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School of Journalism and New Media
University of Mississippi

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Everything you need to know about applying for scholarships from the UM School of Journalism and New Media

Posted on: December 3rd, 2020 by ldrucker

If you’d like to attend the University of Mississippi School of Journalism and New Media, but you want to apply for scholarships to help fund your education, we’ve created a Q & A that will help you navigate the scholarship application process.

School leaders say you don’t have to be a straight A student to apply for some of our scholarships. We have multiple scholarships designed for a variety of students. So read the information below provided by former Assistant Dean Jennifer Simmons and Associate Dean Debora Wenger to learn why you should apply.

Q. Some students don’t really understand how the scholarship process works. If you are a new or existing student who wants to apply for a scholarship, what steps should you take? Do you apply for individual scholarships, or do you just submit one application from our website?

A. New students to the university must submit the Special Programs and Scholarships Application (SPSA) for consideration for university-level scholarships and school-level scholarships. The School of Journalism and New Media has a tab within the SPSA for students who are interested in applying for scholarships for students majoring in journalism or IMC.

This application covers it all. Students do not have to apply for individual scholarships. The priority deadline for the SPSA is Jan. 5, with a final deadline of Feb. 15. Currently enrolled or continuing students must complete the .pdf application located at the JNM site. The deadline for this application is Feb. 15.

scholarship

scholarship

Q. What happens after you submit the application? How and when are the scholarships awarded? When will you be notified if you are selected for one? How are the selections made?

A. After the application is submitted, the Scholarship Committee within the School of Journalism and New Media will review the applications and make recommendations for awards. Reviews usually begin after Feb. 1. The committee completes a holistic review of each application received. Factors include, but are not limited to, standardized test score, GPA, journalistic or IMC involvement/experience, hometown/county, and high school.

Students who are awarded a scholarship through the School of Journalism and New Media must be admitted or enrolled in the Bachelor’s of Journalism or IMC degree program and will be notified by the Financial Aid office after April 1.

Q. Do you think there are some students who may be missing out on scholarship opportunities because they didn’t fill out an application? What would you say to encourage them to apply?

A. I think there is a misconception that you have to be a 4.0 student to receive a scholarship, and that’s just not true. We have multiple scholarships based on whether you are studying journalism or IMC, or if you’re from Mississippi, or if you are already working in the fields of IMC or journalism through internships or jobs. We encourage you to check out the list of scholarships we have available to see if you are eligible.

Q. If there is someone out there who would like to establish a scholarship in the name of someone else for our school, how would they do that?

A. We know there are people out there who believe in quality journalism and responsible integrated marketing communications, and we would welcome their help in supporting students who are pursuing those careers. We have a number of existing scholarships, including the Curtis Wilkie Scholarship for journalism students, the Robin Street Public Relations Student Support Fund and the Talbert Fellows Fund, which supports both journalism and IMC students, just to name a few. And, of course, we are always open to new ideas for scholarships, so please get in touch if we can help you support our students.

You can email Associate Dean Debora Wenger at drwenger@olemiss.edu if you are interested in establishing a scholarship at our school. Visit our scholarship page to learn more.