SAJA 2022 Scholarship Program

SAJA is committed to promoting high-quality journalism by enabling students to acquire the necessary education to meet high journalistic standards. SAJA scholarships assist in helping journalism students meet a portion of the surging tuition fees and costs at North American universities.

SAJA is pleased to offer up to $20,000 in 2022 to up to 10 students ($2,000 for each student). The deadline is Friday, June 24, 2022 at midnight. Winners will be announced at the end of July.

Questions? Email president@saja.org.

Selection/Eligibility

Undergraduates and graduate students continuing their studies in the fall of 2022 can apply for funding for their educational expenses. Applicants must be SAJA members. Students from the United States and Canada are eligible.

All applicants must show proof of admission to a North American educational institution in the fall of 2022. Applicants must either be of South Asian descent (includes: Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan, Sri Lanka) or demonstrate a keen 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, a demonstrated interest in journalism (i.e.: related coursework, internships, extracurricular activities, part-time work), written communication skills, interest and enthusiasm in joining the SAJA community, and serious reflection on what the applicant hopes to accomplish as a journalist. Applicants may be interviewed by phone or in-person by a member of the scholarship committee. Winners will be notified by the end of July 2022.

Award process

Recipients are expected to give back to SAJA by volunteering at the annual convention or one other event during the year. The recipients can also give back to SAJA by promoting our mission, membership drive and donation requests via social media. All recipients of the scholarship and fellowships must also agree to provide an update on their scholastic endeavors and at the conclusion of the academic year. SAJA reserves the right to post these statements or excerpts thereof on the SAJA website and social media platforms to share with the public the impact of our scholarship and awards program.

How to Apply

By June 24, send a PDF document to the SAJA board at SAJAprograms@gmail.com with “SAJA Scholarship” in the subject line.

Include two PDF documents:

The first PDF document MUST include:

• A resume
• A 350-word essay on why you should be awarded the fund (see evaluation section procedure above for the various factors you should consider when writing your essay) and
• Contact information for three references

The second PDF should include a letter of admission/verification of enrollment in the fall 2022 school year from an accredited North America university.

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