Scholarships

Applying for scholarships at UA Little Rock is an important part of your college journey. Incoming freshmen and transfer students only need to apply for admission to UA Little Rock in order to be considered for most of our institutional scholarships (institutional scholarships are the ones that come from the university).

Rhetoric and Writing Scholarships

The Department of Rhetoric and Writing has scholarships available for outstanding students who are committed to our program. Please consider applying by completing the application at the bottom of this page.

In addition to the departmental scholarships listed below, the department has one shared with Mass Communication, the Arkansas Public Media Scholarship (formerly known as Douhit Scholarship), which comes with an internship at the KLRE/KUAR radio station.

The deadline for all scholarships for the 2023-24 academic year is March 31, 2023 extended to April 17, 2023.

Upon receiving any award, recipients will write a letter of appreciation to the donors. The Office of Development will provide the information and addresses of the donors.

Undergraduate Scholarships

The David and Lucille Chandler Scholarship

The David and Lucille Chandler Scholarship honors the memory of David and Lucille Chandler (the parents of our former colleague Sally Crisp) and provides assistance for any education-related expenses, including but not limited to tuition, books, and fees for students pursuing or furthering a degree or continuing education in the Department of Rhetoric and Writing. The scholarship for the 2023-2024 year will be $500.

The recipient can be a full- or part-time student majoring in Professional and Technical Writing. Preference will be given to junior- and senior-level students.

The scholarship will be awarded at the end of each spring term for use in the next academic year. This scholarship is renewable, but recipients must reapply annually.

To apply for this scholarship, please submit a letter that addresses your academic accomplishments at UA Little Rock and describes your financial need.

Donna Barkan Jensen Writing About Families

The Donna Barkan Jensen Writing About Families Scholarship supports a major in Professional and Technical Writing who is focusing on nonfiction. Students who have already written about family topics will be given priority.

The scholarship is $500 (or $250 per semester). Students may use the same application materials to apply for both the Oliver-Breeze-Kennedy Scholarship and this scholarship. However, students will not be awarded multiple departmental scholarships.
The scholarships will be awarded on the basis of:

  • A letter of application: Applicants must explain how and why the student qualifies for the scholarship and describe how it will aid them in achieving specific career and/or educational objectives.
  • Need as established by FAFSA: Applicants may offer additional information related to need if they wish; however, FASFA must be submitted to the UA Little Rock financial aid office. See https://fafsa.ed.gov/
  • Accomplishments in the field of study: Each applicant must supply a three-item portfolio including full explanations of each of the three items included.

Each part (letter, need, accomplishments) will count as one-third of the decision.  All decisions will be made by the Rhetoric and Writing Department Scholarship Committee. These scholarships are renewable for a second year; however, first year recipients must file a second application emphasizing and detailing outstanding work done during the first award year to be considered for renewal.

To apply, students should complete the digital scholarship application form (see bottom of page) and attach one document containing the following items:

  • Applicants must explain in a cover letter how and why the student qualifies for the scholarship and describe how it will aid them in achieving specific career and/or educational objectives.
  • Three-item portfolio of nonfiction writing with full explanations of each item included.

Please direct questions to Dr. Joanne Matson at jlmatson@ualr.edu.

Graduate Scholarships/Internships

Quarter Century Excellence (QCX) Endowed Scholarship

The Quarter Century Excellence (QCX) Endowed Scholarship recognizes the progress of the Department of Rhetoric and Writing in its first 25 years while also honoring the lifelong commitment of Judith and Jerome Liebman (Dr. Matson’s parents) to learning and education. It provides assistance for education-related expenses, including but not limited to the cost of tuition, books, fees and room and board, for students studying rhetoric and writing at the University of Arkansas at Little Rock. Until the endowment grows, it will be awarded to graduate students.

A scholarship of $500 will be awarded for 2023-24.

It is available to full or part-time entering graduate, freshmen, transfer, or continuing students studying rhetoric and writing. Preference will be given to graduate students until such time as the fund can support two awards, at which point the award will be given to one graduate and one undergraduate student,

Academic accomplishment will be the primary criterion for selection, but all things being equal, financial need shall also be used to determine selection.

