Annual Shawano Area Writers Scholarship Guidelines
The Shawano Area Writers’ Scholarship provides financial assistance to a graduating high school senior who resides or goes to Shawano or Menominee County and will pursue a writing-related degree (Journalism, creative writing, English, etc.) from an accredited post-secondary institution. The scholarship provides $2,000, non-renewable, to be applied to tuition, fees, room and board, books, and other college expenses. To receive consideration, applicants must meet the following criteria:
- be a graduating high school senior (public, private, or home-schooled);
- reside or goes to school in Shawano or Menominee County, Wisconsin;
- pursue a writing-related post-secondary degree in the upcoming fall semester; and,
- complete the application process, including the writing sample.
The application form can be downloaded from the Shawano Area Writers’ website (https://shawanoareawriters.org/). Applicants must submit a completed form (including the name and signature of a teacher or parent who confirms the student meets the criteria above), and a writing sample (500 words minimum, 1,000 words maximum) responding to the following prompt:
What inspires you to improve your writing skills? What life goals will being a writer help you achieve?
Email the completed form and your essay (as a .doc, .rtf, .docx, or .odt file) to shawano.writers.scholarship@gmail.com or send it by U.S. Mail to Shawano Area Writers, P.O. Box 657, Shawano, WI 54166.
Essays must be written in English and formatted with 1-inch margins, standard 12-point font, double spacing, paragraphs indented ½ inch, and page numbers in the lower right. Entries should include a title page with the applicant’s name and contact information, but the writer’s name should appear nowhere else in the document.
Plagiarism will disqualify any entry. Essays will be scanned for copied material. If you quote someone make certain you cite them properly. Grammar and punctuation count. Take time to review and edit so your essay is polished and error-free.
The deadline for entry is midnight, May 1, 2024. Your essay will be judged by members of the Shawano Area Writers or their designees. Their decision is final. The winner will be notified before June 30, 2024. Unsuccessful applicants will not be notified and no entries will be returned.
If you are inspired to improve your writing by attending college in a writing-related program, describe what inspires you in a 500-1,000 word essay, and join in the competition for this scholarship. Win or lose, we wish you the best as you pursue your writing interest.
Download application as PDF: Shawano-Writers-Scholarship-Application-amended-10-13-2019