English Scholarships and Competitions
English Department scholarships
The Department of English Language and Literature offers several scholarship opportunities and competitions for English majors and minors. You can learn more about our scholarship opportunities by viewing the English Department scholarship brochure. All English students are invited to attend the end of the year banquet for an evening of celebration with fellow students and staff.
Please use the following application form for all department scholarships and send all materials by email to the English Department.
ENGLISH DEPARTMENT SCHOLARSHIP APPLICATION FORM
Marion Croft Althoff Memorial Scholarship
Scholarship awarded to a student majoring in English with the intent to teach.
- Undergraduate students
- Must be recommended by an English faculty member familiar with the student's work
- Award can be used for tuition and food and housing
- Based on financial need
Deadline: March 15
E.C. Beck Scholarship
Scholarship awarded to a student majoring in English with the intent to teach English.
- Undergraduate students
- Must be nominated by an English faculty member who is familiar with the student's work
- Preference to juniors and seniors
- Based on scholarship, financial need, and probable teaching success
Deadline: March 15
Reverend Lloyd C. and Ica L. Bronson Memorial Award
Scholarship awarded to full-time English majors completing their junior year.
- Junior or higher standing
- Minimum 3.5 GPA
- Must show documented work with minority groups (particularly ethnic or gender)
Deadline: March 15
Jeanette R. House Memorial Scholarship
Scholarship awarded to an English literature major entering senior year at CMU.
- Minimum 3.0 GPA
- Must submit two letters of recommendation and an essay about why you want to study literature
- Scholarship is nonrenewable
Deadline: March 15
Francis J. and Mary Lois Molson English Education Scholarship
Scholarship awarded to an English major or minor pursuing secondary education certification.
- Undergraduate student
- Minimum 3.25 overall GPA
- Must demonstrate academic excellence
Deadline: March 15
Clara Lee Moodie Scholarship
Scholarship awarded to a English graduate student
- Graduate level standing
- Intent to teach at high school or college level
- Preference will be given to students wishing to teach American literature
- Scholarship is renewable
Deadline: March 15
Creative writing competitions and prizes
Daryl and the Beans Award
The Daryl and the Beans Award is open to any CMU undergraduate or graduate student. Please submit one short story or novel excerpt, a maximum of 30 typed and double-spaced pages of fiction; please number the pages. All stories must include a cover sheet listing story title, author's name, address, phone number, and e-mail address, and the name of the contest. (i.e. "Daryl and the Beans Award in Fiction Writing"). All stories must be submitted by email to the English Department.
Deadline: March 15
DARYL AND THE BEANS AWARD APPLICATION
Robert Bixby Award
The Robert Bixby Award is open to any CMU undergraduate student for a manuscript of poetry, fiction, or creative nonfiction. Submit an original creative writing portfolio containing either up to five pages of poetry OR a single fictional short story or creative nonfiction essay of up to 20 pages. Type and double-space the manuscripts; number pages. Include a cover page with the author's name, address, phone number, and email, and the name of the contest (i.e., "Robert Bixby Award."). Also indicate the genre of the submission (poetry, fiction, or creative nonfiction). Additionally, all entrants should attach a brief statement of how the award would be used. Submit entries by email to the English Department.
Deadline: March 15
ROBERT BIXBY AWARD APPLICATION
The Jett W. Whitehead Poetry Award
The Jett W. Whitehead Poetry Award is open to any undergraduate or graduate student who has taken a creative writing class at CMU in the current academic year. This prize is sponsored by Mr. Jett Whitehead, an alum of the program. Each entrant may submit up to three typed poems of any length. Each entry must have a cover sheet with poem's title, author's name, CMU address, phone number, email, the name of the contest (PoetryJett.com/April Is Poetry Month Prize), and the course number of the creative writing course taken during the current academic year (e.g., ENG 294WI). Submit entries by email to the English Department.
Deadline: March 15
JETT W. WHITEHEAD POETRY AWARD APPLICATION
The Eric Torgersen Poetry Prize
The Eric Torgersen Poetry Prize is open to all CMU undergraduate students. Please submit 3 poems (one poem per page) and a cover sheet. The cover sheet must include your name, address, phone number and email address, the name of the contest (The Eric Torgersen Poetry Prize) AND the titles of the 3 poems you are submitting. Please include your name ONLY on your cover sheet, not on the poems. Staple the four pages together. Submit your poems by email to the English Department.
Deadline: March 15
ERIC TORGERSEN POETRY PRIZE APPLICATION