Scholarships and Funding
Paying for College
Explore scholarship opportunities available at the University of Delaware, the state of Delaware, and external organizations that support communications professions. The Department of Communication encourages students to visit Student Financial Services for more funding resources, linked below. Contact your advisor for specific questions.
Departmental Scholarships
The Adi Patel Memorial Scholarship was established in memory of Adi Patel, supervisor of ITV Operations in Information Technologies/Media Services at the time of his death in 1997. The fund supports communication majors who desire to take a leadership role in the news and public affairs department of the Student Television Network (STN) or campus radio station WVUD.
Each year, the Department of Communication presents awards to two UD students. This selection process is completed during the spring semester. For submission deadline information, email comm-staff@udel.edu or call 302-831-8041:
- One award in the amount of $1,500 per semester to a student involved with STN; and
- One award in the amount of $750 per semester to a student involved with WVUD.
Criteria
- Applicants must be a sophomore, junior or senior. They must have worked at least one prior semester with STN/WVUD.
- Applicants must demonstrate leadership, academic ability and interest in news and public service programming.
- Applicants must have a proven record of commitment to and promise of continued involvement with STN/WVUD news and public affairs departments.
Application Process
- Students interested in this scholarship should complete a scholarship application. In addition, on a subsequent page tell us your vision for STN/WVUD news and public affairs department, and your future career plans.
- In addition, provide the names and contact information of 2 references who can speak to your character, academic performance, integrity and interest in Public Affairs TV/Radio Programming.
Journalism Minor Awards and Scholarships
Honoring the highest standards of journalism
The E.A. Nickerson Award of $300, established in 1990 through gifts from E.A. Nickerson and others who wished to contribute to the award in his name, is given to the student who, in the opinion of the journalism faculty, has exhibited the highest standards of journalism. The top two editors of The Review are ineligible.
'Knowledge better than ignorance, openness better than secrecy'
Edward "Nick" Nickerson was known for his "boos" and "bouquets," notes to students that offered guidance and support.
Edward "Nick" Nickerson is one of the founding fathers of UD's journalism program.
Nickerson arrived on campus in 1970 as a lecturer in the Department of English.
"That was a big deal to me," he told a reporter from The Review when he retired in 1991, "until I found out that's what they made people who hadn't finished their dissertations."
So finish it he did, and in 1973, led by Nickerson and fueled in part by the Watergate hearings, journalism became a concentration. The program became a minor in 2007.
Nickerson knew he was headed for a journalism career. He started as a freshman, working on his college paper at Dartmouth. But when World War II erupted, he had to put journalism, and his college education, on hold.
He told The Review reporter that at 18, he successfully enlisted in the U.S. Army thanks to some legerdemain, a little slight of hand at the weight scales. He was 6 feet tall, and on the slight side, he said, which meant he might not meet the weight guideline. So he stooped enough to be measured at "5-9 and a quarter"; at that height, his 129 pounds were good enough.
Then came the mountains of Italy
A Review story on Edward Nickerson's war experiences was part of a Veterans Day package in 1991.
Nickerson was assigned to the 10th Mountain Division, which saw combat in World War II for only four months, but its casualty count was among the highest.
Nickerson arrived in Italy with a unit of 42 men. He was one of only two to survive.
As he told UD professor McKay Jenkins in "The Last Ridge: The Epic Story of America's First Mountain Soldiers," no amount of training can prepare a soldier for the battlefield:
"Many men will remember their first hours in combat more clearly than anything that happens for the rest of their days, especially if this moment comes at night. Mine came at the top of a mountain, amid dark pine trees and patches of snow blackened by explosives and reeking sharply of cordite. Cordite is a stench I had never smelled before and have smelled rarely since, and I actually confused it, in my extraordinary ignorance, with the smell of dead bodies. There were also a few dead Germans in slit trenches, but their characteristic smell - of sweaty leather belts and other leather gear, and heavy, unwashed, woolen uniforms - must have been overwhelmed by the stink of cordite. In the cold, they did not smell of decomposition that first night. It's the cordite I remember, strange and penetrating and frightening."
Despite such horrors, years later Nickerson told The Review that everyone who served "felt we had to do something to make (WWII) the last big war."
After the war, he returned to Dartmouth, finished his degree and eventually went to work for the Associated Press in Baltimore. Editing his co-workers stories made him realize that what he really wanted to do was teach, he told The Review.
In a farewell column in The Review, Nickerson wrote that "despite all the flaws of journalism, printing the news is worthwhile, for the simple reason that knowledge is better than ignorance, openness better than secrecy and light better than darkness."
