Scholarships

Students in the School of Journalism are fortunate that many alumni as well as former and current faculty have made an investment in their future as journalists and strategic communicators by donating funds for journalism scholarships. Read about these generous donors and the scholarships below. 

NOTE: This application is ONLY for E.W. Scripps School of Journalism scholarships —for Ohio University-wide scholarships go to www.ohio.edu/financialaid. The Scholarship Committee highly recommends you apply for both.

Current journalism students: Use this link to fill out the online form for journalism scholarships described below. 

You can prepare for the online application form by reviewing this Word document, which includes all the information you will need, including information about essay prompts for scholarships with additional requirements.

Incoming first-year students: Use this link to fill out the online form for first-year scholarships described below. 

Some scholarships require additional essays. You can prepare for the online application form by reviewing this Word document, which includes all the information you will need. 

Note: the portals close at 5 p.m., exactly. Submitting before 4:59 p.m. is highly recommended.

Incoming First-Year Scholarships

• The Cutler Scholars Program is Ohio University’s largest endowed merit scholarship program. Not only academically motivated, Cutler Scholars are driven to explore the social and political impact of their intellectual interests. Scholars receive an academic scholarship of $20,000 ($30,000 for out of state students), plus an additional $3,000 each summer to support meaningful community service projects, internships, international travel, and leadership development. Freshman applicants to Ohio University and the Scripps School of Journalism are eligible for the Wood Cutler Scholarship, offered every other year. Visit the Cutler Scholars webpage to learn more.
• Russell Baird High School Newspaper Editor Scholarship: Russ Baird is a former longtime graphics and design faculty member who co-authored one of the foundational textbooks in communication graphics. Russ Baird created this award for incoming freshmen who have been editor of their high school newspapers because he believed these hardworking high school journalists showed great potential for the future. NOTE: This scholarship requires demonstration of financial need.
• The Bob and Colleen "Koky" Dishon Scholarship: Bob Dishon was a 1948 Scripps graduate and veteran journalist who met his wife Koky while working at the Columbus Dispatch. Their commitment to journalism was only matched by their belief in the importance of education. The Dishon Scholarship is an $8000 award given to an incoming freshman who shows extraordinary promise for success as a journalist through achievement in high school and demonstrates financial need. This is a renewable scholarship for three additional years if the student maintains a 3.0 GPA and is a continuing journalism major. 
• Alvin Adams Scholarship: This scholarship, sponsored by the Scripps School, honors Alvin Adams, one of the first African American graduates of our program. He graduated in 1959, and his career began at the Chicago Defender. He was associate editor for Jet magazine before he began working in public relations for the federal government’s anti-poverty program. He continued his public relations career working for the two major unions and the Illinois Power Company. This scholarship is designated for underrepresented incoming freshmen who attend Scripps School High School Journalism Workshop.
• The Pete P. Costanza, Jr. Scholarship for First-Year Journalism Students: This award of $2000 is given annually to an incoming first-year student who has demonstrated academic merit, and who will contribute to the intellectual, cultural and social diversity within the E.W. Scripps School of Journalism. Preference will be given to students with financial need.

