Overseas Press Club Foundation Scholarships

Scholarship Sponsored by Overseas Press Club Foundation

The Overseas Press Club Foundation Scholar Awards are open to undergraduate and graduate students from North American institutions or American students studying overseas. To be eligible, applicants must be enrolled in a degree program as a junior, senior, or graduate student at the time of application and have shown an interest in international journalism.

Each year, the Foundation typically awards 18 scholarships to support academic pursuits. Recipients are granted either a $3,000 scholarship for independent projects or a $4,000 fellowship to spend time in a bureau of a major news organization such as the Associated Press, Reuters, Bloomberg, or the Wall Street Journal.

The primary focus of our program is to assist students of any nationality who aspire to become international journalists, rather than those intending to return to their home countries to work as local reporters. We are particularly interested in helping budding journalists kickstart their careers, rather than providing support to mid-career professionals.

Applicants must submit the following three components:

1. COVER LETTER: A one-page autobiographical cover letter is required. This should address how the applicant's interest in journalism and specific international communities or issues developed, and how they plan to use the scholarship to advance their journalism career. Any inconsistencies or significant changes in progress should be explained.
2. RESUME: A one-page resume highlighting previous journalism experience, language proficiency, media skills, and visa/passport status for overseas work is required. Please include any international or domestic assignments, published freelance work, or independent unpublished projects.
3. WORK SAMPLE (select one from print, photo, video, or audio):

• Print journalism: Applicants must provide a 600-800 word writing sample focusing on a region of the world or an international issue that aligns with their interests and experience. Please indicate if the work has been previously published, edited, or condensed, or if it was a school project. Past winners have written on a variety of topics, from blackjack on the Trans-Siberian Railroad to a Taiwanese bookstore in mainland China. Prior travel abroad is not a requirement for application. Previous scholars have been awarded for pieces on the dynamics between Syrian and Lebanese immigrants in a Brooklyn bar or reporting on Ukrainian refugees on Long Island.
• Photojournalism: Submit a PDF of photos or a link to an online portfolio. Entries can be feature, personality, or news journalism pieces, and can be either narrated or rely solely on interviews and verité. A 500-word writing sample that provides context for the photos, explaining how they were taken or their significance, is also required.
• Video and Audio Journalism: Submit a link to an online platform where the judges can view or listen to the work. Entries can be feature, personality, or news journalism pieces, and can be either narrated or rely solely on interviews and verité. Entries should be no less than two minutes and no more than seven minutes in length, and should primarily focus on international interest. A 500-word writing sample that provides context for the video or audio entry, explaining how the images or audio were captured or their significance, as well as the applicant's role in the creation of the piece, is also required. Credit must be given to all team members involved. Each video or audio file must present a complete story, with a clear beginning, middle, and end.