Journalism Students: Grant-Getting 101

Snag Free College Money, Slash Tuition Costs

There ARE strategies to finding grants. As in investigative student journalist you should have some research skills firmly in place. But let’s make sure you have all the facts to track down the right grant money and finally kick tuition costs to the curb.

Sources for Journalism student grants:

  • Government sources
  • Colleges and universities
  • Professional sources

Federal and State Grant Sources for Journalism Students

Some of your best college grant sources lie with the federal and state government higher education coffers. Here is serious ground-leveling among various populations of students. Low-income, academically talented, minorities and students pursuing specific high-need fields of study are all accounted for. That also includes students studying at the vocational and technical school level, in undergraduate, graduate and even post-grad and doctoral degree levels.

Guess what? Millions of students unfortunately leave potential thousands of dollars on the table because they fail to apply for federal student aid via the FAFSA. In order to be considered for nearly any type of grant or scholarship, including the low-cost federal student loans, you must complete and file the FAFSA by the deadline. Period. Many students make this massive mistake: they think they don’t qualify….BIG mistake and most would be wrong.

  • The Pell Grant, FSEOG, and Academic Competitiveness Grant, are all very accessible federal grant programs and all aimed at undergraduate students studying a range of subjects.
  • State government grant funds are quite lucrative as well. If you’re financially disadvantaged, or a minority or female you have even better grant options. Depending upon your state and the various grant programs you could find student awards for variety of fields of study.

College and University Journalism Grant Sources

The nation’s colleges and universities provide excellent grant opportunities in combination with other types of financial aid. If you’re studying Journalism or a closely related major, look carefully into your own school’s award coffers. Especially explore any grants, graduate school fellowships, and other funds possibly available through your department.

You can expand your scope of “journalism grants” by considering closely related fields of study, including broadcast journalism, business writing, photographic journalism, science and healthcare journalism, communications, and more.

Professional Associations and Organizations: Student Journalism Grants

For journalism students part of the aim is to prepare yourself for entry into a very competitive field. One of the tools you have available to you as a student is membership in a professional journalism association or society. Even better are the grant and scholarships opps these types of organizations offer for members, both student and pro. Experienced journalists also have career opportunities to conduct research, engage in campus-based projects, partake in fellowships and internships that provide further career development and more.

*Tip: If you’re a minority student you may find very lucrative grants through minority journalism organizations.

  • MIT’s Knight Science Fellowships are a good example of “mid-career” opportunities available to professional and highly experienced journalists and writers. The grants offer candidates funding for a year-long foray into science and health writing.
  • Both the National Association of Black Journalists and the National Association of Hispanic Journalists sponsor grant programs for student members.