Poem Scholarships (Meaning, Benefits, List, Poem Evaluation)

There are many scholarships available for students who enjoy poetry and creative writing. These poetry grants often benefit young poets and encourage them to pursue higher education. Hence, many universities give out poem scholarships to creative poets and writers.

This article will explain what poem scholarships are, the benefits, and the list of poem scholarships available.

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What are Poem Scholarships?

A Poem Scholarship is a program offered by a few select universities and colleges to help students gain access to funds that can be used to cover tutoring programs and improve student education.

Poem scholarships are also given by poetry magazines, foundations, community organizations, and private organizations. It can be in the form of competitions that any young and talented poet can participate in.

However, you could be asked to pay an entry fee for every poem you submit with your application. The fee usually covers judges and administration costs.

But if you are not comfortable, you can change to other free options.

On the other hand, poetry is a very broad branch of literature. A standard description of poetry would be the art of providing words in such a way as to call up passionate emotions from the reader, using language sparingly and often written in an established way.

One of the main features that distinguish poetry aside from other forms of literature is its economy of language. Poets are very critical of the way they supply words on a page.

They certainly go beyond minimizing words and consider the emotional qualities of a word, its back-story, its musical value, its double or triple meaning, and even its spatial relationship on the page.

Benefits of Poem Scholarships

Obtaining a scholarship from your poems is free money. The free money is one of the reasons to apply because you do not have to repay the money.

This can be an ideal way to fund a university degree. Should this be your goal? Many writers and authors are known to start with at least a bachelor’s degree. Moreover, any experience you gain can improve your chances of getting a job.

List of Latest Poem Scholarships

1. Learn Between the Lines Scholarship Slam:

This Poem Scholarship is eligible to US high school or ex-high school students from ages 13 to 25. The scholarship is valued at $1,000, and it is administered annually to help cover the cost of college.

Judges select the poems that meet the required criteria, and a winner is picked randomly from the top five.

2. Scholastic Art & Writing Awards -Gold Medal Portfolio Award:

These awards look for work that depicts ingenuity, technical competency, and the exposure of a distinctive voice or imagination. They are allowed for students going to US and Canadian schools or American schools abroad.

Students ought to be in grades 7 to 12 and submit a written work of original value. The deadline for submission is December 01, 2021.

Apply here: https://bigfuture.collegeboard.org/scholarships/scholastic-art-portfolio-silver-with-distinction-award

3. $2,000 Outdoor Sports Scholarship:

Mobility Seeker’s objective is to provide honest advice and recommendations on a variety of scooters, bikes, and other outdoor sports equipment.

The winner of this $2,000 scholarship can use it for tuition fees and utilities. The deadline for entry is December 15, 2021.

Apply here: https://www.unigo.com/scholarships/by-major/poetry-scholarships/2000-outdoor-sports-scholarship

4. A. Poulin, Jr. Poetry Prize:

This award is given to US citizens or legal residents over 18 who have great interest in poetry writing and have not yet published a full book of poetry.

The prize for this poetry grant is from BOA Editions, Ltd. It is given every year, and its total value is worth $1,000.

BOA Editions, Ltd. will publish the winner’s book, and a standard book contract including a royalty rate will be offered. The deadline to apply is November 30.

Apply here: https://www.boaeditions.org/pages/a-poulin-jr-poetry-prize

5. The Narrative Prize:

This is a prize, as the name implies. Not being a scholarship, the prize is a means to make money from poetry or other written works.

It is available to new or emerging writers who have their works in the Narrative over the past year.

The value of this prize is worth $4,000, and Narrative Magazine gives it every year for the best work published by a new or emerging writer in their magazine.

Apply here: https://www.narrativemagazine.com/great-stories/narrative-prize

6. The Amy Lowell Poetry Travelling Scholarship:

This is one of the amazing poem scholarships eligible to any American poet interested in spending a year abroad.