As Nickerson often said, "Keep the faith."
Honoring the best of The Review
The C.A. Tilghman Sr. Journalistic Award of $1,000, established through his gift in 1992, goes to the two best articles or series of articles published by The Review, the university's independent student newspaper, during the academic year. Entries can be of any genre (news, features, sports, enterprise) and may be double-bylined.
To submit an article or series for consideration, either your own work or work you admire, send your nomination to comm-staff@udel.edu. Please put "Tilghman award nominee" in the subject line. Nominations must include a link to the work and a cover letter that explains any special circumstances surrounding the story (a tight deadline, difficult sources, resourcefulness in reporting) and its significance, including any changes or results the article brought about.
Deadline: 5 p.m. the day after the spring semester's final edition of The Review.
An Oxford man — and a newspaper reporter
Cornelius Alfred Tilghman started his journalism career on the University of Delaware campus, and not in a small way.
A Smyrna native, Tilghman was on the boards of both The Blue Hen yearbook and The Review student newspaper for all four years of his college career, winding up as editor of The Review.
In 1925, at the annual banquet that concluded his stewardship of the paper, he urged the new staff "to allow nothing to interfere with the free expression of student opinions in the paper," in the words of a Newark Post account of the evening.
After a summer of working in the newsrooms of all four Wilmington newspapers and the Newark Post, he left to study English at Yale.
But months later, he was back in Newark. During his college years, he had become close friends with the family that had launched the Newark Post in 1910: Edward Johnson; his wife, Louise; and their daughter, Marjorie, whom he would marry decades later. When Edward Johnson died in his sleep, Tilghman pitched in as editor.
His tenure at the Post lasted only a few months, because in 1926 he left for Oxford University as a Rhodes Scholar, studying English literature.
While in England, he kept his hand in the news business, working occasionally for United Press International.
On his return, he taught English literature at Geneva College in Beaver Falls, Pa. He eventually became interested in mental health work and worked at the Delaware State Hospital. While there, he developed a therapy called ''remotivation training'' to help former patients reacclimate to life outside the hospital.
By the early 1970s, both he and his college friend Marjorie Johnson had raised families, retired and were single again. They were married in 1973. Their dedication to UD has continued beyond their passings - Cornelius in 1998 and Majorie in in 2003 - with bequests of two endowed professorships and the award honoring excellent journalism in The Review.
For outstanding rising seniors
The Lindsey Marie Bonistall Memorial scholarship of $2,000-$3,000 honors Lindsey Bonistall, who was an English major with a journalism concentration at the university from 2003 until her death in 2005. The scholarship was established in 2005 through gifts from friends of the university who wished to honor Lindsey’s memory.
The scholarship is given to an outstanding rising senior in the journalism minor. If you'd like to be considered for the scholarship, email comm-staff@udel.edu. Please put "Bonistall scholarship" in the subject line and offer a brief explanation of why you think you are deserving of the scholarship.
'It really lit her lamp when she got published' in the Review
Lindsey Marie Bonistall's plan to become a doctor changed when she discovered she loved to write, according to her father, Mark Bonistall.
When Lindsey Marie Bonistall arrived on the UD campus as a freshman, she had already achieved great success in her hometown of White Plains, New York.
She had been senior class president at Good Counsel Academy High School, captain of the soccer and track teams, a member of two cheerleading squads and a cheer instructor and a competitive diver, her mother told The Review in 2005.
"Anything she decided she wanted to do, she did, and she put her whole heart and soul in it and did it well," said Kathleen Bonistall.
Lindsey Marie died when she was a sophomore, murdered in her off-campus apartment by a man who is now serving a life sentence.
The Bonistall family launched PEACE OUTside Campus, the Lindsey Marie Bonistall Foundation in 2005.
The foundation promotes peaceful and safe living environments in college communities. As an advocate for student safety, the foundation offers outreach programs and resources to empower students and their families to be more proactive in safeguarding themselves against crime.
Peace OUTside Campus initiated the Lindsey M. Bonistall Research Fellowship in 2017 to focus on college campus violence against woman, further identify high risk populations and explore campus attitudes toward sexual violence.
The foundation's name comes from Lindsey’s favorite sign off: Peace Out.
Mark Bonistall, Lindsey's father, told The Review that she switched her major from biology to English when she discovered her love of writing.
"She just flip-flopped her major and was full-steam ahead with journalism," he said. "It really lit up her lamp when she got published" in The Review.
A writer, artist and poet
Lindsey's family celebrates her talents on the foundation website in a section that includes her art and poetry.
