Key Takeaways:
- Scholarships for communications can vary widely in terms of eligibility criteria, award amounts, and specific requirements.
- Scholarships may be available based on academic merit, financial need, leadership qualities, or specific talents related to communications (such as writing, public speaking, or media production).
- Typically, scholarships require you to complete an application form, provide transcripts and letters of recommendation, and possibly submit essays or portfolios showcasing your communications skills or interest in the field.
- Scholarship amounts can range from a few hundred dollars to full tuition coverage or more. Some are one-time awards, while others may be renewable for multiple years based on maintaining academic performance or other criteria.
- Winning a scholarship can provide recognition of your achievements in communications and may open doors to networking opportunities, internships, or mentorship programs within the field.
There is great news for communications majors: there are quite a few extremely helpful scholarships for communications students out there. Even better – most of these aren’t terribly difficult to locate and apply for. To make things a little easier, though, here is a brief rundown of five of these communications scholarships that are particularly helpful. Check out our article on the versatility of communications degrees for more information.
Bodie McDowell Scholarship
For those specializing in journalism or any other outdoor communications, the Bodie McDowell Scholarship is focused solely on you. With this scholarship, several students are selected each year for scholarship amounts that range from $1,000 to $5,000. The Outdoor Writers Association of America sponsors this scholarship and ultimately selects those demonstrating academic excellence and a love for outdoor journalism for the reward.
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Bill Grove Scholarship
The Bill Grove Scholarship provides four professional-speaking minors with a $5,000 scholarship each year. The National Speakers Association is the sponsor of this exciting award. Academic prowess and passion are the key requirements along with an academic focus on speech or speech writing. The due date each year for application is June 1st. For more detailed information on this scholarship, visit the official NSA website.
STEM Major Scholarship
AFCEA stands for Armed Forces Communication and Electronics Association. This organization was established all the way back in 1946 and focuses on advocacy for continual improvement of tech and communication methods in the armed forces. As a result of the group’s mission, the STEM Major Scholarship has been a popular resource for students for years.
Related resource: Online Master’s in Communication: Top 30 Values 2017
Although STEM majors are generally related to science, technology, engineering, and math, there are several communications-based majors that are accepted by the organization as satisfactory for the scholarship application. April 22nd is the annual submission deadline for this $5,000 award. For more info, click here.
Dr. Alma Adams Scholarship
Truth Initiative is a non-profit organization that is specifically focused on the promotion of tobacco-free people and communities. This unique scholarship offered by the group requires at least a 2.0 GPA, a provable passion for working in the communities of the underserved, and a home address that is within a tobacco-targeted municipality. In addition, the scholarship is only available to those majoring in communications, public health, social work, education, or other directly related studies. Visit the site at Truth Initiative for information on this year’s upcoming scholarship schedule.
Glen Kummerow Memorial Scholarship
If you are a college student studying communications or agricultural journalism, the Glen Kummerow Memorial Scholarship may be just right for you. Apply by the April 30th deadline, and you will have a chance at this $3,000 award.
The NAFB, or National Association of Farm Broadcasting issues this little-known yet very helpful scholarship annually to encourage growth in the field. This group itself generally focuses on broadcast, media, and communications for the agricultural and farming communities of the country. To learn more, visit the organization’s website.
Scholarships for communications students help to prune and harvest the brightest minds in this field every year. If you are a communications student, you should certainly investigate these and all other scholarship opportunities available to you. As far as direct examples of scholarships for communications majors though, this list of five of the greats is a good way to get you started.