Bennington Young Writers Awards
ListedCompetition
- Award
- Cash by category: $2,000 first, $1,000 second, $500 third; distinguished submissions $250. First-place winners enrolling at Bennington receive full tuition for four years; distinguished recipients half tuition for four years; finalists $25,000 per year for four years. Additional scholarship renewal conditions are not published in the contest rules.
- Deadline
- For the 2026-27 awards, September 1, 2026 at 9 a.m. ET through November 1, 2026 at 11:59 p.m. ET; winners announced spring 2027.
- How to apply
- Submit one typed English entry in one writing category: one fiction story/excerpt, one nonfiction essay/excerpt, or one to three poems, with a strict total limit of 1,500 words including titles, headers, footers and citations. A teacher must review and approve it; homeschooled entrants use a non-parent mentor. Grades 9 to 11 register for the YCA portal; grade 12 completes the free, nonbinding Common or Coalition application and then receives submission instructions.
- What you'll need
- A separate scholarship application
- Who can apply
- Currently enrolled grades 9 to 12 worldwide, including homeschooled students. Graduates, gap-year and transfer students are excluded. One submission per discipline and one award discipline per student; simultaneous submissions to other competitions/publications are allowed.
- Good to know
- Free entry. AI may not be used for brainstorming, creating, drafting, revising or collaboration. Seniors must complete their Bennington application before entering. Student ownership and future publication rights remain, while winning/distinguished work may be showcased. College scholarships require enrollment at Bennington; complete renewal conditions are not published on the award pages.
- Details
- WritingInternational students eligibleNo AI assistance allowed