Palm Springs Writers Guild:
Barbara Seranella Scholarship Program
by John Carrigan
This annual scholarship is a merit-based award given to a Coachella Valley resident who is currently enrolled in a college or university and is majoring in a writing related discipline. Students enrolled in an MFA program are also eligible.
All eligible students who meet the following criteria are invited to apply. The applicant must have a minimum GPA of 3.0 on a 4.0 scale. He or she must submit a completed application along with a 500 word writing sample on a topic of his or her choice. The applicant must be a US citizen with a valid social security number and must be able to verify full time college/university enrollment. All applications must be accompanied by a letter of recommendation from a writing instructor and/or scholarship counselor.
The scholarship is named for Barbara Seranella, a prolific and respected writer and an admired and beloved member of both PSWG and the Crime Writers of America. Barbara succumbed to liver disease after a long and courageous battle in 2006, and the scholarship, which is intended to aid the winner with tuition and other costs, was initiated as a lasting tribute in her memory. The 2011 winner will be notified in May 1, 2011, and the money will be available for the fall term.
Year 2012 — Amount $1,000
Who May Apply? Any Coachella Valley resident enrolled in a college/university with a declared major in Writing, such as Journalism, English, Creative Writing, Script or Screen Writing, Communication, or an MFA program.
Criteria:
GPA minimum of 3.0 (based on 4.0 scale)
Completed application
500 word (maximum) writing sample, demonstrating writing skills and written by applicant within the last 6 months
Verification of full-time enrollment
US citizen with a social security number
Letter of recommendation from writing instructor or school scholarship office
Application will be available online January 1, 2012 and may be submitted anytime from January 1 - April 1, 2012.
Application must be received by
April 1, 2012
Applications are available through college/university scholarship office or online at palmspringswritersguild.org. Questions? Contact :
SCHOLARSHIPS.PSWG@GMAIL.COM.
Winning student will be notified by May 1, 2012 by mail with a copy to his/her school’s financial aid office. The monetary award will be sent directly to the university or college in the fall to be administered on the student’s behalf AFTER the drop class date.
