English Scholarships

Finding English Scholarships

If you are interested in becoming an English major, you probably have been honing the art of writing for a long time. Many English scholarships are essay scholarships, and as an English major you have an advantage over other students in competing for general scholarships that require essays. Put your writing out there and see if you can win a scholarship for your hard work. Browse the list below to see some of the many english scholarships available from private and independent organizations.

Studying English

An undergraduate degree in English focuses on the study of literature in the English language. As a broad program of study, the English Major provides students with an opportunity to analyze works of literature and film originally written in English. Such an analysis prompts students to exercise both critical thinking skills, in which they analyze and reflect upon a text such that they can later interpret it and find meaning, and to present the results of their analysis in clear, cogent writing.

Traditionally the program of Creative Writing is associated with the English department of a University. However, creative writing has progressively gained prominence in the university setting. Creative writers typically decide an emphasis in either fiction or poetry. The courses emphasize literature classes, education classes and workshop classes to strengthen writing skills and techniques. Though they have their own programs of study in the fields of film and theatre, screenwriting and playwriting have become more popular in creative writing programs, as creative writing programs attempt to work more closely with film and theatre programs as well as English programs.

An English degree can be a valuable asset in many fields. The discipline’s emphasis on clear writing and an understanding of people through the study of literature is an important skill. A degree in English offers college graduates career opportunities in a number of fields, which include writing, editing, publishing, teaching and research, advertising, public relations, law, and finance.

List of English Scholarships

Scholarship & Link Organization Application Deadline Award Amount Notes
Atlas Shrugged Essay Contest and other Essay Contests Ayn Rand Institute Sept. 17, 2009 $10,000 Entrant must be enrolled in college/university or 12th grade at the time of entry.
Arts Recognition & Talent Search National Foundation for Advancement in the Arts See Website $1000 - $3000 Annual awards for graduating high school seniors or 17 and 18 year old artists pursuing interests in the fields of Dance, Music, Music/Jazz, Theater, Visual Arts, Photography, or Writing
Authors of Tomorrow Scholarship Elder & Leemaur Varies annually $10,000 Annual awards for undergraduate students who are graduating high school seniors or students currently enrolled in an accredited college or university, and are interested in the field of writing.
Wiki Answers Scholarship Fund WikiAnswers.com, Answers Corporation Varies $1,000 Twenty scholarships will be awarded to eligible applicants who answer at least 50 questions on the Q&A website.
Signet Classics Student Scholarship Essay Penguin.com Varies $1,000 The annual Signet Classics Scholarship Essay Contest awards five high school juniors or seniors $1,000 each for their winning essay on classic literature.
Carol Raphael Creative Writing Award for Poetry Carol Raphael Creative Writing Award for Poetry Endowed Fund Varies Varies Annual awards for seniors attending Pace University (NYC, PLV, or WP campuses) who are majoring in Literature, Communications, or English.
Scholarships.com College English Scholarship Scholarships.com 31-Oct $1,000 Scholarships.com sponsors a scholarship for students majoring in english. 250-350 word essay required.
Poetry Out Loud Scholarship Contest Poetry Out Loud Varies National Champion: $20,000, Second Place: $10,000, Prizes are offered for official state and national competitions.
Ruth Lilly Poetry Fellowships The Poetry Foundation Varies $15,000 Two Ruth Lilly Poetry Fellowships are awarded annually through a national competition open to undergraduate and graduate students in creative writing or English who are enrolled in a university or college at the time of the application.