The English Department is proud to offer numerous forms of support for its undergraduate students and to recognize exceptional accomplishments in various forms of academic and creative work. Below, you can find information about scholarships, prizes, and grants specifically designated for declared English majors. Typically, these prizes and scholarships are awarded in the spring semester.
Important Deadlines
* Scholarships: Sunday, February 25, 11:59 p.m.
* Writing Prizes: Sunday, February 25, 11:59 p.m.
English students are also encouraged to look more broadly at both University-wide and national or international scholarships to support their education. More information about these further funding opportunities are available via Wisconsin Scholarship Hub and the Grants Information Library. Students can also consult the undergraduate advisor about how to best prepare these applications.
Congratulations to our 2023 scholarship and writing prize winners
Department Scholarships
Numerous scholarships, varying in number and amount, are awarded to students majoring in English who have distinguished themselves through their academic achievements and through service to the college or community. Beginning in 2011, with a generous gift from a member of the English Department Board of Visitors, we are also now able to offer a deserving student a need-based scholarship. As of 2017, we are also offering a scholarship to a deserving First Generation College Student.
Submission Guidelines
- The deadline for scholarship applications is in February of each academic year
- Please go to: https://wisc.academicworks.com/. If you have not yet used WiSH (UW-Wisconsin Scholarship Hub) You must first complete the “General Application.” This includes 10 simple questions that result in activating a student dashboard. Then click on the “Opportunities/Recommended” tab on the upper left side of the screen. The application(s) that you are eligible for will then appear on your student dashboard for completion. Click on the appropriate application card to move into the specific application.
Eligibility
In order to be eligible for these department scholarships, students must have:
- Declared the English major
- Junior or senior standing (a level of 3 or 4 which equates to 54 credits or more)
- Completed at least 4 courses in the major
- A cumulative GPA of 3.0 or higher
List of Scholarships
The following scholarships are available to undergraduate English majors:
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Helen Black Bennett Memorial Scholarship
Established by the donor, Penelope G. Sticha, in honor of her mother, in 1994.
Mary Brabyn Wackman Scholarships
Established by Charline M. Wackman, a graduate of the University of Wisconsin in 1961, in honor of her mother, Mark Brabyn Wackman. Awards are based on academic merit and given to English maors who are “bonafide Wisconsin residents specializing in literature.”
Vivian Mowry English Scholarships
Funded through a trust established in 1963 by Vivian Mowry, a 1910 graduate of the University of Wisconsin. Awards are made to English majors on the basis of “scholastic proficiency and active participation in campus activities.”
Dorothy Classen Urish Scholarship
Established by Jack Urish, a former English major at UW-Madison, in honor of his mother Dorothy, who was an English teacher in Stoughton, WI. The donor wishes to offer financial support toward the academic success of a senior English major.
English Undergraduate Scholarship
Established by Thomas J. and Barbara A. Johnson. It is awarded to an undergraduate English major who has shown how this award can support his or her academic success.
Lila Hicks Furber Scholarship
Established in 1995 by Lila Hicks Furber, who graduated with a degree in English from the University of Wisconsin-Madison in 1926. After graduation, Lila became a teacher.
Ineva Baldwin-Helen C. White Award
Present to senior women majoring in the Humanities who exemplify the sterling character of Helen C. White, a great teacher and scholar in the Department of English at the University of Wisconsin, on the basis of academic standing and a deep interest in the life of the community. Donor Ineva Baldwin felt that recipients should have demonstrated their interest in sharing their humanistic culture with their families and community.
First Generation College Student Scholarship
Recognizes the strength, commitment, and perspective of First Generation English majors. The English Department Scholarship is awarded on the basis of academic merit and an appreciation of the contributions First Generation students make in the classroom, the department, the university, and the wider community.
Mary Ellen Williams Golby Scholarship
This scholarship goes to an outstanding women-identified English major who is from a historically marginalized group.
Jeffrey Allen Steele Memorial Scholarship
This scholarship is awarded to support a deserving English major or majors with a preference for those studying American Literature.
Cyrena Pondrom Scholarship
This award was established by Julie Bogle who graduated from UW-Madison in 1985 with a BA, majoring in both English and History. While an undergrad, she was a student of Prof. Cyrena Pondrom, who taught modern English literature. Julie was fortunate enough to work with Prof. Pondrom on an independent study project focused on Virginia Woolf. It was a transformative experience. Being exposed to someone as brilliant and insightful as Prof. Pondrom was both intimidating and deeply enriching, truly a life-changing experience. After working in publishing for several years, Julie went on to attend UW Law School, graduating in 1999. Fifth of six children, Julie could afford to attend UW Madison as an undergrad only because she was given the Mary Brabyn Wackman Scholarship. She is happy to have the ability, through the UW Foundation, to provide a similar opportunity to young English majors today, and to honor the woman who had such a deep influence on her future.
List of Writing Prizes
The following writing prizes are available to undergraduates:
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James T. Lewis Prizes
Established in 1968 and awarded annually for the two best essays written by first-year students in an English Department course (Creative writing courses are excluded.) Each award is $125.
William F. Vilas Prizes
Established by Anna M. Vilas in 1912 and awarded annually for the two best essays written by undergraduates in English 245 or 300 – level and above English courses. The awards are $200 for the best essay and $100 for the second best essay.
The Standish Henning Shakespeare Prize
Established by Professor Andrew Weiner (emeritus) in recognition of his teacher and colleague Professor Standish Henning (emeritus). Awarded for the best essay written by an undergraduate in one of the English Department’s upper-level Shakespeare courses, 431 or 432. The award is $100
English 100 Writing Awards
The English 100 program offers a variety of writing awards to students who either are currently enrolled in or have recently complete the course. More information can be found on the program website.
Creative Writing Contests
The Creative Writing program awards numerous prizes for poetry and short fiction written by undergraduates. More information can be found on the awards section of their website.
Outstanding Creative Media Project Award
The award recognizes the outstanding use of creative media to express ideas in unique ways, to re-imagine the work of English studies in English classes, and to take advantage of the affordances of emerging media. Projects winning this award demonstrate an understanding of how creative media allow for novel modes of expression, communication, and persuasion. The award is $125.
Data Analysis Award
This award recognizes an outstanding written project based on the collection and analysis of original data in a 300-level or above English major course. The data may include surveys, linguistic data, or the quantitative analysis of digitized texts. The award is $125.
Mary Ellen Williams Golby Essay Award
This $500 prize is awarded for the best essay or project by an English major that focuses on social justice, antiracism, or anti-ableism. The essay or project must be from a UW-Madison English course, and the applicant must be a woman-identified person.
McMywnn WIlliams Senior Thesis Award
This $1000 award is given to a student(s) for a senior thesis chapter that demonstrates exceptional writing and analytical skills.