The English Department has a number of scholarships that support and recognize the academic achievement of English majors. The recipients of the academic scholarships and awards are determined by the department's Honors Committee.
Financial need, when relevant, is determined with the assistance of the Financial Aid Office on campus.
With the exception of the Coe and West creative writing scholarships, which are awarded in the spring after a fall competition, and the Hilton award, which is awarded in the spring after fall grades are in, the competition for these scholarships takes place during the spring semester, and awards are paid to students' accounts for the following fall and spring semesters (or fall semester only if a student is graduating the next fall). Announcements about most of the scholarships typically are made in February, and the scholarship winners are chosen by the end of March. Competition for the Capote scholarship normally begins in late March, with winners decided at the end of the semester.
Congratulations to the recipients of the Fall 2022 Creative Writing Scholarships:
- John Foster West Endowed Creative Writing Prize: Sophie Wells (Secondary English Education)
- Marjorie South Idol Prize for Fiction and Creative Prose: Lydia Blanton (English - Creative Writing)
- Marjorie South Idol Prize for Poetry: Sarah Teague (English - Creative Writing)
- Marian Coe Prize in Creative Writing: Sarah Teague (English - Creative Writing)
- Rogers and Janice Whitener Creative Writing Scholarship: Daniel Ham (English - Creative Writing)
Scholarships by Application
Find the application to institution wide scholarships: here.
Jeni Gray Memorial Endowed Scholarship in English
This scholarship honors a young woman who several years ago was seized while walking in Boone on a Sunday morning. She was murdered just a few miles from campus. (The Awareness Walk that occurs each fall is also partly in memory of Ms. Gray.) Gray graduated here with a degree in English and was an Appalachian employee at the time of her death. This award goes to an undergraduate English major who, in the words of the document establishing this fund, exhibits "exceptional integrity and distinguished academic achievement." Financial need and an interest in journalism also may be taken into consideration. This scholarship is open to both applications and nominations.
The Rosemary Horowitz Memorial Scholarship
The Rosemary Horowitz Memorial Scholarship was established in 2022 to honor the memory of English Department faculty member Rosemary Horowitz. Dr. Horowitz drew on her business experience in technical writing to create “real world” assignments for her students and always situated the ethics of the workplace at the center of her teaching. Contributions to this fund will provide scholarship support of $1,000.00 per year to a student majoring in English who demonstrates a thoughtful commitment to civic-minded service and leadership in the community and/or workplace. Whenever possible, preference in the selection of the scholarship recipients shall accrue to students with financial need and who have demonstrated an interest in ethics and technical writing as reflected in course selection, class projects, and/or desired internship focus.
Mary Willis Shores Memorial Scholarship in English
This scholarship is for English majors with a need for financial support and with satisfactory academic achievement as demonstrated by a minimum GPA of 3.0.
Department of English Endowed Scholarship
This scholarship is sponsored by donations from faculty members and others, principally as a way of honoring deceased relatives and retired or deceased former faculty members. A student must be a rising junior or senior English major at Appalachian State University to be eligible. This scholarship is open both to nominations and applications, and the awarding of it is based on academic achievement and promise. Financial need may be considered in awarding this scholarship.
Nothing prevents a student from applying for this award, or receiving a nomination for it, a second time, provided the conditions given above are met.
Ella Thompson Hobbs Endowed Scholarship for English Majors
Ella Thompson Hobbs, an alumna of Appalachian State University, has established this largest single fund from which several yearly awards are made in the Department of English. To be eligible, students must be rising junior or senior English majors who demonstrate satisfactory academic achievement (3.0 overall grade point average). Financial need will be an important consideration in awarding these scholarships.
The number of scholarships awarded may vary, depending on the number, quality and financial circumstances of the applicants. A student may apply for one of these scholarships a second or third time, provided that all conditions given above can be met.
Kate Peterson Scholarship for English
Katie Jane Peterson taught at Appalachian High School, the laboratory school for Appalachian State University (known then as Appalachian State Teachers College) from 1958-65 where she taught English. When the county schools consolidated in 1965, she became a faculty member at Watauga High School where she taught and chaired the English department until her retirement in 1975. This scholarship is open to any student majoring in English at Appalachian.
Mary Montgomery Dunlap Scholarship in English
This scholarship is named in honor of Mary M. Dunlap, a long-time English department faculty member. It is open to both applications and nominations. Applicants must be rising juniors or seniors or graduate students majoring in English, with a need for financial support and with satisfactory academic achievement as demonstrated by a minimum GPA of 3.0.
Dr. Hans G. Heymann Scholarship for English "Honors" Students
Applicants must demonstrate and maintain satisfactory academic potential and/or achievement, be a rising junior or senior, be a declared English major and enrolled in the honors program in the department.
Richard H. Rupp and Henree Rupp Study Abroad Scholarship for the English Department
Applicants must be English majors who plan to study abroad. Criteria shall include merit, promise and financial need. The study abroad program may be for summer study, ISEP or a sponsored exchange with a foreign university for a semester or a year.
Scholarships by Nomination
Please use the application link above to indicate that you have asked a faculty member to to nominate you and that you have reviewed (and meet) the criteria.
Graydon and Daisy Eggers English Scholarship Endowment (Nominations Only)
Consideration for this scholarship, named in honor of two longtime English Department faculty members, requires nomination of the student by one or members of the English Department faculty. To be eligible, a student must also be a rising senior English major or a graduating senior English major who intends to enter graduate studies in English at Appalachian State University. The student must have at least a 3.0 overall grade point average and at least a 3.5 grade point average in English. Financial need may also be a consideration in awarding this scholarship. A student may be nominated a second time, if the conditions given above can be met.
