Scholastic Art & Writing Awards
Offered by Alliance for Young Artists & Writers · Free to apply
Creative students in grades 7 through 12 submit work in 28 categories, from poetry and journalism to painting, photography, and film, in the country's longest running program of its kind. Judging is blind and rewards originality, technical skill, and personal voice: regional Gold Keys carry real weight on a college application, and work that advances nationally can bring scholarships up to $12,500. Entries cost $10 per work and $30 per portfolio, with fee waivers offered during submission, and the work must be the student's own and not AI generated. Submissions open in September, and the closing date is set by the student's regional affiliate, falling somewhere between mid-December and January. Find your region's date first, because the national round only sees work that cleared it.
How hard is the Scholastic Art & Writing Awards to win?
A large applicant pool chases this award. Apply if the student is a genuinely strong fit, but build the plan around better-odds awards first.
- Estimated odds
- roughly 1 in 2,000 applicants
- Modelled applicant field
- ~45,000 students
- Payoff per hour of work
- $0 / hr
What drives the odds here
Odds on a scholarship are mostly a question of how many students can enter. Each rule below changes the size of that field.
- More rivalsOpen nationwide, so the field is large
- More rivalsA five-figure award attracts a bigger field
How Solyo estimates this: We model the applicant field from how narrow the eligibility rules are, then divide the awards available by that field. Requirements such as essays and recommendation letters improve a serious applicant’s odds, because most browsers never complete them. These are estimates derived from each award's published structure, not reported acceptance rates, which almost no scholarship provider discloses. Treat them as a way to rank where the hours go, not as a guarantee.
Who can apply for the Scholastic Art & Writing Awards?
These are the eligibility rules Solyo verified against the official award page, translated into plain English. Your student must meet each one.
- Open to high school freshmen, high school sophomores, high school juniors, and high school seniors
- Age 13 or older
- Entry fees apply per work and per portfolio, with fee waivers available during submission
- Regional deadlines vary by location; submissions open in the fall
- Must be age 13 or older as of the date of entry
- Also open to grades 7-8
- Must reside in the U.S., U.S. territories or military bases, or Canada, or attend an American school abroad
- Work must be original, based on the student's own ideas, and not AI-generated
What the application takes
No essay, recommendation letters, or transcript are required. This is one of the lighter applications in the directory.
Deadline and application cycle
The current deadline is December 15, 2026. This award runs on an annual cycle, with deadlines around December 15 each year. Applications open September. Your region sets the actual submission date, so check the regional listing on artandwriting.org in the fall; some regions close in January.
- Submissions open
- September 2026
- Regional affiliate sets the closing date
- Varies, mid-December to January
- Common regional close
- December 15, 2026
Does your student actually qualify?
See if your student qualifies in 30 seconds. Solyo checks 20+ criteria against their real profile: GPA, state, grade level, intended major, and more, across every award in this directory at once.
Common questions about the Scholastic Art & Writing Awards
How much is the Scholastic Art & Writing Awards worth?
The Scholastic Art & Writing Awards awards up to $12,500.
When is the Scholastic Art & Writing Awards deadline?
The current deadline is December 15, 2026. This award runs on an annual cycle, with deadlines around December 15 each year. Applications open September. Your region sets the actual submission date, so check the regional listing on artandwriting.org in the fall; some regions close in January.
When do Scholastic Art & Writing Awards applications open?
Applications open September, and close December 15, 2026. Your region sets the actual submission date, so check the regional listing on artandwriting.org in the fall; some regions close in January.
Who is eligible for the Scholastic Art & Writing Awards?
Key requirements: Open to high school freshmen, high school sophomores, high school juniors, and high school seniors; Age 13 or older.
Does the Scholastic Art & Writing Awards require an essay?
No essay is required. The application is light on requirements. Expect to spend about 15 hours on it.
How hard is it to win the Scholastic Art & Writing Awards?
Solyo estimates the odds at roughly 1 in 2,000 applicants, against a modelled field of ~45,000 students. At 15 hrs of work, that is about $0 of expected value per hour. This is an estimate from award structure, not a published acceptance rate.
Is the Scholastic Art & Writing Awards free to apply?
Yes. The Scholastic Art & Writing Awards is free to apply. Legitimate scholarships never charge an application fee, and Solyo verifies every listed award against its official page.
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Lists this award appears on
Award details are curated by Solyo and verified against the official scholarship page. Deadlines and requirements can change between cycles, so always confirm on the provider's site before applying.