To remember Lindsey, the website urges everyone to do something "'Lindsey-esque' like play the guitar, draw a portrait, or do a back flip." In addition to several safety tips, the list includes a very Lindsey-esque attribute:
"Be a friend, even to a stranger in need."
My Wings
Lindsey Marie Bonistall
I want to fly up to the clouds,
And never look back on the earth.
I've hidden my wings for quite some time,
And they are anxious to flutter.
And when I unfurl my magnificent wings,
Those mere mortals' mouths will drop.
For none of them will ever see,
The treetops I pass,
The clouds I walk on,
The shooting stars I catch.
And though many have some wings,
They never get to fly.
A fear of heights or falling down,
Keeps them from the sky.
And many think their wings are strong,
And they think that will fly too,
But when they spread their arms toward heaven,
An earthly anchor holds them back.
I want to show the world my wings,
To show them I can fly.
And one day soon they will see me,
Many miles high in the sky.
For rising seniors
The Ross Mayhew Memorial Scholarship of $2,000 to $3,000 honors Ross Mayhew, a former editor in chief of The Review who died in 1986. The scholarship, established in 1986 with gifts from the family and friends of Ross, is given to a rising senior who demonstrates excellence in journalism, general scholarship and financial need.
If you'd like to be considered for the scholarship, email comm-staff@udel.edu. Please put "Mayhew scholarship" in the subject line and offer a brief explanation of why you think you are deserving of the scholarship.
A 'passion for journalistic excellence'
A. Ross Mayhew was praised by The Review for his "dedication to improving the university" and "bold leadership of the paper" as its editor.
Ross Mayhew, according to one of the student journalists who worked with him at The Review, pushed hard for excellence.
But he also knew when a lighter touch was called for. Giving flowers, for example.
Cindy Smith was the first recipient of the Ross Mayhew scholarship, awarded months after Mayhew died. In a Review column written after she had been selected, she began by noting the congratulatory flowers on her windowsill, sent by a professor:
"The last time I received flowers in conjunction with journalism was about a year ago, when Ross brought in roses for all the girls on The Review staff.
"It had been a rough week, and at one time or another, each one of us either had cried on his shoulder or screamed in his face.
"He was the managing editor then, and I was a news editor in the middle of my third semester of working with him. Ross always pushed hard for quality work from people, but he knew when the time had come to be a friend instead of a boss."
The 22-year-old died by his own hand two weeks before graduation. The following year, on the anniversary of his death, he was mourned in the paper he had led:
"Ross was known for his dedication to improving the university and was one of the student body's strongest advocates. His bold leadership of the paper from January to May 1986 was evident in his 'Declaration of Student Rights,' his coverage of the University's computer controversy and his humorous and poignant columns." One of those columns discussed student apathy about student elections. Ross wrote:
"I will give $50 to anyone who can adequately explain why students are more interested in being drunk than improving student life here in Newark. That person will also have the opportunity to present his theory and/or opinion here on the editorial pages of The Review. The opportunity is open to anyone - students, faculty, staff. However, knowing this university, I will probably wind up spending the $50 on myself."
Mayhew was the son of Arthur Mayhew, former publisher of the Bucks County Courier Times in Pennsylvania, and the late Barbara Mayhew.
In a 1992 Review column, then-student Jeff Pearlman wrote that Ross was "one of those special writers who come along at Delaware once every decade or so, they say." One of his favorite "words of wisdom," Pearlman wrote, came from Samuel Johnson:
"It is always a writer's duty to make the world better, and justice is a virtue regardless of time or place."
For students who are residents of Delaware, Maryland or D.C.
The MDDC Press Association scholarship of $1,000, established through a gift from MDDC in 1990, is given to a full-time student who has completed at least two semesters of college work with a minimum GPA of 3.0. Preference is given to students who are residents of Delaware and demonstrate financial need.
If you'd like to be considered for the scholarship, email comm-staff@udel.edu. Please put "MDDC scholarship" in the subject line and offer a brief explanation of why you think you are deserving of the scholarship.
A long history of serving journalism
The MDDC Press Association started in 1908 as the Maryland Press Association for weekly newspapers. Forty years later, daily newspapers began joining.
Delaware news media came aboard in 1961 when the organization merged with the Delmarva Press Association and became Maryland-Delaware Press Association. When D.C. newspapers joined in 1968, the name changed for the last time. Today, the association’s membership is broad, including daily and weekly newspapers, online-only publications, TV stations and magazines in Maryland, Delaware and the District.
And yes, it offers paid internships
MDDC sponsors interns through its foundation.
