Scholarships
Prospective and current Media Arts students at Pierce may qualify for a host of scholarship opportunities, both within and outside the college. High school seniors, incoming freshmen and others are encouraged to apply.
When researching the scholarships below, please be careful to read the qualifications carefully. Some are dependent on major, GPA and income, while others aim to help disenfranchised and underrepresented groups within each respective industry. Click the corresponding links to apply.
Please also note there may be some overlap between the listed concentrations (for instance, some scholarships are open to both print journalists and broadcasters).
If you wish to add a scholarship opportunity to this page, please contact Sean Collins-Smith at (818)-710-2960.
FOR ALL MAJORS
The Foundation at Pierce College
From the website: The mission of the Foundation for Pierce College is to develop resources and increase public awareness to support the students, educational programs and campus for the benefit of the community served by the college. Covers multiple majors. Find the “Scholarships” tab on the homepage.
JOURNALISM & BROADCASTING
Richard G. Zimmerman Scholarship
From the website: The Richard G. Zimmerman Scholarship is named for a long-time National Press Club member who died in 2008 and endowed a scholarship in aid of high school seniors who wish to pursue a career in journalism. Recipients receive a one-time award of $5,000.
The Society of Professional Journalists Greater Los Angeles Pro Chapter (offers five total scholarships – see below)
From the website: The Society of Professional Journalists Greater Los Angeles Pro Chapter is proud to award a total of $8,000 in scholarships to five students pursuing a career in journalism.
- Richard Hendrickson Memorial Scholarship – Awarded to college students who demonstrate a strong intent to pursue a career in text/print journalism. ($2,000)
- Ken Inouye Memorial Scholarship – Awarded to a college journalist of color and is aimed at increasing ethnic diversity in newsrooms. ($1,500)
- Helen Johnson Memorial Scholarship – Awarded to a college student pursuing broadcast journalism. ($1,500)
- Carl Greenberg Memorial Scholarship – Awarded to a college student pursuing investigative or political reporting. ($1,500)
- Bill Farr Memorial Scholarship – Awarded to high school seniors or college students who demonstrate a strong intent to pursue a career in journalism. ($1,500)
__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
The Foundation of The National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences (offers five total scholarships for high school seniors – see below)
From the website: The National Organization, through its non-profit Foundation, awards scholarships to outstanding high school seniors who intend to pursue a baccalaureate degree in communications with emphasis on any aspect of the television industry.
- The Douglas W. Mummert Scholarship – Awarded to a student pursuing a career in any aspect of the television industry, who has made a positive impact through community service. ($10,000)
- The Randy Falco Scholarship – Awarded to a Hispanic or Latino student pursuing a career in any aspect of the television industry. ($10,000)
- The Jim McKay Memorial Scholarship – Awarded to a student pursuing a career in sports television. ($10,000)
- The Mike Wallace Memorial Scholarship – Awarded to a student pursuing a career in television journalism. ($10,000)
- The NATAS Trustees’ Scholarship – Awarded to a student pursuing a career in any aspect of the television industry. ($10,000)
__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
The Association of LGBTQ Journalists (offers four total scholarships – see below)
From the website: Founded in August 1990 by the late Leroy (Roy) F. Aarons, NLGJA is an organization of journalists, media professionals, educators and students working from within the news industry to foster fair and accurate coverage of LGBTQ issues. NLGJA opposes all forms of workplace bias and provides professional development to its members. The NLGJA offers four scholarships, and to qualify, applicants must be NLGJA members in good standing.
- Leroy F. Aarons Scholarship Award – Applicants must be planning to pursue a career in journalism, be able to demonstrate their passion and commitment to the profession. Selection will be based on journalistic and scholastic ability. Applicants also must demonstrate an awareness of the issues facing the LGBTQ community and the importance of fair and accurate news coverage.
- Kay Longcope Scholarship Award: Applicants must be an LGBTQ individual of color planning to pursue a career in journalism and be able to demonstrate their passion and commitment to the profession. Selection will be based on journalistic and scholastic ability. Applicants also must demonstrate an awareness of the issues facing the LGBTQ community and the importance of fair and accurate news coverage.
- Steve Mason Sports Media Scholarship Award: Applicants must be planning to pursue a career in journalism and be able to demonstrate their passion and commitment to sports journalism as a profession. Selection will be based on journalistic and scholastic ability and their capability to creatively demonstrate their pursuit to cover sports in the journalism industry. Applicants also must demonstrate a dedication and understanding of the importance of fair and accurate news coverage. For undergraduates, a declared major in journalism and/or communications is desirable but not required. Non-journalism majors may demonstrate their commitment to a journalism career through work samples, internships and work on a school news publication, online news service or broadcast affiliate.
