Are you the kind of student who always carries around a notebook, jotting down your thoughts and turning them into poems? If so, your literary passion can help you earn money for college.
Regardless of their experience level, aspiring poets can enter their work in a number of contests and scholarship programs that allow them to win money they can use for college tuition. Often these contests give cash prizes, allowing recipients to use the award for other expenses that traditional aid doesn’t cover.
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Many of these scholarships are also open to students in a broader age range, so students can begin applying as high school freshmen or, in some cases, even in elementary or middle school. For example, U.S. and international students of all ages can enter the Colorism Healing Poetry Contest, which asks applicants to address the issue of colorism within current culture.
To enter, students must submit one unpublished poem up to 1,000 words that explores the theme. Applicants are separated into three divisions based on age.
All winners, including honorable mentions, will have their poems published online and in print. First- and second-place winners will also receive $50 and $25 cash prizes, respectively. Submissions for this year closed April 30, but interested students can check back next year’s deadlines.
Another contest open to individuals of all ages is the Blue Mountain Arts’ Poetry Card Contest, which offers $300 for first place, $150 for second place and $50 for third place; The company will also display the winning poems on its website. The contest is open to everyone except Blue Mountain Arts employees or their families, and applicants must submit their original poems in English.
The application deadline is Dec. 31. Entrants may enter as many poems as they wish.
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Each year, the National Council of Teachers of English offers the NCTE/Norman Mailer Student Writing Awards competition, which includes the College Poetry Writing Award. Full-time students enrolled at four- and two-year colleges as well as at junior and technical colleges can submit one or multiple poems up to five pages for a chance to receive $2,500 and attend an award ceremony.
Students should read the application guidelines carefully. A national panel of renowned teachers and writers judge the entries. Previous application deadlines were in the summer, so interested students should check the scholarship website in spring.
More than 200 colleges and universities across the country participate in the Academy of American Poets University and College Poetry Prize program. Each school determines whether the prize is open to undergraduates, graduate students or both. The contest process may also differ from school to school, so students should check with their school’s coordinator for the most updated eligibility requirements and deadlines.
One winner from each school receives $100, a letter of congratulations and is announced through both the academy’s annual report and on the Poetry Prize website. Each school may select one honorable mention.
A number of colleges also offer scholarships to students who have chosen to study poetry at their institution. For example, the University of Washington offers multiple prizes and scholarships to poetry students, including the Arthur Oberg Prize for Poetry and the Joan Grayston Poetry Prize. The award amounts, deadlines and eligibility requirements vary . Students should check with their school regarding available poetry scholarships.
Poets at the graduate school level can find a number of institution-specific scholarships for poetry Masters of Fine Arts programs around the country.
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For example, those interested in a traditional, on-campus graduate experience can receive full funding to the University of Notre Dame. Students accepted to the program automatically receive a full tuition scholarship and fellowship. Those interested should carefully review the university’s admissions guidelines, eligibility requirements and program details.
For those who want graduate-level education in poetry but aren’t able to commit to being a full-time student, scholarships are available for low-residency programs. Pine Manor College‘s low-residency MFA program offers The Sharon Olds Fellowship for Poetry, a $1,000 fellowship offered annually to students entering the program in the winter – spring semester.
Applicants interested in this opportunity should indicate in their general application that they would like to be considered for one of Pine Manor’s genre-based fellowships. The postmark deadline for this application cycle is Sept. 19.
Whether you’re a burgeoning young poet just getting started or you’re planning to study poetry at the graduate level, scholarships are available to help you pay for your education.
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Earn Money for College Through Poetry Contests, Scholarships originally appeared on usnews.com