The association supports its members through legislative advocacy, FOIA/PIA support, contests, and, through its independent foundation, internships.
UD students are eligible to apply for paid, eight-week internships if they have had at least one journalism course OR have experience on a student or community publication. Interns will need a car. Intern assignments can be with a daily or weekly news media organization in the Maryland, Delaware, and D.C. region. Assignment to a particular organization will be subject to the approval of the editor.
External Scholarships for Communication Students
Journalism and communication majors at the graduate and undergraduate level who are of Greek American heritage may apply for annual scholarships given in the amount of $5,000 in memory of Peter Agris, the late founder and publisher of The Hellenic Chronicle. The non-renewable grants have been offered by the Alpha Omega Council and the Agris family since 1993.
The Broadcast Education Association is the professional development association for professors, industry professionals and students involved in teaching and research related to radio, television, and other electronic media. BEA administers a variety of scholarships annually to honor broadcasters and the broadcast industry. The BEA Two Year Scholarship is for study at schools offering only freshman and sophomore instruction or for study at four-year institutions by graduates of BEA two-year programs. All other scholarships are awarded to juniors, seniors and graduate students at BEA Member colleges/universities.
The Chesapeake Associated Press Broadcasters Association serves as an official liaison between Associated Press member stations and the Mid-Atlantic Bureau and its staff in Delaware, Maryland, and Washington, D.C. Each year, the association awards the Bob Shilling Memorial Scholarship to support students pursuing a career in journalism.
The association's board, comprised of radio and television professionals from the region, meets quarterly to discuss issues of significance to the Associated Press and its members. The board is also responsible for planning an annual convention and other educational and industry-related events.
In honor of the late Dr. Jack G. Shaheen, the Arab American Anti-Discrimination Committee offers scholarships of $4,000 to Arab American undergraduate students who excel in media studies.
The National Association of Hispanic Journalists offers scholarships for each school year to full-time undergraduate and graduate students pursuing careers in journalism in English or Spanish-language media, or both. The series of scholarships range from $1,000 to $5,000 and have varying requirements. Students attending four-year and community colleges in the United States and Puerto Rico, with a GPA of 2.8 or better, are eligible for the scholarships.
The Radio Television Digital News Association (RTDNA) Foundation offers graduate and undergraduate scholarships to enrolled students (freshmen excluded) who are pursuing careers in radio, television and digital news. Winners also receive an invitation to the RTDNA Excellence in Journalism Conference. The RTDNA Foundation offers professional development opportunities, an open forum for the discussion of ethics, assistance with the development of leadership skills, support of First Amendment issues and the exchange of ideas and perspectives from electronic journalists worldwide. RTDNA Foundation sponsors invaluable programs like the RIAS Journalist Exchange in Germany, Sunshine Week, News and Terrorism workshops, scholarships and fellowships for students and new professionals, the High School Journalism program and the First Amendment Dinner.
The Broadcast Pioneers of Philadelphia periodically offers scholarships to outstanding undergraduate students of radio, television, film, or related media fields.
University Funding Opportunities
The Undergraduate Research Program is an umbrella for student research at the University of Delaware. It offers its own broad-based programs while also coordinating with many other University offices, departments, and academic units. Internal and external research opportunities are available with funding through scholarships, awards, and stipends.
For more information, visit the website and email the Undergraduate Research Program at undergradresearch@udel.edu.
The Graduate College at the University of Delaware facilitates funding and fellowships for the graduate student body. These opportunities, available through the University of Delaware, as well as through external foundations and institutions, provide students with vital sources of support in their master’s and doctoral programs. Funding support from fellowships and awards offer support for professional development, travel, and research.
Delaware Resident Scholarships
Delaware students are invited to apply for scholarships available through the Delaware Community Foundation. Visit the website for the application; a list of past scholarship recipients; and a compendium of all available scholarships with eligibility and deadline information. The submission deadline for the majority of scholarships is mid-March.
With a single application, students can apply for a variety of scholarships. Applicants should review the criteria for all of the available awards and simply check the boxes next to the scholarships for which they wish to be considered. There is no cap on the number of scholarships or amount students may receive. In addition to tuition assistance, funding from many of the scholarships may be applied to the costs of textbooks and fees. Some scholarships are one-time awards, and others are renewable.
The Walter Stark Scholar Award is presented annually to a UD freshman or sophomore in any major who meets the following criteria: 1) Delaware Resident; 2) first in their immediate familty to attend a four-year college/university; 3) demonstrates financial need; 4) in good academic standing by current UD policy. Visit UD's Alumni & Friends web page to learn more and apply.