Scholarships for JSchool Students

• Andrew Alexander Scholarship: Andy Alexander is a former editor of the POST and was recently inducted into the Scripps College of Communication Hall of Fame. Andy was the longtime head of the Cox Newspapers Washington Bureau, and then spent two years as the ombudsman for the Washington Post newspaper and dot-com. This scholarship is designated for underrepresented news editorial students.
• Cortland Anderson Scholarship: Established by alumni in honor of the former director of the E.W. Scripps School of Journalism. Cortland Anderson came to the School of Journalism from the Washington Post in 1981. He died in 1985, never seeing the school move into Scripps Hall after breaking ground a year earlier. The Cortland Anderson Scholarships are specifically designated for students entering their sophomore year.
• R. Randolph Apgar Scholarship for Ethics: This scholarship recognizes a student for his or her high ethical standards as demonstrated in work on campus media, internships and/or published work. The award was established by 1968 alum Randy Apgar through his Foundation, the Apgar-Black Foundation which is a major supporter of the Arts in Philadelphia and is a major sponsor of organizations that raise awareness of inequities in our society and reach out to provide opportunities for students and others to reach their full potential.
• Athens News - Bob Baker Scholarship: This scholarship was established by the publisher of the Athens News to honor former Scripps advertising and public relations professor Robert Baker. It goes to a journalism student working at the Athens News.
• Robert Baker Scholarship: Robert Baker is professor emeritus at the Scripps School who taught advertising and public relations. His scholarship is designated for an outstanding member of the school's award winning PRSSA chapter.
• Frances G. and Margaret A. Channell Scholarship: This scholarship honors mother and daughter alums of the school. Frances graduated in 1937 and worked as reporter and teacher. Maggie received her BSJ and a masters degree from OU and has spent many years working in various administrative positions on campus.
• Eliza Alcorn Clark Memorial Scholarship: Dr. Florence Riffe, former Associate Dean of the Scripps College of Communication established this scholarship in honor of her grandmother, Eliza Alcorn Clark. This scholarship is designated for an underrepresented student.
• Frank Deaner Journalism Scholarship: Frank Deaner is a 1967 Scripps grad who made the rounds of all areas of journalism. He spent 15 years as a broadcaster, worked public relations and advertising and until his retirement was executive director of the Ohio Newspaper Association.
• Robert and Teri Gerbig Scholarships: The Gerbigs established these scholarships to help both graduate and undergraduate students. Robert is an alum of the school's graduate program.
• Helen Hoover Scholarship: Helen Hoover was an alum of the school and an environmental writer.
• Loren J. Hortin Scholarship: L.J. Hortin taught in the School of Journalism for 20 years beginning in 1947. He led the school for 14 of those years. During Hortin's leadership the Scripps School of Journalism became one of the first accredited journalism schools in the country. Alumni of the school established this scholarship to honor Mr. Hortin.
• Don Howard Memorial Award: This scholarship honors Don Howard, an enthusiastic young sports broadcaster whose career was cut tragically short when he was killed in a car accident. His family created this scholarship to help a graduating senior pursuing a career in sports broadcasting with interview and start-up expenses.
• Ron Iori Scholarships: Ron Iori is a 1976 graduate who spent 18 years as an editor at newspapers such as The Wall Street Journal, Los Angeles Times and the Cincinnati Post. In 1994 he moved into corporate communication and when he left Ford his business card read Office of the President for the Ford Motor Company. These scholarships are designated for students with an interest in business or copy editing.
• Ford Scholar Award: Ron Iori not only endowed a scholarship in his name, but also worked to provide another scholarship from his longtime employer, the Ford Motor Company.
• Ralph Izard-Post Scholarship: This scholarship was established to recognize outstanding work at The Post student newspaper. Longtime journalism Former Director and Professor Ralph Izard's generous gift has been supplemented by many former Posties to create this scholarship. Dr. Izard was director of the school during the establishment of the Institute of International Journalism and the dedication of the Sing Tao Center.
• George Starr Lasher Living Legacy Award: This unique award was established in memory of George Starr Lasher, the first director of the School of Journalism. This award, endowed by Mr. Lasher's daughter, Mary Elizabeth Lasher Meyers, provides the funds for students to travel to New York City so they may experience a cultural trip in the arts. 
• Lasher-Evarts Quality of Writing Scholarship: This award was also established by Mary Elizabeth Lasher Meyers in honor of her father, and longtime Scripps professor Dru Riley Evarts. Both Professors Lasher and Dr. Evarts pushed every student to be a better writer and use language correctly. This scholarship honors quality writing.
• Joseph Lichtenberg Memorial Scholarship: This scholarship is given in memory of alum Joseph Litchtenberg and was established by the Nation's Capitol alumni chapter.
• Richard O. Linke Scholarship: Dick Linke is a 1941 graduate of the Scripps School. He went on to become an entertainment public relations man and producer, having a long successful career in the entertainment business. One major highlight of his career is that he discovered Andy Griffith and you can see the RICHARD O. LINKE, EXECUTIVE PRODUCER credit on all the old Andy Griffith shows.
• Dan Lowe Memorial Scholarship: Dan Lowe was often called Ohio University's Number 1 fan. The 2003 Scripps School graduate was the first member of the Ozone, and when he graduated his passion as an OU fan turned into a profession of promoting Ohio Sports. Dan died much too young during a pick-up basketball game in 2005. His family established this scholarship for students with an interest in sports reporting.
• Edward J. Martin Scholarship: The family of Edward Martin created this scholarship in memory of this alum. This scholarship is designated for students interested in magazine or newspaper journalism.
• Memorial Tournament Scholarship: The School of Journalism is very fortunate to have been chosen as one of only three schools to receive scholarships from the Memorial Tournament-Jack Nicklaus' professional golf tournament held each year in Dublin, Ohio. Winners are invited to the tournament and recognized.
