The College of Social & Behavioral Sciences (SBS) has implemented a convenient new system, Academic Works, which automatically matches you with the scholarships for which you are eligible. These include scholarships offered through the Journalism Department, SBS, the Commonwealth Honors College, the Alumni Association, the Financial Aid Office and other campus units.
Simply enroll in Academic Works, fill out the general scholarship application and the application for your college and watch as all the scholarships you’re qualified for are populated on your screen.
How to enroll and apply:
- Go to Academic Works and sign in using your UMass NetID and password.
- Complete the General Application. Once you do this, you will see all the scholarships you qualify for and any supplemental applications for your major(s). Completing the supplemental applications will qualify you for additional scholarships.
- Click on a scholarship link and upload supplementary documents (resumes, letters from faculty, etc., depending on the award).
- Submit your application and see your dashboard, which shows you the status of any pending and submitted applications.
If you have questions, please email acadworks@umass.edu.
General Journalism Scholarships
The Megan S. Daley Scholarship
Megan Daley loved UMass. She wrote for the Daily Collegian and graduated with a degree in Journalism in 2006. She worked for WIS Publications in Dedham, MA, and, at the time of her death in 2013, she was the managing editor of SAP Insider Magazine. Her family established this scholarship in her memory.
Award: $4,000 (two $2,000 awards given)
Eligibility: Journalism majors from Massachusetts who have demonstrated financial need as determined by the financial aid office and have a minimum 3.3 grade point average.
Apply By: April 21, 2024
The Rhonda Swan Memorial Scholarship
Rhonda Swan was a Journalism major who graduated in 1987 and became the first Black city editor at The Republican (Springfield) and later worked at The News Journal (Delaware) and The Palm Beach Post (Florida). She garnered numerous awards and much recognition during her career as a journalist, including from the New England Associated Press, the News Executive Association and the National Association of Black Journalists. Her family established this award in her memory.
Award: $2,000
Eligibility: Journalism majors in good academic standing are eligible to apply. Strong preference will be given to students who are underrepresented in the Journalism Department, especially those from Springfield, MA.
Apply By: April 21, 2024
Specialty Journalism Scholarships/Awards
Robert Crowley Memorial Prize for Excellence in Collegian Column Writing
Robert Crowley was a Journalism major and Collegian columnist who graduated in 1982. He wrote columns for the New Bedford Standard Times until his death in an automobile accident.
Award: $300
Eligibility: Any published Collegian columnist enrolled in a degree program at UMass Amherst. Submissions must be published during the 2023-2024 academic year. Previous winners are not eligible.
Apply By: April 21, 2024
The Lawrence Dana Pinkham Study Abroad Scholarship
Lawrence “Larry” Pinkham was chair of the Journalism Department from 1976 to 1981 and a faculty member until his retirement in 1991. He also taught in China and India, where he helped establish English-language journalism programs at major academic institutions. This scholarship honors Pinkham’s international work by helping a Journalism major who is studying abroad.
Award: $1,000
Eligibility: Journalism majors studying abroad in the next academic year.
Apply By: April 21, 2024
Internship Awards
The Journalism Award for Spring Internship
Two $2,000 awards are available for journalism majors who have secured an unpaid internship on or off campus in journalism or public relations for the spring semester. This scholarship is made available through the Journalism Internship Fund.
Award: $4,000 (two $2,000 awards given)
Eligibility: Journalism majors with an unpaid internship during the spring semester who have demonstrated financial need as determined by the financial aid office and have a minimum 2.5 grade point average.
Apply By: Feb. 24, 2024
The Journalism Award for Summer Internship
Two $3,000 awards will support journalism majors who have secured an unpaid or underpaid internship on or off campus in journalism or public relations for the upcoming summer. This scholarship is made available through the Journalism Internship Fund.
Award: $6,000 (two $3,000 awards given)
Eligibility: Journalism majors with an unpaid or underpaid internship during the upcoming summer who have demonstrated financial need as determined by the financial aid office and have a minimum 2.5 grade point average.
Apply By: April 21, 2024
The Scott J. Bacherman Internship Awards
There are two scholarships available through the Scott J. Bacherman Fund.
One $3,400 award is available for journalism majors who have secured internships in media fields such as, but not limited to, print, broadcast, convergent, digital, emerging or cross-platform or those who have secured internships in journalism, sports, entertainment or public relations.
One $3,400 award will support a student of any major in the College of Social & Behavioral Sciences who has secured an internship in media fields such as, but not limited to, print, broadcast, convergent, digital, emerging or cross-platform or those who have secured internships in journalism, sports, entertainment or public relations.
Award: $6,800 (two $3,400 awards given)
Eligibility: Journalism majors and students of any major in the College of Social & Behavioral Sciences. Preference will be given to students who have experience, paid or unpaid, in campus media including, but not limited to, WMUA, TV19, Daily Collegian or Amherst Wire. Eligible recipients must have demonstrated financial need as determined by the financial aid office and have a minimum 3.0 grade point average.
Apply By: April 21, 2024
The Dandley Internship Awards
Established by UMass alumni Sean (Journalism ’85) and Jayne (Nursing ’85) Dandley, the Dandley Internships Awards will go to Journalism majors who have unpaid internships during the upcoming summer or academic year. By giving this generous award, the Dandley Family wishes to signal the critical importance of journalism in democracy: journalism internships deserve funding at a level commensurate with internships in the STEM fields. Sean Dandley, the CEO of DSCI Corporation in Waltham, MA, and Jayne Dandley are also the benefactors of the Dandley Technology Endowment.
Award: $10,000 (two $5,000 awards given)
Eligibility: Journalism majors with an unpaid internship during the upcoming summer or academic year who have demonstrated financial need as determined by the financial aid office and have a minimum 3.0 grade point average. Preference will be given to students participating in UMass ROTC or the military.
Apply By: April 21, 2024
The Thomas Family Scholarship
The Thomas Family Scholarship is awarded to a Journalism major who has an unpaid or underpaid internship in the field of emergent media. Elisa Thomas, class of ’95, and her family have established this scholarship to encourage students to work in new media—websites, blogs, social media, etc.
Award: $3,000
Eligibility: Journalism majors with an internship in emergent media who have demonstrated financial need as determined by the financial aid office and have a minimum 3.0 grade point average.
Apply By: April 21, 2024
The Milt Cole Memorial Scholarship
Milt Cole was a sports writer and editor for The Daily Hampshire Gazette from 1969 to 1993. He died at age 69 and his friends and family set up this memorial to him. Cole’s great passions were the Boston Red Sox and the UMass men’s basketball team. His colleagues remember him as a generous mentor who offered encouragement and advice to young reporters and editors and who believed in the importance of community journalism.
The Milt Cole Memorial Scholarship helps students interested in a career in newspaper journalism. Students who completed an internship at The Daily Hampshire Gazette in Northampton in the fall or spring or who are planning one in the summer, may be eligible for financial support for expenses. The Milt Cole winners are selected by editors at The Daily Hampshire Gazette and Stanley Moulton, Cole’s former colleague, who represents the Cole family.
Award: Up to $2,000
Eligibility: Journalism majors with an internship at The Daily Hampshire Gazette who have demonstrated financial need as determined by the financial aid office and have a minimum 3.0 grade point average.
Apply By: April 21, 2024
Additional Resources:
The College of Social & Behavioral Sciences offers many additional scholarships for our students. You can learn more about them and learn how write a winning scholarship application here.