Journalism Grants

Finding Grant Money for Journalism Students

The first thing any student enrolled in a journalism course learns is that it takes creativity, diversity in one’s approach and imagination to find and acquire what one seeks. Acquiring grants for journalism students should be approached with these same skills.

Grants for journalism students can originate from the local or federal government, an attended school or numerous non-profit and private-sector organizations. Any acquired grant may come with stipulations and a fellowship, or it may be given as a cash reward that is to be applied in any way one sees fit.

There are grants based on merit and ones based on need. Some grants are directed toward journalism students with an interest in particular areas of reportage and other are restricted to specific formats of news sharing.

The following is a diversified and extensive list of grants available to journalism students. Each one is different and possesses its own unique characteristics. To successfully acquire a grant, journalism students can begin their search at any of the following listings. By reading over and working through this list, one may also find inspiration for new avenues to pursue in seeking grant money to support a study in the field of journalism. Here are a series of great leads to get you started.

Alexia Foundation Photojournalism Grant

The Alexia Photojournalism Grant is not simply a competition for the best portfolio or the most amazing pictures. The grant is designed to support students that show the potential to encourage deep international relationships through incredible storytelling.

The greatest priority in this application process is placed on the story proposal submitted by each applicant. The judges first evaluate each proposal to check for a clear presentation of a strong idea and evidence of excellent journalistic skills. Once the proposals are ranked by the judges, portfolios are viewed to determine which candidate’s work best exhibits the photographic and journalistic ability to fulfill the accompanying project proposal.

Portfolios are judged on the photographic and story-telling ability represented in the submitted package. The competition is very tight for this grant opportunity, and all applicants are encouraged to seek the review and advice of their teachers and colleagues while assembling their application.

This grant is meant to empower photojournalists to create excellent photo stories in their own communities, but foreign proposals are also accepted. There is no favor shown to foreign projects, so all applicants are advised to pursue their strongest and most viable project ideas. The winning entries for this grant will have the strongest proposals and a portfolio that accurately demonstrates an applicant’s potential for successful project completion.

American University, Washington, D.C. Fellowship Grant in Public Service Investigative Journalism

Awardees of the American University Fellowship Grant will earn a master’s degree in journalism from AU SOC while pursuing investigative projects at the Center for Public Integrity, an award-winning nonpartisan organization known for its reporting on public policy.

The winner, who must meet normal admissions criteria for the master’s program in journalism, will enroll full-time while also working with Center staff on an independent or ongoing investigation. The fellow will be expected to commit 15 hours of service per week to the Center during the academic year and 25-30 hours a week during summer.

This grant offers a full-tuition scholarship plus a monthly stipend of $2,000 to a journalist with at least four years of professional experience and is made possible by the American University and the Center for Public Integrity.

Asian American Journalists Association (AAJA) Journalism Internship Grants

These print and online journalism grants award up to $1,000 to one student, and is made possible by the William Woo Internship Fund. Broadcast news grants of up to $2,500 to aspiring AAPI television or radio male broadcasters are also available due to funding provided by Lloyd LaCuesta and the late Sam Chu Lin. The Stanford Chen Grant is an annual grant of $1,750 to a college student who is an intern at small- to medium-size media.

Campus Progress – Campus Journalism Grant

Students working for their college news outlet can apply for a Campus Journalism Grant. Campus Progress will offer journalism grants to student publications affiliated with any United States university.

One student representative should submit an online application describing the publication and why it needs a grant, along with written authorization that a university recognizes the organization. Print publications must submit two recent issues and online or television outlets should email hyperlinks to recent work samples. Grant amounts vary according to need.

Carmignac Gestion Photojournalism Grant

Carmignac Gestion aims to support photojournalism since it demands courage, audacity, freedom and determination.

Each year, a reportage subject that is directly linked to current events is suggested to international, professional, and student photojournalists. An independent jury of experts made up of image and information specialists will select a reportage project to be achieved that will receive 50,000 Euros in support.

This grant includes the execution of the reportage and the acquisition by Carmignac Gestion of four photographs chosen from the reportage. Carmignac Gestion will also provide its full backing for the photojournalist to develop, promote and distribute the reportage. An exhibition will be organized within 12 months of the grant being awarded and a monographic book presenting the award-winner’s work will be published.

The Carter Center in Atlanta – Rosalynn Carter Fellowship Grant for Mental Health Journalism

The Rosalynn Carter Fellowship for Mental Health Journalism provides grants for journalism students to study a selected topic regarding mental health or illnesses. Applicants must have at least two years experience in print or electronic journalism, submit an application packet and attend orientation and presentation meetings. Six domestic grant recipients are awarded $10,000 each to pursue a project of their design. In addition, recipients will make two expense-paid visits to The Carter Center in Atlanta.

