International creative writing scholarships

Do you want to let your imagination run wild by enrolling in a creative writing program? The cost of tuition at a prestigious university can be daunting. Take a look at this list of scholarships for creative writing that are available all across the globe, divided by nation.

Please note that this page is updated yearly, and because the sponsors or institutions that open these scholarships may often change the period in which they accept applications, we may not keep up with these updates due to the volume of scholarships we publish here. Therefore, this page is basically intended to show you the endless opportunities you have to get a scholarship to study anywhere in the world. Simply click on the link to the scholarship you want to check the deadline for on the official website. Or click here to access our list of current scholarships. 

To study in the UK

• The Birkbeck University of London Sophie Warne Fellowships – One fee reduction scholarship award of £1,750 is available for an outstanding student admitted to the MA Creative Writing program at the university. Home/EU students admitted to this course can also apply for the Aitken Alexander Associates Scholarship and the Kit de Waal Scholarship.
• Queen’s University Belfast Seamus Heaney Centre for Poetry – A bursary scholarship of £10,000 is available for an international student studying an MA in Poetry at the university. There is also a £5,000 bursary scholarship available for a UK or Irish student studying a full-time MA in Creative Writing or Drama.
• Manchester Writing School at Manchester Metropolitan University Joyce Nield Scholarship – One scholarship is available for an outstanding student from a non-UK Commonwealth country to study an MFA or MA in Creative Writing at the university.
• Sarah Quinn BAME Writing Scholarship at Curtis Brown Creative – One fully paid scholarship is available for a talented BAME (Black, Asian, or Minority Ethnic) student to study Curtis Brown Creative’s Writing YA and Children’s Fiction course. As part of your application, you’ll need to send the first 3,000 words of a novel in progress, plus a synopsis.
• University of East Anglia School of Literature, Drama and Creative Writing Postgraduate scholarships – Various creative writing scholarships available to study, are in Creative Writing at the school.
• the University of Edinburgh William Hunter Sharpe Memorial Scholarship – A merit-based scholarship available to postgraduate students who have been accepted to study an   MSc in Creative Writing or Playwriting.

To study in the US

• Columbia College Chicago – Various creative writing scholarships are available for students at all study levels to study at the college. (Simply select ‘Creative Writing’ from the ‘program of our  box to view them.)
• Chatham University – Various assistantships and fellowships are available to study an MFA in Creative Writing at the university.
• Mystery Writers of America Helen McCloy Scholarship – Two US$500 scholarships are available for aspiring mystery writers (who must be US citizens or permanent residents) to offset the costs of a creative writing workshop, seminar, full-time study, or university course.
• Penguin Annual Signet Classic Scholarship Essay Contest – Five creative writing scholarships are available for US high school seniors and juniors to further their education. To enter this year’s competition you’ll need to write an essay on a topic related to a novel.
• Pine Manor College MFA in Creative Writing – Various creative writing scholarships to study at the college, including the need-based ‘Writers Helping Writers’ scholarships and the Jacqueline Woodson Fellowship, awarded to a student of African or Caribbean descent.
• Sierra Nevada College MFA in Creative Writing scholarships – Merit- and need-based creative writing scholarships are available to study at the college.
• UCLA Extension Phyllis Gebauer Scholarship in Writing – Up to six scholarships are available annually to study a writing program at UCLA Extension. Only US citizens or eligible green card holders can apply.
• University of Washington Department of English – Various creative writing scholarships are available at all study levels, including some aimed at current undergraduate or graduate students from any subject.
• Ursinus College Creative Writing Award – An annual $33,000 award is available for ‘creative writers of outstanding originality and potential’ to study at this liberal arts college in Pennsylvania.

To study in Canada

• University of Guelph Graduate Scholarships – Various scholarships are available to study an MFA in Creative Writing at the university, most of which are open to both domestic and international students.
• Western University Faculty of Arts and Humanities – Awards include the Lillian Kroll Prize in Creative Writing, which awards CA$375 to an undergraduate student who shows a developing talent in creative writing. Canadian students can also apply for the Marguerite R. Dow Canadian Heritage Award.

To study in Australia and New Zealand

• National Library of Australia Creative Arts Fellowship for Australian Writing – A fellowship of AU$10,000 is available for an Australian student who is undertaking a writing project to study a residency at the library for a minimum of four weeks.
• Victoria University of Wellington International Institute of Modern Letters – Various creative writing scholarships to study at the university, mainly at the master’s level.

Multi-country scholarships

• The Reedsy National Creative Writing Scholarship – A scholarship of US$1,000 is available for a student from the US, Canada, or Australia who is currently enrolled in (or accepted for) a program in one of the same three countries. To apply you will need to submit the first chapter of an original novel.
• This is a Writing Creative Writing Scholarship – A writing contest with a prize of up to US$400, available for students currently studying a creative writing course in the US, UK, Australia, New Zealand, or Canada at any study level.