- Facebook Journalism Project Scholarship: To be eligible to receive the scholarship, applicants must be enrolled juniors, seniors or graduate students at an accredited university in the United States. NLGJA accepts applicants from all disciplines, departments and majors. The application must show a commitment to storytelling as demonstrated by completed coursework, clips/work samples and a letter of recommendation from a professor or internship supervisor familiar with their work and attesting to career commitment.
__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
SPJ/JEA High School Essay Contest
From the website: The Sigma Delta Chi Foundation of the Society of Professional Journalists and the Journalism Education Association want to increase high school students’ knowledge and understanding of the importance of independent media to our lives. National winners of this essay contest receive scholarship awards. ($300-$1,000)
Quill And Scroll Foundation Scholarships in Journalism (for high school seniors)
From the website: National winners in the International Writing, Photography and Multimedia Contest, Blogging Competition or the Yearbook Excellence Contest are eligible as seniors to apply for Quill and Scroll scholarships – the Edward J. Nell Memorial, or the George and Ophelia Gallup awards. The new Richard P. Johns award is available to all Quill and Scroll seniors, including those who did not enter contests.
AQHF Journalism or Communications Scholarship
From the website: Ideal candidates have been a member of AQHYA or AQHA for at least one year and are pursuing a college degree in journalism or communications. Member must apply during their senior year of high school.
CIC/Anna Chenault Scholarship (awarded through the Asian American Journalists Association)
From the website: Candidates will be judged on the basis of academic achievement, demonstrated journalistic ability, commitment to the field of journalism and/or sensitivity to Asian American and Pacific Islander Issues. ($5,000)
Note: The Asian American Journalists Association website also lists at least a dozen scholarships, fellowships, internships and grants on its page, with more being added every month. Check out the homepage every so often.
Scholarships/Internships through the Association for Women in Sports Media
From the website: Since 1990, AWSM has placed nearly 200 female college students interested in sports media careers in paid summer internships. Each winner also receives a $1,000 scholarship, complimentary registration and lodging at AWSM’s annual conference and a complimentary one-year membership to the organization.
The Print and Graphics Scholarship Foundation
From the website: The PGSF is a not-for-profit, private industry directed organization that dispenses technical school, undergraduate and graduate fellowship assistance to men and women interested in a career in the graphic communications field. Scholarship awards vary in amount from $1,000 to $5,000 per academic year, in most cases, for up to four years.
The International Foodservice Editorial Council Scholarships
From the website: The IFEC awards scholarships annually to students with experience and/or education in the combination of food/ foodservice and the communication arts. Awards are intended to assist students planning to pursue careers as writers, editors, public relations practitioners, marketing communicators and similar within the food/ foodservice industries. This is a very specific niche. Students with questions about qualifications are encouraged to contact IFEC directly. Awards range in amounts of from $1,500 – $6,000.
Scholarship through ACES: The Society for Editing
From the website: Six scholarships are awarded annually through the ACES Education Fund. One is the Bill Walsh scholarship, in honor of the late editor, author, and ACES guiding spirit. The winner receives $3,000 plus financial aid to attend the ACES national conference. Additionally, the ACES Aubespin scholarship winner receives $2,500 and four other winners receive $1,500 each — also with aid to attend the ACES conference. The generosity of donors enables all of these awards. Applicants must be seeking degrees as enrolled college/university juniors, seniors, or graduate students.
Pulliam Journalism Fellowship
From the website: The Indianapolis Star and The Arizona Republic, Gannett Co. newspapers, are seeking college students and new graduates with a talent for reporting, news design and graphics, or photojournalism for an exciting and demanding journalism fellowship program. You’ll be a member of our newsroom, work hard and gain valuable journalism experience. You get paid, too. Our Pulliam Fellows earn $650/week for the 10-week program. For juniors, seniors and graduate students.
Overseas Press Club Foundation Scholarships
From the website: Graduate and undergraduate students studying at American colleges and universities who aspire to become foreign correspondents are invited to apply for one of 16 scholarships/fellowships to be awarded by the Overseas Press Club Foundation. American students studying abroad are also eligible to apply.