The Center for Architecture Foundation – Douglas Haskell Award for Student Journals

This grant is comprised of both single and multiple awards up to $2,000. The award was founded to encourage student journalism on architecture, planning and related subjects, and to foster regard for intelligent criticism among future professionals.

The award is not intended as a prize for individuals, but is intended to support the ongoing publication of student-edited journals whose subject matter could include architectural design, history, and theory. While this grant does not directly support the individual work of a single journalism student, it can be used to support a journalist’s work with a student publication.

Any online or print journal published by a school of architecture, landscape architecture or planning in the United States that is edited by students is eligible. The publication must have been produced in the current or previous school year.

The Council for the Advancement of Science Writing McGrady/Allard Travel Grants

CASW makes funds available to aspiring science journalists to help underwrite the costs of travel to other major science meetings. Applicants must be U.S. citizens. Income from the Patrick McGrady/Leo Allard Fund, which was established as part of a bequest to CASW from the American Tentative Society, supports the enterprise.

McGrady, now deceased, and Leo Allard played key roles in the evolution of ATS, a not-for-profit organization that for three decades until its dissolution in 1994 served to promote public understanding of science and the scientific process.

The Council for the Advancement of Science Writing – Victor Cohn Prize for Excellence in Medical Science Reporting

CASW established the Victor Cohn Prize for Excellence in Medical Science Reporting in 2000. The prize, which is given annually, seeks to honor a writer for a body of work published or broadcast within the last five years which, for reasons of uncommon clarity, accuracy, breadth of coverage, enterprise, originality, insight and narrative power, has made a profound and lasting contribution to public awareness and understanding of critical advances in medical science and their impact on human health and well-being. The winner receives a grant of $3,000 and a framed certificate. Travel expenses to the award ceremony in Flagstaff, Arizona are covered.

Creative Commons Student Journalism 2.0

Student Journalism 2.0 is a project of Creative Commons, funded by the 2009 Digital Media and Learning Competition, aimed at encouraging journalism students, teachers, and advisers to understand and apply legal and technical means to participate in 21st century journalism. The DML is administered through HASTAC (Humanities, Arts, Science and Technology Advanced Collaboratory) and funded by The John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation.

The Databazaar Grant Fund

The Databazaar started as a philanthropy program that was focussed on improving business relations between the United States and South Asian countries through the sharing of cultural awareness. Since 2006, the Databazaar fund has begun awarding grants of $2,500 to support a single student from America and a single student from Southern Asia each year.

To qualify for the grant, applicants must be currently enrolled in a four-year university degree program with a focus on journalism, photojournalism or broadcast journalism. Asian applicants must hold a Southern Asian passport and be currently enrolled in an accredited college or university in the United States.

Applicants for the American award category must also be enrolled in an undergraduate journalism program. Both categories of applicants should currently have a 3.5 GPA or higher and will be required to submit a portfolio of their work to accompany their application.

Donald W. Reynolds National Center for Business Journalism
Barlett & Steele Grant

Named for the two-time Pulitzer Prize winning investigative business journalist team of Don Barlett and Jim Steele, these awards, funded by the Donald W. Reynolds National Center for Business Journalism, celebrate the best in print and online investigative business journalism.

The annual awards were first given out in fall 2007, and feature a Gold award of $5,000 and a Silver prize of $2,000. Due to the growing number of exceptional submissions each year, a Bronze award of $1,000 has been added in 2011.

Barlett and Steele, who won two Pulitzers with The Philadelphia Inquirer and two National Magazine Awards at Time, have worked together for four decades. They are contributing editors to Vanity Fair. “We’d like to see journalists who keep the bigger picture in mind,” said Steele. “Someone who brings an understanding of complex issues that have not been properly explained. Don and I have an informal motto: Tell the reader something they don’t know. It sounds simple. Yet a lot of journalism is a rehash of what people already know.”

Judges will be looking for investigative enterprise, strong business theme, elegant writing style, clarity and impact. Applications will be accepted only online.

Fund for Investigative Journalism – Journalist Grants

The Fund for Investigative Journalism is a non-profit established in l969 to give grants to freelance reporters for original investigative stories and media criticism. The grants range from $500 to $10,000. A special FIJ Award for the best book application of the year is made in November. It amounts to $25,000. The board meets in March, July and November. Application deadline is the first of the preceding month.

The German-American Fulbright Commission U.S. Young Journalist Program

U.S. journalism students in all fields of print and broadcast media with a few years of professional experience and solid academic training in journalism can apply for the U.S. Young Journalist Program. This new program was created in 1996 to allow young U.S. journalists to travel to Germany for a research and practice-oriented experience.

The approximately 10-month stay begins in September and typically consists of an initial research phase, during which the grantee becomes familiar with his/her project in a German setting, followed by one or more internships with German institutions of print or broadcast media. The Commission takes candidates’ affiliation preferences into consideration.