• George and Dorothy Messerly Scholarship: The George and Dorothy Messerly Scholarship was established by Professor Emeritus Anne Cooper-Chen and her sister, in honor of their parents. Since Dr. Cooper-Chen's parents were Pennsylvanians - this award is designated for female students from Pennsylvania.
• Herb Moss Business of Baseball Scholarship: Scripps alum Herb Moss (BSJ '68) established this scholarship to recognize the importance of business and economic news, and to follow his love of baseball. Moss is VP at UBS investments, which specializes in financial services.
• Joel M. Needle Scholarship: This scholarship established by classmates and family of Joel Needle, a 1966 alumnus of the Scripps School who was killed in a car accident just three years after graduation.
• Fred A. Palmer Scholarship in Journalism: This scholarship honors the longtime owner and general manager of WATH radio and owner of several other radio stations. He was an inductee of the National Association of Broadcaster's Radio Hall of Fame. His daughter Carol Lambert and son David Palmer have endowed this scholarship in his memory for students interested in broadcast journalism.
• Don Perris Scholarship-Internship Grants/Scripps Howard Internship Grants: The Scripps Howard Foundation funds $3000 grants to support Scripps College of Communication students with travel and living expenses for high profile summer internships away from home. Students also receive a $500 or $1000 scholarship.
• Kay Murphy Price Scholarship: Kay Murphy Price was a Scripps alum who had a 33-year career as a feature writer with the Columbus Dispatch and Miami Herald. She was also an artist, winning awards for her poetry, and gourmet cooking, and dabbling with a paint brush. She established this scholarship for students with an interest in newspaper or magazine journalism.
• Tom Price and Susan Crites Price Scholarship: Journalism alums Tom and Susan Price established this scholarship to be awarded to a staff member of The Post. Now Washington-based freelance writers, the Prices learned much about journalism as editor (Tom) and associate editor (Susan) of The Post. Tom was politics writer for The (Dayton) Journal Herald and a correspondent in the Cox Newspapers Washington Bureau. Susan has been vice president of the National Center for Family Philanthropy.
• Marc and Lila Rosenweig Scholarship: Marc Rosenweig is a 1971 graduate and an award winning broadcast journalist, and longtime network and syndicated programming manager, working for NBC and King World Production among others. This scholarship was established by Marc and his wife Lila.
• The SPM Marketing and Communications Advertising Scholarship: Larry Margolis is a 1971 graduate of Ohio University and one of the pioneers in health care marketing. His firm, SPM Marketing and Communications, is the premier health care and hospital marketing agency in the country. This scholarship is designated for students interested in advertising.
• Scripps Howard Foundation Scholarships: The Scripps Howard Foundation funds special scholarships in honor of two longtime contributors to the company. Boyd D. Lewis is retired now - but started his career as an editorial assistant at the United Press and retired in 1972 as the president and editor of the Scripps Howard Newspaper Enterprise Association. The Susan J. Porter Scholarship honors a long-term newspaper employee of the E. W. Scripps Company who now serves on the Scripps Howard Foundation Board and has been very instrumental in Scripps' involvement with the School of Journalism. In addition the Foundation funds general scholarships in the amount of $1000.
• Scripps School of Journalism Scholarships: Various one-time gifts to the Scripps School from alumni and professionals fund scholarships for all journalism majors.
• Guido Stempel Scholarship: Distinguished Professor Emeritus Guido Stempel established this scholarship to recognize outstanding journalism students. Dr. Stempel joined the Scripps faculty in 1965 and has been recognized for his teaching, mentorship and research with nearly every award in the field of Communication.
• Emerson "Vic" Sherow Memorial Scholarship: Emerson "Vic" Sherow was a longtime newspaperman - who became the director of the Ohio University News Bureau. His family created this scholarship in his memory. This scholarship is designated for a student interested in newspaper journalism.
• Lawrence R. Tavcar Scholarship: This award honors 1958 alum Lawrence Tavcar who spent his career in public relations.
• Tom Turnbull Memorial Scholarship: This award is in the memory of Tom Turnbull, who taught advertising and graphics for many years at Scripps. This scholarship is funded by one of Professor Turnbull's former students, David Carter, and is designated for an advertising student.
• Madeline Utley Scholarship: 1979 graduate Joanne Utley established this scholarship in honor of her mother. Joanne is an avid supporter of the OU Alumni Association and has served on the board.
• Michael Vaughn Memorial Scholarship: Mike Vaughn was an alum who died suddenly at a very young age and is honored by his co-workers. The scholarship was set-up by Michael's colleagues and friends at Ford Motor Company. This scholarship is designated for a public relations major.
• White House Correspondents’ Association Scholarship: The White House Correspondents Association, in collaboration with the E.W. Scripps School of Journalism, grants three $5000 scholarships per year to Ohio University journalism majors.
• John R. Wilhelm Foreign Correspondence Internships: The John R. Wilhelm Foreign Correspondence Internship Program funds international journalism internships each year through several endowed scholarships: Bob Considine Memorial Scholarship, Wallace Hodes Memorial Scholarship, the Mark Leff Internship Travel Award, Cornelius Ryan Memorial Scholarship, William and Shirley Fleischer Scholarship and the John R. Wilhelm Scholarship. Since 1970, more than 250 journalism majors have received such support, traveling to more than 30 countries. Applicants must be earning a degree in the E.W. Scripps School of Journalism, have significant reporting experience, and must complete the Foreign Correspondence course, which is offered each fall semester. In addition, the International Mass Media course (Jour 4660/5660) is recommended. Scholarships usually are sufficient to cover the costs of food, lodging and air fare.
• Jesse and Ruth Zousmer Scholarship: This scholarship was established by the New York/New Jersey Alumni Chapter to honor two alumni who died in a 1966 plane crash while returning from assignment in Vietnam. The Zousmer scholarship is designated for students interested in broadcast journalism.
• Richard J. Stevens BSJ ’63 Scholarship in Journalism: Richard Stevens completed the Strategic Communication track at the E.W. Scripps School of Journalism, which launched a 17-year career with General Electric. Stevens looks back on his time at Ohio University as a great catalyst for his career and remains grateful for the educational experiences that led to his professional success.