Al Neuharth Free Spirit Scholarship and Conference Program

Award Amount
Award Amount

$100,000

Application deadline
Application deadline

February 01

Awarded By:

Freedom Forum

Number of Awards & Eligibility: 102 awards offered annually. A male and a female recipient will be selected from each state and the District of Columbia.
In order to qualify, students must meet the following criteria:
  1. This award is for U.S. students.
  2. Must be actively involved in high school journalism.
  3. Must plan to pursue a career in journalism.
  4. Must be a U.S. citizen or permanent resident.
  5. Must be a high school junior at time of application.

In order to qualify, students must meet the following criteria:

Description: This award is for high school juniors who are interested in pursuing a career in journalism and who demonstrate qualities of "free spirit." A free spirit can be a risk-taker, a visionary, an innovative leader, an entrepreneur, or a courageous achiever who accomplishes great things beyond his/her normal circumstances.

Application requirements for the Al Neuharth Free Spirit Scholarship and Conference Program are:

  • Application form
  • Official Transcript
  • Recommendation letter
  • Essays (2)
  • Work sample
  • Headshot
Additional Information: This program began in 1999 and is funded by the Freedom Forum to honor Al Neuharth, the founder of USA TODAY, Newseum and the Freedom Forum. The scholarship and conference are designed to assist students in pursuit of a journalism career and to inspire them through conference sessions with prominent media professionals. The program also recognizes students who demonstrate the qualities of a free spirit. Al Neuharth characterizes a free spirit in this way: 'Free spirits dream, dare, and do.' A free spirit can also be a risk-taker, a visionary, an innovative leader, an entrepreneur, or a courageous achiever who accomplishes great things beyond his/her normal circumstances. Students whom are selected as a recipeint of this award must be available to attend the conference on June 16-21, 2018.

Award Amount: The two top applicants (one male and one female) will each be awarded a scholarship of $10,000. The other 100 receipients will each receive a $1,000 scholarship. All scholarships are offered annually and are non-renewable. Students must attend the conference in order to receive the scholarship (see the Freedom Forum website for more information).  The total dollars awarded for this scholarship is $100,000.

Deadline Information:

Deadline for this scholarship is Saturday, February 1

Deadline Information:

Deadline for this scholarship is Saturday, February 1

Applications are available on the Freedom Forum website. Each applicant is strongly encouraged to read the reference guide prior to starting the application process. The applicant must complete the online application in one sitting; saving is not enabled. In addition to the completed application, the student must submit the following materials: an official transcript, a letter of recommendation from a principal, counselor, and/or teacher addressing why the student should be nominated for an award (placed in a sealed envelope); three samples of journalistic work; a 4" x 6" headshot stapled on the upper right hand corner of the application; and two essays of 500 words or less addressing the topics listed on the application. All letters of recommendation should be submitted on official letterhead and should include the contact information of the person providing it. Letters of recommendation may be uploaded, mailed separately, or emailed to info@freespirit.org. All applications and supporting documents must be submitted online and otherwise received by the deadline date.
About Freedom Forum:
Contact Information: Karen Catone, Al Neuharth Free Spirit Scholarship and Journalism Conference Program
Address: 555 Pennsylvania Ave., N.W. Washington, District of Columbia 20001
Email: freespirit@freedomforum.org , freespirit@freedomforum.org
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