This award does not need to be used for tuition but can be used for travel and expenses. The scholarship honors the legacy of American poet Amy Lowell that died in 1925.

The scholarship is valued at $59,000 and is awarded every year by the custodian of her will. An eligibility criterion for all applicants entering this creative writing scholarship is to provide a brief CV and complete an application form in PDF format.

Apply here: http://www.amylowell.org/

More Poem Scholarships:

7. 1800wheelchair.com Scholarship:

This Poem Scholarship opportunity is accessible to undergraduate, graduate students, and high school finals with a GPA of 3.0 or higher.

It is worth $500, and the award is given yearly to a poet or two by the 1800wheelchair.com.

A new theme for the competition is provided every year to direct applicants to produce their visual poems.

8. Just Poetry Scholarship:

This Poem Scholarship is an opportunity for high school students and poetry teachers living in the United States. The scholarship is offered by Just Poetry, the National Poetry Quarterly.

The competition is divided into the “Easter day Poetry Prize” that is worth $500, the 4 Winners of “Best of Issue” (grand prize of $500, one per quarter is selected), and the 4 “Editor’s Choice Selections” (with a grand prize of $100, one per quarter is selected).

The overall value of the scholarship is $1,100.

Apply here: http://www.justpoetry.org/schoolregistration.html

9. Morton Marr Poetry Prize:

This is an award given to undergraduate or graduate students. Participants must be at least 18 years old at the time of application and interested in writing poetry.

The award is offered every year by Southwest Review and is valued at $1,500. The winner gets $1,000, while the runner-up gets $500.

The prize cannot be extended, and the winning poems will also be issued in the ‘Southwest Review.’ This award is accessible to American and international students.

10. 2021 University of Canberra Vice-Chancellor’s International Poetry Prize:

This is one of the poem scholarships allowed for entrants from 18 years and above. This poem scholarship has been awarded by the University of Canberra yearly since 2014 and has a total value of AUD 20,000.

The winner takes AUD 15,000, while the runner-up takes AUD 5,000. Submissions are accepted worldwide, and you do not need to be a previously published poet to apply.

Apply here: http://www.canberra.edu.au/about-uc/competitions-and-awards/vcpoetryprize/how-to-enter

11. Thomas Merton Sacred Concurso Poetry:

This Institution provides four awards each year from this poetry competition. The awards range from $100 to $500, respectively. The writing must have a religious, prophetic, or reflective tone to it.

Moreover, students of all ages can take part.

Apply here: https://centerforinterfaithrelations.org/poetry/

12. Colorism Poetry Contest:

Colorism is a preconceived idea against people based on the shade of their skin, the texture of the hair, or other characteristics when compared to others of the same breed.

This competition aims to help people hurt by colorism and raise awareness of this form of discrimination.

There are three prizes available, ranging from $100 to $250. Any student that is a least ten years living in American can apply.

Apply here: https://colorismhealing.com/colorism-healing-writing-contest/

13. The Unicorn Press First Book Contest:

Poetic works in book form that have not yet been published can be entered for the examination.

The winner will take home a cash prize worth $250 while Unicorn Press will publish his or her book. This competition is accessible to students of all ages.

Apply here: http://www.unicorn-press.org/submit/first-book.html

14. Pablo Neruda Prize for Poetry:

The University of Tulsa (UT) funds this poetry competition called Pablo Neruda Prize for Poetry. It includes a prize of $2,000 for the overall winner and $1,000 for the runner-up.

All high school students, undergraduate and graduate students are eligible to enter. You must not be a student of UT to win this prize competition.

Apply here: http://www.utulsa.edu/nimrod

15. Norman Mailer College Poetry Award:

Whether you are a full-time student in a community college, four-year college, or technical school, you have the opportunity to get $2,500 and win a trip to New York courtesy of this competition.

At most, ten pages of the poem can be entered for the examination.

Apply here: http://cccc.ncte.org/awards/nmwa