What Scholarships are Available to Communications Majors?

Entering college requires a deep financial commitment that may only be affordable with help from scholarships for communications majors. According to College Board, a bachelor’s degree in communications comes with an average yearly tuition price of $9,650 at public, $16,000 at for-profit, and $33,480 at private nonprofit colleges. Investing in communications degrees can pay off with high-paying jobs like recruiting director and social media manager, but paying tuition upfront without racking up loan debt can be challenging. Scholarships are valuable financial aid gifts that provide free money to reduce costs due to the Bursar’s Office. Consider marketing yourself for the following four communication scholarships.

APIASF/NBC Universal Scholarship

The Asian & Pacific Islander American Scholarship Fund (APIASF) partners with one of the “Big Three” television networks to provide this $2,500 NBC Universal Scholarship to full-time college undergraduates who have declared journalism or communications majors. Eligibility criteria requires being a U.S. citizen or national, having Asian or Pacific Islander ancestry, finishing 60+ credits for at least junior standing, and keeping a minimum 2.7 GPA at accredited colleges. Before January 18th, applicants must send a transcript, reference letter, and FAFSA form.

Bodie McDowell Communications Scholarship

Named for a respected 30-year veteran at Greensboro News & Record, the Bodie McDowell Communications Scholarship grants $1,000 to $5,000 each year from the Outdoor Writers Association of America (OWAA). Chosen candidates will be bachelor’s or master’s students at accredited U.S. institutions with majors like communications, journalism, film production, broadcasting, or photography that plan to enter the outdoor communications field. The deadline for sending a faculty reference, transcript, one-page statement, and five work samples is March 1st.

Al Shackleford/Dan Martin Scholarships

Established in 1988, the Al Shackleford/Dan Martin Scholarships award $1,000 yearly from the Baptist Communicators Association (BCA) to support one undergraduate and one graduate student. Suitable applicants will be members of a Baptist Church congregation who are attending accredited U.S. colleges full-time with an English, communications, journalism, or public relations major and a minimum cumulative GPA of 2.5. Applications must be mailed to Marietta, Georgia, before March 15th with a resume, work samples, and three recommendation letters.

International Foodservice Editorial Council Scholarships

Located in Hyde Park, the International Foodservice Editorial Council awards six IFEC Scholarships annually for $1,500 to $6,000 apiece directly to accredited U.S. universities. To qualify, applicants must be working towards an associate, bachelor’s, or master’s degree full-time in communications, including public relations and broadcast journalism, in order to enter the food and beverage industry. Until March 15th, interested applicants can upload their transcript, short essay responses, verification of financial need, and two letters of recommendation.

Lisa Davidson Memorial Scholarship

The Nonprofit Communications and Media (NCM) Network offers the Lisa Davidson Memorial Scholarship for $2,500 to honor the KNBC-TV coordinator who died tragically in a car crash. It’s intended for full-time sophomores and juniors at Southern California universities who are maintaining a minimum “B” average and majoring in communications, journalism, or radio and television. Applications must arrive with a 200-word personal statement, official transcripts, two recommendation letters, and printed or audio work samples before April 30th.

Scholarships available to communications majors continue with the Charlie Corr Memorial Scholarship, Judy Corman Memorial Scholarship from Scholastic, Georgina MacDougall David Founder’s Scholarship, and more. Applying for these profitable scholarships is suggested to cover outstanding tuition after receiving federal funding like the Pell Grant and your college’s financial aid package.

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