Undergraduate Scholarships

Students who want to offset the expenses of their college education can apply for School of Journalism & Mass Communication scholarships or the many awards and contests in mass communication funded by organizations outside the school. The UW also offers funding through Office of Student Financial Services.

Scholarships Outside the School: The undergraduate adviser, 5134 Vilas, maintains information on journalism awards from groups outside the School. Information is posted here and on the scholarship board located outside the adviser's office. Deadlines vary, so students should check the board for opportunities every week or two. The undergraduate adviser has applications available for many of these scholarships.

Our Scholarships: To be eligible for any School of Journalism and Mass Communication scholarship, students must be declared journalism majors at the time of application AND be physically present on the UW-Madison campus as an undergraduate student for the semester of distribution. In making the awards, faculty consider academic performance, professional experience and financial need.

Scholarship categories are diverse – students may apply in multiple categories but can only win one award per semester. You may pick up an application from 5115 Vilas Hall or download an application here.

• General Scholarships
• Advertising Scholarships: The Wilfred B. Doner Scholarship and Wallace Meyer Scholarship
• Broadcast Scholarship: The Peter Rogot Scholarship
• Government Press Office Scholarship: The Joan Kirkpatrick Scholarship
• J202 Scholarships
• Journal Communications Scholarships
• News/Editorial Scholarships: The Esther Rose Goodman Estate Scholarship, Ann Hengstenberg Memorial Scholarship and Christina Thompson Matthias Scholarship
• Nonprofit/Strategic Communication Scholarship: The Mollie Buckley Scholarship
• Public Relations Scholarship: The Scott Cutlip Scholarship
• Sports Journalism Scholarship: The Steven Wiltgen and Betty J. Frazier Scholarship

General Scholarships:
The School of Journalism and Mass Communication is very fortunate to have supportive alumni and friends who are committed to our undergraduate program. Through their donations, we are able to provide multiple general scholarships to students at any level in their education and from both tracks.
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Advertising Scholarships: The Wilfred B. Doner Scholarship/Wallace Meyer Scholarship
These two scholarships are available to students in our strategic communication track with an particular emphasis on advertising. Wilfred B. Doner (BA 1935) founded WB Doner & Co., now Doner, in 1937. It has since grown to be one of the largest independent ad agencies in the U.S. Wallace Meyer (BA 1916) served as a creative writer of advertising copy for such corporations as the International Cellucotton Products Company, the Canadian Pacific Railway, the Northern Pacific Railway, and the American Chain & Cable Company. He was part of the J. Walter Thompson agency and later became Chairman of the Board of Reincke, Meyer and Finn.
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Broadcast Scholarship: The Peter Rogot Scholarship
This scholarship is available to students interested in broadcast journalism, with an emphasis on sports. Peter Rogot (JBA 1974) died in 1991 at the age of 37 from a rare heart disease. Friends and family established the scholarship in honor of the late ESPN broadcaster to recognize his strong support ties to the UW J-School. Rogot worked in broadcast news and sports in Wisconsin, California and Colorado before moving to Connecticut to join ESPN’s “SportsCenter.”
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Government Press Office Scholarship: The Jo Kirkpatrick Scholarship
This scholarship is presented irregularly, as appropriate candidates become available. It is awarded to students who have an internship in the press office of the Governor, Lt. Governor or Attorney General of Wisconsin at the time of application. Jo Kirkpatrick was a former press office staff member and intern supervisor who died in 1986. The scholarship fund was established in 1987 by Kirkpatrick's family and friends as well as the Evjue Foundation, Inc., the charitable extension of The Capital Times in Madison.
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J202 Scholarships:
J202 scholarships are given to recognize new students within the major and the contributions they have yet to make to the department during the rest of their formal education. Selection criteria are the same as the general scholarships with special emphasis on their recent admission to the program.
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Journal Communications Scholarships:
The UW-Madison School of Journalism and Mass Communication has long been grateful for the excellent relationship we have enjoyed with Journal Communications. The corporation has generously funded multiple scholarships every year with preference for students who have a relationship (relative of active or retired, full or part-time employees) with Journal Communications, Inc. or one of its subsidiaries, including: Journal Sentinel, Inc., WTMJ, Inc. (WI, MO, MI and NV affiliates), ADD, Inc. (Waupaca), MRC Telecommunications, Inc., or Imperial Printing Co. (St. Joseph, MI). If there are no applicants with an established relationship to Journal Communications, these scholarships are awarded in the general competition.
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News/Editorial Scholarships: The Esther Rose Goodman Estate Scholarship, the Ann Hengstenberg Memorial Scholarship (preference for business and trade journalism), and the Christina Thompson Matthias Scholarship (preference for rural Wisconsin high school graduates)
These three scholarships are awarded to students with an interest in print and newspaper journalism. The Esther Rose Goodman Estate Scholarship was founded in 1953, was endowed by a Chicago family in memory of a sister who intended to study journalism. The Ann Hengstenberg scholarship is awarded to students pursuing opportunities in business or trade journalism. The Christina Thompson Matthias Scholarship was established in 1982 by Michael Matthias in honor of his grandmother, Christina Thompson Matthias (1879-1975). The Matthias family settled in Wisconsin in the 1840s. Preference for this scholarship is given to a student from a rural Wisconsin high school who is studying print journalism.
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Nonprofit/Strategic Communication Scholarship: The Mollie Buckley Scholarship
The Mollie Buckley scholarship is awarded for a full academic year (half distributed each semester) and is available to female undergraduate students who are entering their senior year and pursuing the strategic communications track. A special preference is given for those who demonstrate a commitment to nonprofit strategic communications. Mollie Buckley (JBS ’61) had a long and varied career in communications with the UW. She has served as director of public information for the UW Center System, theater director at the Union, and membership director and coordinator of the 50th anniversary of the Memorial Union. She joined the UW Foundation in 1984 as director of communications and was named vice president in 2001. In Mollie’s honor, Foundation co-workers and friends established the Mollie Buckley Scholarship Fund for undergraduate student financial support in the School of Journalism and Mass Communication.
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Public Relations Scholarship: The Scott Cutlip Scholarship
This scholarship is awarded to students with an interest in public relations. Scott Cutlip was a pioneer in public relations education who spent 29 years on the faculty of the UW-Madison School of Journalism and Mass Communication, where he introduced the study of public relations. He also served as dean of the University of Georgia's Grady College of Journalism and Mass Communication from 1976 to 1983. Cutlip was co-author with Allen H. Center of the 1952 book “Effective Public Relations,” which has been published in seven editions and is not only one of the best-selling texts in the field but is credited with helping establish public relations as a field of academic study. PR Week, an industry newspaper, cited Cutlip as the person who gave legitimacy to public relations education through strong research and scholarship, and creation of a teaching model for future generations of educators. Listing him among the 20th century's 10 most influential figures in the field, the paper credits Cutlip with "structur(ing) the model of university-based public relations education for decades to come, which included an emphasis on ethics and research."
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Sports Journalism Scholarship: The Steven Wiltgen and Betty J. Frazier Scholarship
This scholarship is awarded to students who hope to pursue careers in print or broadcast sports journalism.
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