Broadcast Education Association Scholarships
From the website: The Broadcast Education Association (BEA) is the premier international academic media organization, promoting insights, excellence in media production, and career advancement for educators, students, and professionals. BEA administers scholarships annually, to honor broadcasters and the entire electronic media profession. The BEA Founders Awards are for students enrolled in a BEA 2-Year member institution or graduates of these programs now enrolled in a BEA 4-Year institution. Other scholarships are awarded to juniors, seniors and/or graduate students at BEA member institutions
Radio Television Digital News Foundation Scholarships
From the website: Eight (8!!) RTDNF scholarships are open to undergraduate students pursuing careers in radio, television, or digital journalism. Winners must be officially enrolled, full-time sophomores, juniors or seniors in good standing when scholarships are awarded. Students may apply for only one RTDNF scholarship, and past RTDNF scholarship winners are not eligible.
International Radio and Television Society Fellowships
From the website: The Summer Fellowship Program, the most notable student out-reach effort of IRTS, teaches up-and-coming communicators the realities of the business world through an expense-paid fellowship, which includes practical experience and career-planning advice. Each year college juniors, seniors and graduate students are selected nationwide to participate in the nine-week Summer Fellowship Program.
National Association of Hispanic Journalists Scholarships
From the website: Since 1988, NAHJ has awarded more than $1.7 million in scholarships to nearly 800 students. NAHJ scholarship opportunities are open to college-bound high school seniors, college undergraduates and graduate students pursuing careers in English or Spanish-language print, broadcast, digital or photojournalism. Students attending four-year colleges and community colleges in the Unites States and Puerto Rico with a GPA of 3.0 or better are eligible for the scholarships, which range from $1,500 – $10,000.
The Society of Broadcast Engineers
From the website: Each year, the Ennes Educational Foundation Trust offers scholarships to deserving candidates who aspire to a career in the technical aspects of broadcasting. Scholarship awards are used for tuition, room and board or textbook costs at post-secondary educational institutions, or for other technical training programs approved by the Scholarship Committee. Preference will be given to applicants who are members of the SBE; however, any individuals otherwise eligible, including graduating high school seniors, are encouraged to apply.
Though not on separate webpages, the SBE offers four different scholarships: John H. Battison SBE Founder’s Scholarship (open to anyone), Harold E. Ennes Scholarship (open to anyone), Youth Scholarship (specifically for graduating high school seniors), and Robert D. Greenberg Scholarship (open to anyone).
The Outdoor Writers Association of America presents the Bodie McDowell Scholarship
From the website: Recipients must be students of outdoor communications fields including print, photography, film, art or broadcasting. Open to eligible undergraduate and graduate students. Each candidate should have clear, significant goals in outdoor communications, examples of work and letters of recommendation. Academic achievement is considered but is not among the top three selection criteria. Bodie McDowell scholarship awards are usually given annually to three or more students. Annual distribution varies, but individual awards can range from $1,000 to $5,000.
The American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee presents the Jack G. Shaheen Scholarship Awards
From the website: The ADC seeks to honor Arab-American students who excel in Media Studies. College students enrolled in the 2018-2019 academic year; undergrad Juniors, Seniors and graduate students who are majoring in Journalism, Radio, Television, and/or Film are encouraged to apply. Up to four (4) scholarships are awarded each year in the amount of $2,500.
National Association of Black Journalists Scholarships
From the website: Each year, NABJ and its partners award more than a dozen scholarships to enrich and support the academic experience of students pursuing a career in journalism, media and communications. Scholarships are available for both high school and college students. Please visit the website to read the criteria and guidelines.
PUBLIC RELATIONS
Public Relations Student Society of America Scholarships
From the website: More than two dozen scholarships and awards are available each year to PRSSA members, totaling over $36,000. The website even offers a handy Scholarships and Awards Qualifying Chart to help you figure out which ones you should apply for.
The Axia Public Relations Scholarship
From the website: In strategic partnership with the Public Relations Society of America (PRSA), the PRSA Foundation and the Public Relations Student Society of America (PRSSA), Axia Public Relations is pleased to offer a $2,000 annual scholarship. Applicants for the scholarship should be juniors or seniors in good academic standing at accredited universities, studying public relations or or an equivalent major.
The LAGRANT Foundation Scholarship
From the website: The LAGRANT Foundation (TLF) will award 50 scholarships in 2019 in celebration of its 21st anniversary. Of the 50, (30) ethnic minority undergraduate students will receive scholarships of $2,500 each and (20) graduate students will receive scholarships of $3,750 each. Students must be attending four-year accredited institutions in the U.S. and majoring in the fields of advertising, marketing or public relations.
FILM AND TELEVISION PRODUCTION
Charles and Lucille King Family Foundation Scholarship
From the website: The Charles and Lucille King Family Foundation awards scholarships to outstanding undergraduate students studying television and film production. Awards of up to $7,000 are given to juniors and seniors who demonstrate academic excellence, financial need and professional potential.