General Application Info

Guide to Applying for HWA Scholarships

The submission window for all scholarships (excluding the Scholarship from Hell) is August 1 to October 1.

Other information you need to know:

  • The Scholarships are open to all applicants. Membership in HWA is not a requirement.
  • The Scholarship Sub-Committee will focus primarily on the applicant’s Education Plan, but they may also consider: the quality and potential shown in each applicants’ written work to date; the likelihood that the applicant’s career would benefit from further writing education; the likelihood that the applicant is committed to the horror genre; the likelihood that the applicant will contribute to the development of the genre, including increasing and/or broadening our readership; the applicant’s financial need; and the broad interests of the HWA and the horror genre.
  • The HWA and Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley Scholarships are worth $2500. The Dennis Etchison Young Writers Scholarship is worth $500, the Diversity Grants are worth $500 (for up to 4), and the Young Adults Write Now Endowments are worth $250 each (for up to 5). The Dark Poetry Scholarship is worth $1,250. The Rocky Wood Memorial Scholarship for Nonfiction Writing and The Scholarship From Hell offer flexible amounts, depending on the year.
  • The winners of each Scholarship (except the Young Adults Write Now Endowment Program and The Scholarship From Hell) have two years in which to spend the funds, which may be allocated to enhance their professional horror writing career on such things as – Course fees for physical or online writing courses; Resources such as textbooks, Guides, etc.; Registration fees for writing festivals that include relevant presentations; Registration fees for one horror genre convention per year; Subscription fees to appropriate periodicals; etc. Certain exclusions also apply. MAY NOT BE USED FOR COLLEGE TUITION (except in the case of the Dennis Etchison Young Writers Scholarship)!
  • The scholarships will open in June and close in August (exact dates will be determined each year and posted on the front page). PLEASE NOTE: Applications will close to submission at 12:00 am EST on the deadline date.
  • All applicants must use the online application forms, filling in all sections and uploading the documents requested. Failure to include any information may invalidate the entry
  • The winners will be announced around November 1 (except for The Scholarship From Hell, which will be announced at a different time).
  • This is an Annual Program of Scholarships; however the sub-committee is empowered not to award any of the Scholarships in any given year if the quality of the applicants and their submissions is deemed insufficient.
  • There are a set of Rules that govern the Scholarships, below. We suggest you read them carefully before submitting your application.
  • Applicants needs to show an active interest in writing horror/dark fiction or poetry, as the case may be.
  • Questions can be addressed to [email protected]. However, please review the below rules carefully or visit our FAQ first, since your questions can probably be answered here!
  • One of our Scholarship Committee members have prepared an article discussing some of the reasons that applications are rejected – we highly recommend reading this before you apply! CLICK HERE.