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Aspiring Editors: Apply for This $3K Scholarship from ACES by Nov. 15

Susan Jacobson

by Susan Jacobson

Editor/Writer

College juniors and seniors: Are grammar and spelling your thing? Do you value precise language and error-free copy?

If so, then these scholarships from the ACES Education Fund may be for you.

ACES: The Society for Editing is sponsoring six scholarships for students committed to a career editing written materials. Prizes range from $1,500 to $3,000, plus financial aid to attend the national ACES conference.

What ACES Scholarships Are Available?

The ACES Education Fund’s Bill Walsh scholarship provides $3,000 to the winner, plus financial aid to attend the ACES national conference. The scholarship is named in memory of the longtime Washington Post copy editor who died in 2017.

The winner must be an aspiring news editor who displays the talent and devotion to the craft that Walsh had, according to ACES guidelines.

The ACES Aubespin scholarship prize is $2,500 for the top winner and $1,500 for four runners-up. Those selected must show a commitment to a career in editing.

The scholarship is named in honor of Merv Aubespin, a retired artist, reporter and editor at the Courier Journal in Louisville, Kentucky, and a former president of the National Association of Black Journalists.

Applicants can apply for both the Bill Walsh and Aubespin scholarships but can win only one.

How to Apply for an ACES Bill Walsh Scholarship

Applicants must be college juniors, seniors or graduate students enrolled in the summer and/or fall terms of 2018. Students don’t have to major in a particular subject.

To apply:

  • Send a resume showing academic achievement and examples of your editing.
  • Provide three references, who can be teachers or work supervisors.
  • Write an essay of 500 words or less as if you are a copy editor who has been working in a newsroom at a mid-size city for six months. The scenario you must respond to is involved, so you should get the details on the ACES website.
  • Edit a sample introductory paragraph of a news story found on the website.
  • Write three headlines for three separate paragraphs of material posted on the website.
  • Use Word or PDF attachments to email your completed application, with “Walsh scholarship” in the message field, to [email protected].

Applications must be mailed by the end of the day on Nov. 15, 2018.

How to Apply for an ACES Aubespin Scholarship

Applicants must be degree-seeking and enrolled as college juniors, seniors or graduate students during the summer and/or fall 2018 semesters.

To apply:

  • Submit a resume showing academic and editing achievement and information on other achievements, activities and interests.
  • Provide three references, who may be teachers or work supervisors.
  • Explain what question you would pose at a conference of 700 editors and why.
  • Write three headlines for three separate paragraphs of material posted on the ACES website.
  • Using Word or PDF attachments, email your completed application, with “ACES scholarship” in the message field, to [email protected].

Applications must be mailed by the end of the day on Nov. 15, 2018.

Susan Jacobson is an editor at The Penny Hoarder.