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DIRECTORY

Best Critical Essay Writing Scholarships in 2025

Showing 30 scholarships that match your search.

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Receive up to $15,000 in funding and join a community of more than five hundred alumni now teaching in higher education. Applicants must submit all required materials including personal statements, academic writing samples, and an essay responding to the question: "What is the relationship between liberal education and a free society?”

Categories: Critical Essay

Organization: Intercollegiate Studies Institute

Deadline: February 09, 2026

Additional awards: Multiple fellowships will be given

Recipients: 10

Top award: $15,000

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The purpose of the Antonette Willa Skupa Turner Scholarship is to provide financial assistance to graduates of Nebraska high schools who plan to enroll as English or history majors in accredited colleges or universities. Applicants must be high school seniors who are prospective first year college students and plan to continue their education as English or history majors

Categories: Critical Essay

Organization: Willa Cather Foundation

Deadline: February 28, 2026

Recipients: 1

Top award: $1,000

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The purpose of the Ántonia Scholarship is to provide financial assistance to graduates of high schools based in the U.S. who plan to enroll as English or history majors in accredited colleges or universities. Applicants must be high school seniors who are prospective first year college students and plan to continue their education as English or history majors.

Categories: Critical Essay

Organization: Willa Cather Foundation

Deadline: February 28, 2026

Recipients: 1

Top award: $1,000

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The Education Committee provides a scholarship program for high school seniors in the State of Missouri who are planning to attend a college or university. This contest requires an essay on a topic relating to the Mayflower Pilgrims. The scholarships presently offered include one-time awards of $1500, $1000, and $500, funded by member contributions and corporate matching grants.

Categories: Critical Essay

Organization: Society of Mayflower Descendants In the State of Missouri

Deadline: March 01, 2026

Additional awards: $1,000 for second place, $500 for third place

Recipients: 1

Top award: $1,500

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Teachers of Accounting at Two Year Colleges (TACTYC) is pleased to announce several scholarships in the amount of $1,000 each for students majoring in Accounting. Applicants must provide a 1-2 page self-description, which includes academic and professional goals, and a 1-2 page essay answering the required question for the given case study.

Categories: Critical Essay

Organization: Teachers of Accounting at Two Year Colleges

Deadline: March 01, 2026

Additional awards: Multiple awards will be given

Recipients: 7

Top award: $1,000

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This scholarship was established by Mary and George Freund in honor of George’s grandparents, who perished during the Holocaust. To preserve the memory of the Goldmanns and other Holocaust victims, applicants are asked to write an essay or formal research paper on one specific aspect of the Holocaust. Applicants must be Idaho residents who plan to attend an institution of higher learning in Idaho.

Categories: Critical Essay

Organization: Idaho Community Foundation

Deadline: March 01, 2026

Recipients: 1

Top award: $1,000

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For this year's competition, please write an essay (1,500 words or less) exploring one legal argument defending the constitutionality of Montana's "No Aid" provision, or rebutting one argument that the clause is unconstitutional. The Cornelius Vanderbrook Essay Competition is open to all ongoing law school students attending a North American law school.

Categories: Critical Essay

Organization: Freedom From Religion Foundation

Deadline: March 15, 2026

Additional awards: $3,000 for second place, $2,000 for third place, honorable mentions of $500 each

Recipients: 1

Top award: $4,000

Apply now →

The Seattle Public Library Foundation is pleased to host the Stimson Bullitt Civic Courage Scholarship competition. High school seniors and undergraduate students who live, work, or attend school in Seattle are invited to participate. The competition asks students to write an essay about an individual or group of individuals from Washington state who have demonstrated civic courage on an issue of importance to the community at great personal, political or professional risk.

Categories: Critical Essay

Organization: The Seattle Public Library Foundation

Deadline: March 15, 2026

Additional awards: 2 runner-up prizes of $2500 each

Recipients: 1

Top award: $5,000

Apply now →

The Outdoor Writers Association of America (OWAA) annually sponsors the Bodie McDowell Scholarship program to support tomorrow’s communicators. Ideal candidates are talented communicators with outdoor interests who can demonstrate a record of accomplishment in and commitment to the fields of outdoor communications.

Categories: Critical Essay

Organization: Outdoor Writers Association of America

Deadline: March 30, 2026

Recipients: 3

Top award: $5,000

Apply now →

For more than three decades, the CBCF in partnership with CBC Spouses has awarded scholarships to talented and deserving students. Each year, we award more than 300 scholarships to students that demonstrate leadership ability through exemplary community service and academic talent. Our programs support current or upcoming college students across a variety of disciplines.

Categories: Critical Essay

Organization: Congressional Black Caucus Foundation

Deadline: March 31, 2026

Additional awards: Multiple awards of varying amounts will be given

Recipients: 1

Top award: $2,000

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The Dr. Yoji Kondo Scholarship may be awarded to a candidate of any gender majoring in engineering, math, biological or physical sciences, or “science fiction as literature” as an eligible field of study. Applicants must submit a 500-1,000 word essay on one of several scientific topics. Winners are announced on July 7th each year.

Categories: Critical Essay

Organization: The Heinlein Society

Deadline: April 01, 2026

Recipients: 1

Top award: $4,000

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The Dr. Jerry Pournelle Scholarship may be awarded to a candidate of any gender majoring in engineering, math, biological or physical sciences, or “science fiction as literature” as an eligible field of study. Applicants must submit a 500-1,000 word essay on one of several scientific topics. Winners are announced on July 7th each year.

Categories: Critical Essay

Organization: The Heinlein Society

Deadline: April 01, 2026

Recipients: 1

Top award: $4,000

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The Bennett Place Support Fund, Inc. will award this $1000 scholarship to a deserving student who is a current senior of an accredited high school in North Carolina. To apply, students must write three short essays (400-600 words each) on topics related to the historic site of Bennett Place.

Categories: Critical Essay

Organization: The Bennett Place Support Fund, Inc.

Deadline: April 05, 2026

Recipients: 1

Top award: $1,000

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This scholarship, named in honor of Sigma Tau Delta's Executive Director, recognizes academic excellence and outstanding service to the Society at the local, regional, and/or national level. This scholarship requires applicants to submit, in addition to the application information and scholarship essay, a paper originally submitted as coursework and a declaration of authorship.

Categories: Critical Essay

Organization: Sigma Tau Delta

Deadline: April 07, 2026

Additional awards: 2 runner-up awards of $2,500 each

Recipients: 1

Top award: $6,000

Apply now →

This award is offered annually to students of Italian ancestry who are majoring in journalism or media communications. Award is $2,000 and is available only to residents of the Chicago metropolitan area. All applicants must submit a typewritten essay of 500 words on a topic related to the Italian-American experience, portrayal in the media, and/or history.

Categories: Critical Essay

Organization: Joint Civic Committee of Italian Americans

Deadline: May 01, 2026

Recipients: 1

Top award: $2,000

Apply now →

Prompts | Big Blue Hand | 2024-11

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