Angie Thomas Scholarship

Belhaven University is proud to offer the Angie Thomas Writer's Scholarship program to freshmen as candidates for the BFA in Creative Writing.

The program provides one student with a four-year, full-ride scholarship covering tuition, room, and board. Additional scholarships—and designations as Angie Thomas Scholars—will be offered to all other applicants. All portfolios submitted by the deadline date will be considered for scholarships.

These scholarships are named in honor of Belhaven alumna Angie Thomas (BFA 2011), author of the New York Times best-selling novels The Hate U Give, On the Come Up, and Concrete Rose. In 2018, The Hate U Give premiered as a major motion picture from Fox 2000 starring Amandla Stenberg. Angie has received many awards and accolades for her writing, including the William C. Morris Award, the Coretta Scott King Award, and nomination for the National Book Award.

The Angie Thomas Writer's Scholarship is open to incoming freshmen who wish to major in Creative Writing. Students who utilize Belhaven’s Double Major Promise are also eligible if they choose Creative Writing as one of their majors.

Scholarship and Portfolio Instructions:

For your portfolio to be reviewed and to be considered for the Angie Thomas Writer's Scholarship you must provide the following:

• Twelve to fifteen pages of your best creative writing. You may include the following genres in your application portfolio: poetry, fiction, plays, and creative nonfiction. All of your portfolio may be from one genre or a mix of genres.
• A three- to four-page essay responding to the following questions:
  • What would you most like others to know about you and your community?
  • How have reading and writing shaped your sense of place and purpose in the world?
  • What would you most like to accomplish as a writer?
  • Include examples that help the reader know you, your community, and your calling as a writer.
• A cover letter with the following information: name, home address, email address, telephone number, high school, and how you heard about the Angie Thomas Writer's Scholarship.
• A completed application for admission to Belhaven University and declare Creative Writing as a major.
• When available, a Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). Belhaven's FAFSA code is 002397.

All materials are due by November 16, 2023. Applications will be reviewed, and winners will be selected on December 15, 2023. These submissions should be sent to the Office of Admission at admission@belhaven.edu.

If you have questions about the scholarship or the application process, contact the Office of Admission at 1-800-960-5940 or admission@belhaven.edu.

If you have questions about the creative writing program, please contact the department chair, Dr. Randy Smith, at 601-968-8996 (work) or 601-832-7639 (cell) or rsmith@belhaven.edu.