Start with your enrollment stage, intended career and actual contribution to the work. Reporting a story, shooting footage, writing a script and editing a package are different roles. Reviewers need to understand what you did, especially in a collaborative production.
The two official providers below also use different application models. RTDNA requires you to choose one scholarship or fellowship; BEA uses one application to consider you for all eligible scholarships. Confusing those rules could waste an opportunity or cause disqualification.
Time-sensitive: This guide was checked October 15, 2026. BEA’s published deadline is October 16, 2026, and RTDNA’s is October 22, 2026. Exact cutoff times were not verified. Check the current provider forms immediately and treat these as historical cycles after their deadlines. (Sources: beaweb.org, rtdna.org)
Compare the two provider routes
| Route | Benefits and examples | Main eligibility distinction | Application timing/model |
|---|---|---|---|
| RTDNA Foundation student scholarships | Named awards vary, including Ed Bradley $10,000, Presidents $2,500 each, Bob Horner $2,500 and several $1,000–$2,000 routes | Broadcast/digital journalism career; qualifying full-time spring enrollment; some named restrictions | September 9–October 22, 2026; select one opportunity only |
| BEA electronic-media scholarships | Posted awards $1,000–$4,000, including radio/audio and graduate routes | Generally junior/senior/graduate study at a BEA member institution; transfer route stated | October 16, 2026; one application, automatic consideration for eligible awards |
RTDNA’s named awards have their own geographic, institution, identity or practice-focus conditions. BEA’s institutional membership requirement is not the same as a requirement to buy individual student membership. (Sources: rtdna.org, rtdna.org, beaweb.org)
1. RTDNA scholarships: choose the one you genuinely fit
RTDNA’s scholarships support college students pursuing radio, television or digital journalism. The general guidance calls for full-time sophomore-or-higher enrollment in good standing for the upcoming spring award period. Most awards target undergraduates, but the provider identifies specific graduate-eligible routes. (Sources: rtdna.org, rtdna.org)
You do not need RTDNA membership or a particular journalism/media major under the general FAQ. You do need a genuine electronic/broadcast journalism career direction and the additional requirements of the selected award. The current page says applicants study or work in the United States; noncitizens need a U.S. Taxpayer Identification Number under its FAQ. (Sources: rtdna.org, rtdna.org)
Examples of named student awards
| Scholarship | Posted amount | Important distinction |
|---|---|---|
| Bob Horner | $2,500 | Undergraduate journalism/communication students; priority for broadcast/video journalism benefiting the public |
| Carole Simpson | $2,000 | Eligible sophomore/junior/senior journalism-career students of color |
| Ed Bradley | $10,000 | Eligible sophomore/junior/senior journalism-career students of color |
| Presidents | Two awards of $2,500 | Eligible sophomore/junior/senior journalism-career students |
| Lou & Carole Prato Sports Reporting | $1,000 | Journalism student applying the award’s values to sports coverage |
| Mike Reynolds | $1,000 | Journalism dedication, writing/academic strengths and demonstrated financial need |
| Dr. Marsha Della Giustina | $2,000 | Undergraduate/graduate broadcast or multimedia journalism students at U.S. colleges/universities |
These amounts and distinctions come from the provider’s individual entries. The shared rules still matter; a named description is not a waiver of enrollment or award-period conditions. (Source: rtdna.org)
Other examples are explicitly narrower: David Louie’s $2,000 award is restricted to Northwestern/Medill students, with an Asian American preference; the George Foreman/Lyndon B. Johnson $6,000 route is for University of Texas at Austin students; and the Pete Wilson $2,000 route requires being from or studying in the San Francisco Bay Area. (Source: rtdna.org)
Do not apply to the largest amount before checking fit. A school restriction is not a loose preference, while a stated preference should not be rewritten as an absolute exclusion.
Next action: Compare your profile with the official RTDNA award entries, then choose one. The provider warns that applying for more than one opportunity causes disqualification.
RTDNA’s current application package
The application opened September 9, 2026 and is due October 22, 2026. Recipients are notified in December 2026 and invited to Washington, D.C., in March 2027 for the First Amendment Awards and professional development, with travel and lodging support described by the provider. (Source: rtdna.org)
The listed materials include:
- Contact and experience information.
- Three to five work-sample URLs for broadcast or online news pieces, hosted on accessible services such as YouTube, Vimeo or SoundCloud.
- A cover letter discussing experience, intended use of funds and journalism career choice.
- A résumé.
- A recommendation from a professor, advisor or supervisor. (Source: rtdna.org)
The FAQ also discusses transcript submission using the most recently completed semester and special instructions for incoming graduate students. Read the live form’s complete checklist instead of assuming the main-page list is exhaustive. (Source: rtdna.org)
Application materials should be in English; non-English work samples need a translation. The recommender supplies a PDF or Word letter to the applicant for upload under the FAQ instructions. Supplemental files should retain complete URLs in text because embedded hyperlinks may not download correctly. (Source: rtdna.org)
Credit your work so judges can evaluate it
RTDNA’s judging guidance explicitly values descriptions of off-camera contributions such as writing, shooting and editing. For each collaborative sample, identify your role and collaborators without claiming the entire package as solely yours. (Source: rtdna.org)
A concise sample note might explain that you reported and scripted a piece while a classmate operated the camera and another edited it. Use that structure only if accurate. Do not invent ratings, audience reach, public impact or awards to make a classroom story sound professional.
