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
Top 5 exclusive writing scholarships
- $10,000 “No Essay” Scholarship – Open to all grade levels and worth $10,000
- “College Here I Come” Essay Scholarship for High School Seniors – Apply to this scholarship exclusively for high school seniors with a brief essay
- “Scholar Dollars” Essay Scholarship for Black Students – Apply to this scholarship for HS upperclassmen and above by responding to a short essay prompt
- “Tuition Solution” Scholarship for STEM Students – This scholarship is for HS upperclassmen and above who are studying STEM. It’s a quick application with a short essay prompt!
- “A Helping Hand” Scholarship – Students with high financial need should be sure to apply for this S360 exclusive scholarship!
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.
- Amount: $1,000
- 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
- Â Eligibility:Â 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:Â 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:Â Mid-June
Also see:Â 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:Â 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.Â
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?
If you qualify, you can also apply for CollegePoint, a free resource that matches you with current college students to guide you through the college application process. They will help with every factor, including college application, selection, scholarship searching, college interviews, and more. Find out all you need to know with our review of CollegePoint’s services.
How much should I write if there is no word limit on the application?
Can I use AI on my scholarship applications?
Is there a penalty for using ChatGPT on a scholarship essay?
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
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