SAJA 2025 Scholarship Program

SAJA is committed to promoting high-quality journalism. Our scholarships help students afford tuition and other costs associated with higher education to pursue their journalism degree.

SAJA is pleased to offer up to $30,000 in 2025 to be distributed among up to 6 students. Deadline is May 16.

READ ABOUT OUR RECIPIENTS HERE.

Questions? Email Indira Somani, chair of SAJA's scholarship committee, at indira.somani@gmail.com.

Selection/Eligibility

Full-time undergraduates and graduate students continuing their studies in the fall of 2025 at a university in the U.S. or Canada are eligible. 

All applicants must show proof of enrollment. Applicants must either be of South Asian descent (includes: Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan, Sri Lanka and people of South Asian origin from the Caribbean) or demonstrate an interest in covering South Asia and/or the diaspora.

Immediate relatives of SAJA Board members and judges are INELIGIBLE to apply.

Evaluation Procedure

A committee of judges appointed by the SAJA Board will review the student applications and evaluate them based on need, interest in journalism (i.e. related coursework, internships, extracurricular activities, part-time work), written communication skills and interest in contributing to the SAJA community. Applicants may be interviewed by phone or in-person by a member of the scholarship committee.

Winners will be notified in June 2025.

Commitments and Expectations

Recipients are expected to support SAJA by volunteering at the annual convention or another event during the year, promoting SAJA membership and activities and making donation appeals.

All scholarship recipients must agree to provide an update on their academic endeavors at the end of the school year associated with their award. SAJA may post these statements or excerpts thereof on its website and social media platforms.

How to Apply

By May 16, send a SINGLE PDF document to Mihir Zaveri, SAJA board member, at mihir.a.zaveri@gmail.com with “SAJA Scholarship” in the subject line.

The PDF document MUST include:

• A resume
• A 350-word essay explaining their interest in journalism, how they intend to pursue that interest in school (especially if their school does not offer a journalism degree) and how they plan to give back to SAJA, once they start working in journalism. For example, panels, workshops with their local chapter, mentoring future South Asian Journalists, working at the SAJA annual conference and/or attending the annual dinner, joining the board, becoming a member of the organization for at least 5 years, etc.
• A short statement describing financial need, including student loans and a summary of all other financial aid they have received or hope to receive
• 2-3 clips (or, if the applicant does not have published clips, then 2-3 writing samples)
• Proof of enrollment

Applicants may be interviewed by phone or in person by a member of the selection committee.

Other Information

Those selected to receive scholarships will be required to provide the following information / documents to SAJA prior to being entitled to receive the scholarship amounts:

- A U.S. Postal address to which the scholarship check will be physically mailed or details of a US Dollar bank account at a bank branch located in the United States; and

- U.S. Treasury Form W-9 or Form W-8BEN

Failure to provide any of the above information/documents on a timely basis could result in revocation of the scholarship.

Each scholarship recipient must consult her/his own tax advisor on the extent, if any, to which the scholarship amount may be taxable by any of the tax jurisdictions to which she/he may be subject to. SAJA does not make any representation as to the taxability or non-taxability of the scholarship amount.

All scholarship amounts will be reported to the Internal Revenue Service of the United States government unless the recipient signs a declaration stating that the amount received from SAJA complies with the conditions described by the Internal Revenue Service under the section “Tax-Free” in the rules under Topic Number 421 – Scholarships, Fellowship Grants, and Other Grants (https://www.irs.gov/taxtopics/tc421).