We offer a wide selection of scholarships for students who are currently enrolled in the School of Media and Journalism at Kent State. To be eligible for a scholarship, you must be an officially declared major in advertising, digital media production, journalism or public relations and be planning to graduate after August 2021. Scholarship awards are based on financial need, academic performance and professional promise as evidenced by your submitted work samples.
To learn more about other School and university scholarships for incoming freshmen, visit the Future Student Scholarship page.
Please be sure to review our Scholarship Guidelines.
Please note: Not all of the School of Media and Journalism scholarships listed below are offered every year. All scholarships listed here require a minimum overall GPA of 2.7.
The scholarship application for returning students will close on Jan. 24, 2021. If you have issues during the application process please contact us at mdjscholarships@kent.edu.
Deadline to apply for The Wallace J. Hagedorn Photography Scholarship is April 15, 2021.
The School of Media and Journalism and the School of Visual Communication Design award up to $200,000 to photography students annually through the Wallace J. Hagedorn Photography Scholarship. In addition to the monies available to offset tuition costs for the most talented visual storytellers, this program-enhancing gift will also provide additional resources to enrich the student experience.
Please note: Not all of the School of Media and Journalism scholarships listed below are offered every year.
American Society of Business Press Editors Scholarship
Ronald Dean Clark Scholarship in Editorial Writing
Walton D. Clarke Endowed Scholarship
Press Club of Cleveland / Dick Kostic Scholarship
Robert C. and Helen Westcott Dix Scholarship
Roger F. Dreyer Memorial Scholarship
Christopher and Judith Everett Endowed Scholarship for Photography
William A. Fisher Scholarship
Albert E. Fitzpatrick Endowed Scholarship
Philip A. Macomber Memorial Scholarship
BethAnn McClain Scholarship
Robert G. McGruder Minority Scholarship
Devin C. G. Moore Memorial Scholarship
Douglass Moore Photography Scholarship
Frances B. Murphey Scholarship
The King Family Scholarship
Tom and Juanita Duke Endowed Scholarship in Public Relations
Paul A. and Sylvia P. Poorman Memorial Scholarship
Lisa Katz Pagel Scholarship
John L. Scott Broadcast Journalism Endowed Scholarship
Scripps-Howard Foundation/Herb Kamm Scholarship
Ralph W. and Bettie Smith Memorial Award
Robert Sorino Jr. Family Memorial Fund
Dr. Gene Stebbins/JMC Alumni Council Scholarship
James M. Sutherland Scholarship
William Sledzik Scholarship
Trudy and Allen Goodkin Scholarship
Robert K. Shaul Scholarship
Ralph C. Darrow Award
E. Zoe McCathrin Public Relations Scholarship
David A. Meeker Endowed Scholarship
PRSSA Fellowship Award
Ludel Sauvageot Scholarship
Ada and Roger Fidler Scholarship
Jeff Fruit Journalism Scholarship
Lloyd W. Hanson and Harvey E. Rahn Endowed Scholarship
William H. Oliver Fellowship in Public Affairs
JMC Alumni Council Legacy Endowed Scholarship
Paula Slimak Scholarship in Journalism and Mass Communication
Wallace H. and Peggy V. Stroud Endowed Scholarship
Loris Troyer Scholarship
Nancy E. Whitehead Journalism Scholarship
Dr. Richard M. Uray Broadcasting Endowed Scholarship
Dennis G. Cipriany Endowed Scholarship in Journalism and Mass Communication
The James and Barbera A. Vargo Scholarship for Investigative Journalism
Below are other opportunities for MDJ students, but they are not administered by the School of Media and Journalism and are not part of the MDJ application process. Application due dates for some scholarships begin in January so be sure to use the links below to find application instructions and deadlines.
AAF-Cleveland. AAF-Cleveland awards scholarships to junior and senior students studying communications, marketing, advertising, graphic design, digital media, public relations, journalism and more. Apply at the AAF-Cleveland site.
AAF-Akron. AAF-Akron awards scholarships to junior and senior students studying communications, marketing, advertising, graphic design, digital media, public relations, journalism and more. Apply at the AAF-Akron site.
Ohio News Media Association Scholarships for journalism, advertising, marketing and communication students. Apply at the ONMA website.
Cleveland Association of Broadcasters Scholarship. Awarded to sophomores and juniors enrolled in a major related to broadcasting, journalism, media, communication, advertising, etc., from Carroll, Cuyahoga, Geauga, Lake, Lorain, Medina, Portage, Stark or Summit counties. Apply at the CAB Cleveland site..
College of Communication and Information (CCI) Study Abroad Scholarships. For CCI students taking a Study Abroad course. Learn more about Study Abroad scholarships.
The John S. Knight Scholarships. The John S. Knight Scholarships are awarded by the Akron Press Club and are open to all journalism students at Kent State University, Akron University, Hiram College and any local journalism student studying out of state. Apply at the Knight Scholars website.
David A. Meeker Akron Area PRSA Scholarship. The Akron Area Chapter of the Public Relations Society of America awards one outstanding student the David A. Meeker Scholarship. Apply at the Akron PRSA site.
The National Association of Black Journalists The National Association of Black Journalists will award two scholarships to undergraduate or graduate students with at least one year left in school. Deadline for application is February 28.Apply at the NABJ site.
