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College of Liberal Arts Department of English
Texas State College of Liberal Arts Department of English Student Resources Scholarships

Scholarships

University Scholarships

Scholarships offered by the university can be found on the Financial Aid website.

Department Scholarships

As of fall 2019, students can apply to the department of English scholarships through the BOSS portal.

Once you log in with your net ID and password, you will complete a few questions; if you meet the eligibility criteria for any scholarships, BOSS will list them as “Recommended Opportunities."

Scholarship FAQ

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  • Below is a list of scholarships in BOSS with details about eligibility in parenthesis:

    Brunson Family Scholarship in Literature (for graduate students pursuing the MA in Literature)

    Janie Grayson Endowed Scholarship (for a MA in Literature graduate student)

    T.V. Grayson Endowed Scholarship (for a student in any graduate program)

    Mary Louise Hightower Scholarship (for juniors or seniors)

    Ralph and Francys Houston Scholarship (for juniors, seniors, or graduate students)

    Judith Caldwell Miller Endowed Scholarship (for juniors, seniors, or graduate students)

    Billy G. Moore Endowed Scholarship (for a MA in Literature graduate student)

    Lorin D. Parkin English Scholarship (for undergraduates)

    Mamie Smith Memorial Scholarship (for juniors, seniors, or graduate students)

    David Stevens Memorial Scholarship (for juniors, seniors, or graduate students)

    Robert W. and Gloria D. Walts Scholarship (for juniors or seniors)

    Ione Dodson Young Scholarship (for juniors, seniors, or MA Literature graduate students)

    Leonard and Elizabeth Wright Scholarship for Future Teachers (for juniors, seniors, or graduate students planning to enter the teaching profession)

  • The application process in BOSS allows you to enter your references’ email addresses. We strongly recommend that you contact your references prior to submitting their contact information in the system. Once you have submitted their contact information, the system enables you to remind your references about submitting their letters. Please contact your references at least three weeks prior to when you would like to complete your application.

Scholarship recipient
Judith Caldwell Miller Endowed Scholarship recipient Justin Carroll. Presented by Professor Skerpan-Wheeler.

All Scholarship recipients must be English majors, enrolled full time, and have at least a 3.5 Texas State GPA.

Deadline for scholarship applications is February 1, 2020.

 
The Thomas L. Brasher Scholarship for graduate students honors a noted Walt Whitman scholar and Piper Professor who taught in the Department of English from 1956 to 1977.
 
The G. Jack Gravitt Scholarship honors a Texas State University alumnus who taught in the English Department (1971 to 2000) and served as Chair and Dean of Liberal Arts. It is awarded to an incoming MA-Literature student who is also applying for a teaching or instructional assistantship.
 
The Mary Louise Hightower Scholarship honors a professor who taught in the English Department from 1947 to 1970. It is awarded to juniors and seniors.
 
The Ralph and Francys Houston Scholarship honors Distinguished Professor Emeritus Ralph Houston and his wife, Francys. Professor Houston taught in the English Department from 1937 to 1978 and served as both Chair and Dean of Liberal and Fine Arts. The scholarship is awarded to juniors, seniors, or graduate students.
 
The Mary Jo Austin McCormick Endowed Scholarship for Poetry is awarded to an outgoing MFA-Poetry student for best thesis or overall body of work.
 
The William F. McKeen III Memorial Scholarship honors a graduate student from Kansas who received his MA in English posthumously in May 2000. It is awarded to incoming graduate students.
 
The Judith Caldwell Miller Endowed Scholarship honors a professor who taught in the English Department from 1971 to 1980 and helped develop a women’s studies program. It is awarded to juniors, seniors, or graduate students.

 

Scholarship recipient
David Stevens Memorial Scholarship recipient Morgan Gross. Presented by Mrs. Ann Stevens.

The Lorin D. Parkin Scholarship honors the father of former English Professor Diane Parkin-Speer and is awarded to undergraduate English majors.

The Norman Peterson and Charles Mosley Scholarship is awarded to an outstanding poet entering the Master of Fine Arts Program. It honors former Texas State English professor Norman Peterson and Charles Mosley, a supporter of the MFA Program.

The W. Morgan and Lou Claire Rose Fellowship is an annual $37,500 fellowship established in memory of Lou Claire Rose, an aspiring novelist whose papers are held by the Southwestern Writers Collection at Texas State University. It is awarded to an incoming MFA-creative Writing student.

The Mamie E. Smith Memorial Scholarship honors an English professor who taught in the department from 1958 to 1966. It is awarded to juniors, senior, or graduate students.

The David Stevens Memorial Scholarship honors an English professor who taught in the department from 1966 to 1983 and served as Graduate Advisor. It is awarded to a graduate student or, under special circumstances, an undergraduate.

Award recipient
Gates Thomas Award for Fiction recipient Kevin Talley. Presented by Professor Jones.

The Mary-Agnes Taylor Scholarship honors a Texas State University Distinguished Alumna who taught children’s literature in the department from 1967 to 1991. It is used to defray travel expenses of an English major or minor invited to present a paper at a conference.

The Robert W. and Gloria D. Walts Scholarship honors Distinguished Professor Emeritus and Piper Professor Robert Walts and his wife, Gloria. Professor Walts taught in the department (1957-1987) and served as Chair. The scholarship is awarded to juniors and seniors.

The Leonard and Elizabeth Wright Scholarship for Future Teachers honors English professor and Chair Leonard Wright and his wife, Elizabeth. Professor Wright taught in the department from 1925 to 1954. The scholarship is awarded to juniors, seniors, or graduate students.

The Jennie Wrisley Scholarship honors a former Texas State MFA poetry student. The scholarship is awarded to MFA poetry students entering their second or third year of study.

The Ione Dodson Young Scholarship honors an English professor who taught in the department from 1955 to 1973. It is awarded to undergraduates or graduate students majoring in literature.

The Ralph Cheyney and Lucia Trent Poetry Prize was established by Texas State University alumnus Trent Cheyney and his wife, Markay, to honor Mr. Cheyney’s parents. It is awarded to the student submitting the best poem to Persona, the English Department’s student literary magazine.

The Gates Thomas Fiction Prize honors a former English professor and Chair who first joined the department in 1909, when the institution was called Texas State Normal School. It is awarded to the student submitting the best story to Persona, the English Department’s student literary magazine.

The Sigma Tau Delta Scholarship goes to an outstanding member of the Texas State University chapter of Sigma Tau Delta, the national honor society for English majors.