2019 English Department Scholarships/Awards
The application deadline for all awards is Monday, March 25, 2019, at 10 p.m.
The English Department scholarship and awards application process is fully online. All application materials, including completed application forms and your essays, poems or stories, must be uploaded electronically onto Canvas. Do NOT turn in paper copies of your awards materials and do NOT email them to the department administrator.
NOTE: If you are having trouble accessing the Canvas pages for individual awards, check your email inbox to see if you’ve received an invitation to join the Canvas Awards pages. If you haven’t, write from your Montclair State University email address for help to either of the Awards co-coordinators, Professor Wendy Nielsen or Professor Jeff Gonzalez. Contact Professor David Galef with any creative writing queries. They can send you an invitation to join the Canvas group for the Awards.
To apply for an individual scholarship or award, just click on one of the links below. You will be taken to a Canvas page that contains an application form with instructions on how to apply and a place to upload your application materials. For a full list of the awards visit Canvas.
Please review the Frequently Asked Questions about the scholarships and awards process before completing your application(s).
Undergraduate Scholarships and Awards
- The Frank G. McGuire Scholarship for a full-time undergraduate English major with at least 3.2 cumulative GPA. Graduating seniors are not eligible. $2100 towards tuition and fees.
- The Bessie Saslaw Solomon Memorial Scholarship for an English major who has shown a commitment to making a difference in the lives of people in the community. Possible activities could include, but are not limited to, tutoring those who cannot read or who are learning English as a second language; bringing the beauty of the English language to the community in some way; organizing others to do these or other projects. Particular consideration is given to students interested in teaching. Students must have a minimum GPA of 3.0 overall and 3.5 in the major. (If two students meet these criteria, the scholarship may be divided equally between them.) Graduating seniors are not eligible. $650 towards tuition and fees.
- The Shari Kandell Scholarship for a female part-time student, employed (at least 20 hours per week), English major, and evening student. Must have at least a 3.0 GPA. Graduating seniors are not eligible. $1375 towards tuition and fees.
- Four Creative Writing Awards:
1) The Johnny Muller Memorial Scholarship in Fiction. $1000
2) The Tom Benediktsson Award for Poetry. $200
3) The Carter Ross Flash Fiction Award. $200
4) The English Department Award for Creative Nonfiction. $200 - The W. Leonard Newman Award for excellence in writing about film. $250
- English Department Teacher Education Award for an outstanding undergraduate English Education student who has met all requirements for acceptance into the English Education Program. $300
- W. Bernard Fleischmann Memorial Award for an English major who has shown excellence in the study of the humanities. $150
- The Anthony Lovasco Shakespeare Award for an English major who has shown excellence in Shakespeare studies. $150
- Elizabeth Dean Eler Memorial Award for an outstanding essay by an undergraduate student focusing on poetry. $300. (This award was created by Barbara Eler in celebration of her mother, Elizabeth Dean Eler, a graduate of Montclair State in 1940, a dedicated high school teacher and poetry enthusiast.)
- The Janet Holt Award for an undergraduate English major with a GPA of 3.2 or above. $500
Scholarships and Awards for Undergraduates or Graduate Students
- The Murray Prosky Prize in Irish Literature for an outstanding paper on Irish literature written by an undergraduate or graduate student. $100
- The Vivien L. Kwiatek Scholarship for an outstanding undergraduate English major or graduate student. This scholarship is determined based on both a student’s academic achievement and financial need. Graduating seniors are not eligible. Please note: students applying for the Kwiatek must have submitted a FAFSA form to financial aid before March 15th. $8600 towards tuition and fees.
Graduate Scholarships and Awards
These awards are granted to students enrolled in the Montclair State University English MA program who are in the advanced stages of study but still have at least one semester of full-time enrollment remaining. (Winners may not be G.A.s with tuition waiver for the same semester in which the award will be applied.)
Graduate students applying for one of these scholarships should submit a paper written for a graduate class in English at Montclair State, typed in MLA format, subject to the conditions described in question #11 of the FAQ, with cover sheet as described in the application form.
- The Mary Bondon Graduate Scholarship for an outstanding graduate student who intends to pursue a career in teaching English at the high school or college level. Students must have eight or more credits remaining in MA program. $2700 towards tuition and fees.
- The Lawrence H. Conrad Memorial Scholarship for an outstanding student who is writing a thesis in American Literature. Students must have five or more credits remaining in MA program. $1585 towards tuition and fees.