The grant benefits include a monthly stipend of currently €1,300.00; international travel according to the guidelines set by the Fulbright Commission; incidental allowance of €1,000.00; health insurance; intensive language courses in Germany to those grantees whose German language ability is not sufficient at the beginning of the grant to pursue their projects; orientation and mid-year meetings; and administrative and academic support through the Fulbright Commission.

Indiana University School of Journalism Grants

There is no separate application for School of Journalism funding because decisions are based solely on the merit of the applicant. The grant money awarded here is only available to graduate and postgraduate level students.

Indianapolis News Pulliam Journalism Fellowship Grant

The Pulliam Grant honors an editorial writer that is helping to broaden journalistic horizons and knowledge around the world. Designed to increase a journalist’s understanding, applicants must have 3 years experience as full-time editorial writer. This award is supported by a grant from Mrs. Eugene Pulliam. Awardees receive cash grants of $6,000 plus 10 weeks of work-study at The Indianapolis Star or The Arizona Republic.

Massachusetts Institute of Technology Knight Science Journalism Fellowships

Ten fellowship grants are awarded to support one academic year of study at MIT. Applicants must have at least three years of experience covering science, technology, medicine or the environment for the general public.

Applicants are selected each spring by a panel of leading journalists and MIT faculty. All application materials must be received by March 1. Finalists are chosen in mid-April. U.S. finalists are brought to Cambridge for interviews in late April. International finalists are interviewed by telephone. Winners are announced by early May.

Medill-NU Grant

The Medill-NU Grant is awarded to any student attending Medill Northwestern University that is enrolled in the Journalism department. This grant is awarded based upon academic merit and financial aid need. Financial aid need is determined by using the financial aid application documents. It is confirmed when a student accepts the offered Federal Stafford and Perkins Loan.

National Geographic Conservation Trust Grant

The objective of the Conservation Trust Grant is to support conservation activities around the world as they fit within the mission of the National Geographic Society’s publications. The trust will fund journalism projects that contribute significantly to the preservation and sustainable use of the Earth’s biological, cultural, and historical resources.

Applicants are not expected to have Ph.D.s or other advanced degrees. However, applicants must provide a record of prior research or conservation action as it pertains to the proposed project. Funding is not restricted to United States citizens. Researchers planning work in foreign countries should include at least one local collaborator as part of their research teams.

National Press Foundation – Evert Clark / Seth Payne Grant for Young Science Writers

The Clark/Payne Award is intended to encourage young science journalists by recognizing outstanding reporting in all fields of science. It is given each year in memory of journalists Ev Clark and Seth Payne, who offered friendship and advice to a generation of young reporters. The Evert Clark/Seth Payne Award is intended to encourage young science writers by recognizing outstanding reporting and writing in any field of science.

Princeton University Summer Grants for Student Internships in Journalism for Print and Electronic Media

All Princeton undergraduates, including seniors, may apply for summer grants of up to $3,000, funded by the endowment of Edwin F. Ferris, Class of 1899. The goal is to help students acquire experience in news organizations, including television networks, and in companies that publish books, magazines or other journals.

Since many internships are unpaid or only modestly remunerated, these grants are designed to help defray some of the expenses associated with the summer. There are two rounds of awards, in April and in May.

Pulitzer Center on Crisis Reporting – Campus Consortium Student Fellows Grant

Students at Campus Consortium member schools are eligible to apply for international reporting fellowships of up to $2,000 each and the opportunity to work with the Pulitzer Center staff on an international reporting project. You can find out how your university can become a Campus Consortium member by contacting Ann Peters, director of development and outreach, apeters@pulitzercenter.org.

The Pulitzer Center is interested in reporting projects that focus on topics and regions of global importance, with an emphasis on issues that have gone unreported or underreported in the mainstream American media.

The Pulitzer Center’s definition of “crisis” is broad; it is not limited to “conflict” reporting. The center places great value in covering the too often underreported systemic level crises, from environmental issues and struggles for resources or human rights abuses, to post-conflict reconstruction, or brewing ethnic tensions. The Pulitzer Center is interested in the stories that would typically not make the headlines without their support.

United Press International (UPI) Student Journalism Grant

This UPI grant is awarded to the best pitched idea by a journalism student looking for a way to fund a big story project. The initial award is for $1000 and can be used to cover any associated costs including a personal salary. And once the finished story is accepted by the UPI’s editors, an additional award of $500 will be given to celebrate a job well done.

The University of Rhode Island Joyal Film Prize

The Joyal Prize is for Journalism majors who show promise as broadcast journalists, based on the production of an original news segment, selected by their Department of Journalism. If you are currently a declared major in any program in the Harrington School of Communication and Media, then you may submit your short video in any genre to have a chance to win one of three $1,000 grants.

College Grant Information By State