To apply, students should complete the digital application form (below) with a letter addressed to the scholarship committee describing the students’ career and educational goals and accomplishments.

Please email questions to Dr. Joanne Matson at jlmatson@ualr.edu.

Clarence and Judy Albers Quality Writing Scholarships

The Clarence and Judy Albers Quality Writing Scholarships are endowed scholarships designed to support graduate students in the Department of Rhetoric and Writing pursuing work in both nonfiction writing and editing. Their particular emphasis is editing.

The scholarships are awarded annually, when possible, in amounts to be announced in the call for applications. There will be one award for 2023-24 in the amount of $500 ($250 per semester). The awards are contingent upon continued enrollment and progress toward the recipients’ graduate degrees. Funds may be used to support any part of the recipients’ education—tuition, fees, books, living expenses, etc. The scholarship is renewable, but the recipient must reapply annually. These scholarships are not to be used to support thesis work. When there are two or more awards, at least one will be directed toward applicants entering or in the early part of their graduate studies.

Qualifications:

  • The recipient must enroll in a minimum of six graduate hours per funded semester.
  • Academic accomplishment, GPA, and financial need will be considered.

To apply, students must complete the digital application form (below) with one file that includes a portfolio containing:

  • A cover letter addressed to the Scholarship Committee describing the applicant’s career goals and background.
  • Three pieces of work demonstrating the applicant’s capabilities in nonfiction and editing, with particular focus on editing. These need not be works written for UA Little Rock classes, especially if the applicant is new to the program.
  • Brief explanations of each piece’s context and importance.

Please email questions to Dr. Joanne Matson at jlmatson@ualr.edu.

 

Arkansas Public Media Internship/Scholarship (Douhit Scholarship)

Are you an excellent writer with interests in education, healthcare, energy, and justice?  Can you supplement your writing with photography, video, or other media? If so, we urge you to apply for a new scholarship/internship combination affiliated with Arkansas Public Media.

If you’re selected, you’ll receive a scholarship to intern with APM to write and research stories related to Arkansas education, healthcare, energy, and justice. You’ll also receive 3 hours of either internship or independent study credit in your Professional and Technical Writing degree.

Finally, you’ll gain valuable experience in professional media, which will supplement your writing or professional portfolio with artifacts from the experience.

Details:
If selected, you will need to accept the scholarship and commit to register for your internship credit in either the following Fall semester or the Spring semester. You must be a student at UA Little Rock when you apply, and you must plan on being a student in the semester you intern with APM.

The number and amount of scholarships attached to this project will vary, but this year, we anticipate the scholarship amount to be $1000-$1500.

Eligible students include undergraduate and graduate majors in Professional and Technical Writing. Students pursuing minors or certificates only are not eligible.

During your internship at APM, you will submit periodic reports with your instructor. At the end of the semester, you will submit a portfolio to your instructor for course credit.

If you have any questions, please contact the Chair of Scholarship Committee, Dr. Joanne Matson (jlmatson@ualr.edu).

IMPORTANT INSTRUCTIONS: Each application should be merged into one file and saved as “yourname_ScholarshipName_date” (example: James_JensenScholarship_March2023) in PDF format. Upload the file with your application in the form below.

Rhetoric and Writing Scholarships Application

    Select all that apply.
    Select all that apply.
  • Attach document per instructions in the scholarship information. Please merge materials and name file saved as PDF.
    All the information I have provided is correct to the best of my knowledge. By confirming this application, I authorize the University of Arkansas at Little Rock to furnish copies of my academic record, this application, all of my uploaded writing, and information regarding my financial need, when appropriate, to scholarship donors or their designated representatives and any scholarship committees for review in considering my application for any scholarship for which I may be eligible. I hereby give my permission to UALR to issue a news release if I am awarded a scholarship, listing my name, major, hometown, transfer college (if applicable), and the name and amount of the scholarship.
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