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Do you have a way with words? A passion for prose? An appreciation for alliteration? Take that talent and win money for college. Poetry scholarships exist, and they can help you pay for college.
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.
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Check for scholarshipsWhere 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 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.
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.
