The Sacramento Press Club is now accepting entries for 2024 scholarships. The deadline is April 5, 2024, at 11:59 p.m.
ELIGIBILITY
1. Applicants must be college students who will be juniors, seniors or graduate students for at least one term in the upcoming academic year (2024-25.)
2. Applicants must have a connection to the nine-county Sacramento region (Sacramento, Yolo, San Joaquin, El Dorado, Placer, Sutter, Yuba, Nevada and Butte counties). There are three ways to meet this requirement. Applicants only need to meet ONE of the following to qualify:
a. Students from the Sacramento region (counties specified above)
b. Students enrolled in a Sacramento region college or university (SF Bay Area colleges/universities are NOT included in the Sacramento region)
c. Students who can show a demonstrated interest in covering news of the Sacramento region. This can include clips documenting your coverage of state political news or any issue that you believe ties into the region. Please explain in your cover letter.
ONLINE APPLICATION PROCESS
Your application must include the following documents and information:
1. Your name, address, email and phone number. Please be sure that email and phone contacts are how you can be reached directly.
2. Cover letter: Provide a brief letter (one or two pages) explaining your motivation for a career in journalism, what you have already done to prepare for your career and any related experience outside the classroom. The letter should also address your financial need for the scholarship and describe how you meet the eligibility requirements describe above.
3. Your GPA: You will be asked to provide your cumulative GPA for all college-level coursework taken to date.
4. Your current transcript: The transcript will document the classes you have taken and verify the GPA you provide on the application form. This can be a computer printout from your college/university’s online system or an official transcript. You will need to scan the document into a digital format that can be uploaded.
5. Five samples of your work: Samples can be audio, video and/or print files.
6. Acceptance letter: If you will be enrolled in a different college/university in 2024-25 than the one you are now attending, you will be asked to upload your acceptance letter. If you have not yet been accepted, please be prepared to bring an acceptance letter to your interview if you are selected as a finalist.
In addition to the online process, you are required to have a letter of recommendation from a teacher, academic adviser or journalism workplace supervisor. Please request that the person email the letter of recommendation to sacpressclubscholarships@gmail.com. The letter of recommendation must be received by the April 5 deadline.
WHAT WE LOOK FOR
Professional journalists, academics and sponsors of scholarships will judge and select finalists. They look for signs of journalistic achievement, career promise, academic record and economic need.
Finalists will be chosen from the pool of applicants by mid-April, and all applicants will be notified about their status. Interviews with the finalists will be scheduled for late April. Interviews with finalists can be conducted via Skype or speakerphone if an applicant does not currently reside in the Sacramento region. Winners will be determined and notified immediately following the interviews.
Scholarships will be awarded in May.
QUESTIONS?
Contact us at sacpressclubscholarships@gmail.com.