Scholarships for English Majors

Late-stage Ph.D. candidates in the humanities and social sciences at accredited U.S. graduate schools whose dissertation addresses religious, ethical, or moral questions may apply for Charlotte W. Newcombe Doctoral Dissertation Fellowships. Twenty fellows each receive a $31,000 stipend for 12 months of full-time dissertation writing. Applicants must have completed coursework, passed preliminary exams, received dissertation proposal approval, and be actively writing their dissertation by the application deadline. Professional degrees such as D.Min., law, Psy.D., and Ed.D. are not eligible.

U.S. citizens who are Intercollegiate Studies Institute members enrolled full time in a graduate humanities or social sciences program and intend to teach at the college level may apply for the Richard M. Weaver Graduate Fellowship. Pre-professional programs in business, divinity, medicine, or law are ineligible. Fellowships range from $5,000 to $15,000. ISI awards up to 15 fellowships annually for tuition and living expenses. Apply by the March deadline through ISI. The fellowship honors Richard M. Weaver and supports graduate students who will use advanced degrees to teach and uphold academic excellence.

Jewish high school seniors, undergraduates, or graduate students with permanent residence in the greater San Francisco Bay Area may apply if they are majoring in or plan to major in library science, English, literature, education, or a related field with the intention of working with underserved children. Financial need is required. Awards are up to $5,000, and past recipients may reapply. Apply through the Jewish Federation of the San Francisco Bay Area's unified college scholarship application.

U.S. or Canadian citizens or permanent residents with at least junior standing in a German Studies track or minor, or graduate students in humanities and social sciences working on German Studies, may be nominated by a department or program chair for DAAD German Studies Research Grants. PhD students preparing dissertation proposals on modern German topics may also be nominated; students whose proposals were formally accepted more than one year before the deadline are not eligible. Grants of up to $3,000 support one to two months of short-term research in Germany. The number of recipients varies. Nomination by a supervising professor or principal advisor is required. Applications are accepted in spring and fall each year through the DAAD application process.

College or university juniors, seniors, or graduate students with a demonstrated interest in editing as a career may apply for ACES Education Fund scholarships. Five scholarships are awarded annually, with awards up to $2,500 for the top Aubespin Scholar award. Additional scholarships at lower amounts are also granted. Applications open August 15 and close November 15. Submit the online application with required materials such as transcripts, recommendations, or essays as specified for each award. The ACES Education Fund is a nonprofit that has awarded nearly 150 scholarships since 1999 to support editors in their education and careers.

University of New Mexico graduate students or upper-division undergraduates with at least a 3.2 GPA in English, literature, or a related language/literature degree may apply for the Larry Morris Memorial Scholarship. The award supports work on a project in mystical or spiritual literature, whether scholarly analysis, original creative work, or travel and research to promote further inquiry. One annual award of up to $2,500 may be used from January through August. Submit the application, transcript, and two confidential academic recommendation letters from faculty familiar with your work. The Hillside Source offers this scholarship to nourish spiritual life through scholarship and creative inquiry.

Incoming first-year students at Augustana University in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, who wish to study the humanities may apply for the Fryxell Scholarship, with preference for English or journalism majors. The award is $1,000 per year, renewable for up to four years with at least a 3.0 GPA and a declared major in the humanities. Contact the Office of Admission or Financial Aid to verify eligibility and apply. The scholarship supports students interested in humanities fields.

New and amateur science fiction and fantasy writers who have not exceeded the contest's professional publication limits may submit one original prose short story or novelette per quarter. Quarterly first-, second-, and third-place prizes are $1,000, $750, and $500. One annual grand-prize winner selected from quarterly first-place winners receives the Golden Pen Award and an additional $5,000. There is no entry fee, and entrants retain publication rights. Entries must be original works in English up to 17,000 words. Quarterly submission deadlines are December 31, March 31, June 30, and September 30.