Cratis D. Williams Memorial Scholarship in English Endowment (Nominations Only)
This award is named after a former English professor and Dean of the Graduate School that now bears his name. A student must be nominated for this award by a faculty member from the English Department and must also be either a rising junior, a rising senior or a current senior who plans to enroll for graduate work in English. Candidates will be judged "on the basis of promise and possible need," and, according to Dr. Williams' good-humored remark, "Moral or good character should not be weighed in the criteria" (words in the guidelines establishing this scholarship).
Students are eligible to receive this award more than once, provided all the conditions mentioned above can be met.
Scholarships for Highest GPA
Loyd Hilton Endowed Award for Excellence in English
This award is named for the former chair of the English Department, who with his wife Sue served this department and university for more than twenty years. The award goes to the senior English major with the highest grade point average in English coursework. The award is determined in the fall and awarded in the spring term each year. In the event of a tie, overall grade point average in all coursework will be considered. All English majors are considered for this award, if they are seniors (with at least 90 semester hours successfully completed).
Scholarships for Creative Writing
Finalists for the creative writing scholarships are selected by a faculty committee, and the winners are chosen by a prominent creative writer outside of the department. The amount of each scholarship depends on investment performance and other conditions. In recent years each scholarship has been at least $500. In most cases, students need to be registered full-time during the period of the award.
Rogers and Janice Whitener Creative Writing Scholarship
This scholarship is named for Rogers and Janice Whitener, who were notable for their support of students and of the arts during their years at Appalachian.
The Whitener Scholarship will be awarded in the Fall semester for the Spring semester to students enrolled in the English/Creative Writing concentration. Applications and creative writing faculty nominations will be accepted through November 15 each year. The criteria will be financial need, a B+ or higher average in Creative Writing concentration courses (including the literary genre and Applied Grammar courses), and active good citizenship in courses and the creative writing program. Self-nominating students may submit a paragraph detailing financial need and their citizenship (contributions to class climate, peers and participation in program-related activities), along with a list of creative writing concentration courses and grades. (We will double check this for finalists.) Verbal or written nominations may be made by any full or part-time faculty member teaching creative writing courses; the award decision will be made by full time tenure-track creative writing faculty and approved by the Department Chair. Financial need will not be documented but will be based on the student's statement; students may be invited to elaborate on need in response to self or faculty nomination, if needed.
Truman Capote Literary Trust Scholarship for Creative Writing
This scholarship is supported by the Truman Capote Literary Trust Fund. The scholarship is awarded to the rising junior or senior Appalachian State University English major whose submissions of prose (fiction, creative non-fiction or play) or poetry are judged to be the most outstanding works submitted to the creative writing competition named after Truman Capote and endowed by the late author's estate. The winning student must complete a sequence of creative writing courses leading to a concentration in Creative Writing as part of a B.A. degree in English. Details of this yearly contest are posted in early February, while submission deadlines fall in early April. Final judging is done by a prominent writer from outside the university.
A student who wins this scholarship is eligible to enter the contest the following year, provided that all the conditions mentioned above can be met.
John Foster West Endowed Creative Writing Prize
This award, named for and sponsored by a well-known writer and former professor at Appalachian State University, is given to the winner of a creative writing contest held each year in the fall term. The competition is run in conjunction with the competition for the Marian Coe and Marjorie South Idol scholarships. Details of this contest are posted each fall, along with the deadline for submissions. Final judging is done by a prominent writer from outside the university. This competition is open to currently enrolled students of all majors and years.
Marian Coe Scholarship in Creative Writing
This scholarship, named for a well-known local author, is given to the winner of a creative writing contest held each year in the fall term in conjunction with the competition for the John Foster West and Marjorie South Idol scholarships. Details of the contest are posted each fall, along with the deadline for submissions. Final judging is done by a prominent writer from outside the university. This competition is open to currently enrolled students of all majors and years.
Marjorie South Idol Prize for Fiction and Creative Prose
To recognize achievement in fiction and creative prose genres (fiction, creative nonfiction, memoir, playwriting, screenplay) written by students majoring in English in any concentration. The competition is held each year in the fall term in conjunction with the competition for the John Foster West and Marian Coe scholarships. Details of the contest are posted each fall, along with the deadline for submissions. Final judging is done by a prominent writer from outside the university.
Marjorie South Idol Prize for Poetry
To recognize achievement in poetry written by students majoring in English in any concentration. The competition is held each year in the fall term in conjunction with the competition for the John Foster West and Marian Coe scholarships. Details of the contest are posted each fall, along with the deadline for submissions. Final judging is done by a prominent writer from outside the university.
Questions about Creative Writing scholarships and awards may be addressed to Professor Mark Powell, via e-mail: powelljm1@appstate.edu. Application forms are available below and in the English Department office (124 Edwin Duncan Hall, ASU Box 32052) after scholarship competitions have been announced.
Incoming Freshman Scholarship
Jeffrey Kermit Lowe Memorial for English Majors Endowment
The Jeffrey Kermit Lowe Memorial Scholarship for English Majors supports incoming freshmen who intend to major in English at Appalachian State University. Scholarship applications must be received by August 1, and scholarship winners will be notified before August 15.
College Scholarships
Consider scholarships offered by the college. Visit the college website to see the qualifications for each scholarship offered. For more questions, contact the Dean's office at cas@appstate.edu or (828) 262-3078.
- Sally A. Callegari Memorial Scholarship for Gender Diversity in Animal Studies
- Drs. Joanne Smith and Don R. Brannon Scholarship for Natural Sciences
- Richard A. Thomas Memorial Scholarship for Arts and Sciences
- Jonathan K. Perryman Memorial Scholarship for the Sciences
- GlaxoSmithKline Women in Science Scholarships
- The Peggy Harmon Shore Pre-Health Care Professional Endowed Scholarship