnson Abernathy Graetz
• Traykhemish Lee, Johnson Abernathy Graetz
• Yakira Chaney, Percy Julian

More: Last Year's Winners Meet the 19 MPS students awarded the Equal Justice Initiative's Legacy Scholarship

Alex Gladden is the Montgomery Advertiser's public safety reporter. She can be reached at [email protected] or on Twitter @gladlyalex.