Choose samples that demonstrate reporting and editorial judgment. Explain verification, source selection or story structure when the prompt permits, rather than merely list equipment. Written digital journalism can qualify under the FAQ; not every sample has to be a television clip. (Source: rtdna.org)
Graduate students, December graduates and professionals
RTDNA’s FAQ identifies three graduate-eligible scholarships: Dr. Marsha Della Giustina, David Louie for qualifying Northwestern students and Pete Wilson for qualifying Bay Area applicants. A December senior graduating before the spring award period is not eligible for a student scholarship under the FAQ. (Source: rtdna.org)
Professional fellowships are separate from student awards. They target working broadcast/digital journalists, with experience limits and named conditions. The overview says “less than 10 years,” while the FAQ says “10 years or fewer”; an applicant exactly at ten years should ask which wording controls. (Sources: rtdna.org, rtdna.org)
Do not count professional fellowships as general undergraduate tuition scholarships. Nor should a former recipient assume another scholarship is allowed: the FAQ prohibits a second student scholarship, while a past scholarship winner may later qualify for a fellowship. (Source: rtdna.org)
2. BEA scholarships: verify your institution, not just your student account
The Broadcast Education Association describes scholarships for students who will be juniors, seniors or graduate students at BEA member institutions when funding is distributed. Students transferring from two-year institutions to BEA four-year institutions are eligible to apply for undergraduate awards under the posted description. (Sources: beaweb.org, beaweb.org)
Institutional membership is the important general condition. Individual undergraduate or graduate student membership is not required to receive an award, although applicants must create a profile/account. Full-time undergraduates at member schools can obtain complimentary membership codes through faculty or BEA. (Source: beaweb.org)
Do not buy a personal membership assuming it makes a nonmember school eligible. Check the institution’s status through the provider and ask about any specialized exception.
One application, several eligible awards
BEA automatically considers applicants for awards for which they qualify. Unlike RTDNA, you do not choose a single named scholarship and submit separate forms for others. The posted deadline is October 16, 2026, notifications are expected mid-December 2026, and funds are awarded summer 2027 for the 2027–2028 academic year. (Sources: beaweb.org, beaweb.org)
This payment timing matters if you graduate before that academic year or need money for a bill immediately. Ask about your actual enrollment at distribution, not just your status today.
BEA award examples by focus
The provider lists general electronic-media awards, including Richard Eaton $4,000, Peter B. Orlik $3,500, and Edward O. Fritts/Bob Freeman $1,000 each. Vincent T. Wasilewski is a $4,000 graduate-only route. (Source: beaweb.org)
For radio/audio media, it lists three Abe Voron awards of $3,500 each and one John Bayliss award of $4,000. These fit a different focus from an award specifically assessing news reporting. (Source: beaweb.org)
The Library of American Broadcasting Foundation award is $3,000, graduate-only and focused on broadcast history/media heritage scholarship. Its individual entry says accredited institutions, preferably BEA-affiliated, while the general page requires member institutions. A nonmember-school graduate applicant should obtain clarification rather than assume the broader special entry overrides the general rule. A thesis/dissertation proposal abstract is requested, not a full dissertation. (Source: beaweb.org)
Next action: Check BEA’s official page and linked current application immediately. The application portal did not yield readable content in this research pass, so the complete current form requirements and exact cutoff time are not verified here. Do not substitute an older checklist for the live form without confirmation.
Prepare samples and private information responsibly
Test every work-sample link outside your own account. Confirm playback, captions/translations when required and any permissions to share employer or team work. Do not expose confidential sources, unpublished identifying records or private contact details simply to demonstrate reporting access.
Keep a clear distinction between published work, a class exercise, a production role and a proposed project. A polished edit cannot replace accurate credits. For a research-focused award, use the requested scholarly material rather than force a news reel into an unrelated prompt.
Avoid sending government identification or tax details through a third-party directory or ordinary public comment. Use the legitimate application process and provide sensitive material only when appropriately required.
Compare funding with the actual education budget
List tuition, fees, books, equipment, software, transport and living costs separately. Ask what the particular scholarship pays, when it arrives and how it interacts with institutional aid. Do not apply fellowship expense rules to a student scholarship by analogy.
RTDNA’s supported Washington event and BEA’s complimentary convention registration are additional program benefits, not evidence that every travel expense is covered. Confirm the scope before booking. Neither benefit guarantees an internship, job or unrestricted annual income. (Sources: rtdna.org, beaweb.org)
Frequently asked questions
Do I have to study journalism?
RTDNA’s general FAQ says a particular major is not required if you pursue the relevant career, but named awards can be narrower. BEA includes broader electronic-media study, subject to its institutional and stage conditions. (Sources: rtdna.org, beaweb.org)
Can I apply to every named award?
RTDNA says choose one opportunity; multiple applications disqualify you. BEA says submit one application for automatic consideration across eligible awards. These rules are deliberately different. (Sources: rtdna.org, beaweb.org)
Do radio applicants need video samples?
RTDNA accepts radio/broadcast and online news samples, including hosted audio and written digital work under its FAQ. Follow the selected award’s current form rather than invent a video-only rule. (Sources: rtdna.org, rtdna.org)
What should I do first?
Because the deadlines are close, check eligibility and the live form immediately. Choose the correct RTDNA award or confirm your BEA institution and stage, then complete documents and test samples. After the published deadlines, monitor a new official call rather than assume an annual extension.
