Awards & Scholarships

Applications for the 2025 School of Communication scholarships are coming soon! Please review the scholarship sections by major or interest group area below and submit applications using the form linked below.

Seniors graduating in May and August 2025 are not eligible for scholarships.

Incomplete applications will not be considered.

Only apply for scholarships you meet the criteria for.

Guidelines for Applicants

While each scholarship offered through the School of Communication has its own specific requirements, a competitive scholarship application generally includes:

An applicant resume: A summary of the awards, achievements and experiences that make you a strong candidate for the specific scholarship for which you are applying.

Note: including high school achievements is allowed

Each scholarship offered through the School also has a specific set of qualifications for applicants, including area of study, year in school, and student GPA. Applicants who do not meet these qualifications will not be considered for the award. All scholarship awards are applied through Financial Aid to your student account on the 10th day of the Fall semester following the School of Communication Awards and Scholarship Luncheon. No checks are awarded to recipients by the School or Foundation. To determine the impact of a scholarship on your financial aid package, please contact your Financial Aid Officer. Scholarship awards will not be applied to your student account until a thank you letter to the scholarship donor is received in the School of Communication office and all scholarship requirements have been met. The philosophy of the ISU Foundation, the ISU office that works with scholarships, has been that student scholarships should apply to school expenses at ISU, and thus should not be awarded the semester a student is graduating. To bring the School of Communication in line with that philosophy, starting spring, 2014, graduating seniors will not be eligible to receive these scholarships.

All Majors

The Dr. John Baldwin Leadership Award Endowed Fund

Background: The Dr. John Baldwin Leadership Award celebrates the faculty of Illinois State University and specifically, the School of Communication. The award honors Dr. John Baldwin, a professor in the School of Communication, who like many of his colleagues, teaches students the value of scholarship and charity in service to the university community. The award recognizes student leaders who demonstrate a similar commitment to the university, their peers, and their own education.

Requirements

Must be an undergraduate student in good academic standing in the School of Communication at Illinois State University
Demonstrated academic achievement, as evidenced by an accumulative GPA of at least 3.0 on a 4.0 scale and a GPA of at least 3.25 in the School of Communication major
Must demonstrate outstanding leadership in the School of Communication and the Illinois State University community

Steve Berger Scholarship

Background: This award was created to provide financial assistance for students.

Requirements

Must be enrolled in at least one of the following majors: Communication Studies, Journalism, Mass Media, or Public Relations
Must be at a grade level of: Freshman, Sophomore, or Junior
Must possess a GPA of at least 3.0 on a 4.0 scale
Must have demonstrated financial need, as defined by the Office of Financial Aid

The Duquenne Family Scholarship for Communication Students

Background: This award was created to provide financial assistance for students.

Requirements

Must be enrolled in a major in the School of Communication
Must be an undergraduate student
Must possess a GPA of at least 3.0 on a 4.0 scale
Must be involved with a minimum of one registered student organization (RSO) but preference will be given to those who are involved with School of Communication organizations. Please list your involvement in your application.

Latoria J. Caroll Farmer Scholarship

Background: This award was created to provide financial assistance for students.

Requirements

Must be enrolled in a major in the School of Communication
Must be at a grade level of: Junior
Must be a first-generation college student
Must have demonstrated financial need, as determined by the Office of Financial Aid

Stephen and Sara Hunt Back-a-Bird Scholarship Fund

Background: THis award was created to provide financial assistance for students.

Requirements

Must be an undergraduate student in good academic standing in the School of Communication at Illinois State University
Must be enrolled in a major in the School of Communication
Must possess a GPA of at least 3.0 on a 4.0 scale
Must be at a grade level of: Freshman

Tom and Connie (Kouspolos) Kitzinger Scholarship

Background: This award was created to provide financial assistance for students.

Requirements

Must be enrolled in a major in the School of Communication
Must be at a grade level of: Incoming Freshman
Must have demonstrated financial need, as defined by the Office of Financial Aid

Comm Studies

The Lloyd and Mary Watkins Endowed Communication Studies Scholarship

Background: The Lloyd and Mary Watkins fund was originally established in 1988 by a gift from Champion Federal Savings and Loan, headquartered in Bloomington, Illinois to honor former President and First Lady, Lloyd and Mary Watkins. At the request of Dr. Watkins, the purpose of the fund was changed to support scholarships in the School of Communication.

Requirements:

Must be an undergraduate student in academic good standing in the Communication Studies degree program within the School of Communication at Illinois State University.
Must possess a GPA of at least 3.2 on a 4.0 scale
Preference will be given to students exhibiting significant training and experience in public address/speaking and leadership
A strong commitment to the study and practice of communication and demonstrated creativity, leadership, and interpersonal and public speaking communication skills

Application: coming soon

Deadline for application: TBD

Forensics/Speech/Debate

For more information about Speech and Debate Scholarships, visit the Forensics website.

Graduate

Eric Hoss Vidette Scholarship

Background: Eric Hoss, alumnus of The Vidette, has established a fund to support activities, scholarships, programs, professional development, and operations associated with The Vidette and the School of Communication. The fund supports an annual $1,000 scholarship providing financial assistance for students on staff at The Vidette.

Requirements:

Must be at a grade level of: Freshman, Sophomore, Junior, or Graduate
Must be on staff at The Vidette
Must have exhibited journalistic excellence over the course of the academic year, and will be selected by the General Manager of The Vidette

Harry & Jo Thiel "Red Line" Scholarship Fund

Background: The Harry and Jo Thiel "Red Line" Scholarship was established in 2015 in honor of Harry, the Vidette GM from 1976-1996, and his wife Jo, who together guided countless Vidette staffers in journalism and life. The "Red Line" refers to the enduring and endearing red pen Harry used to provide journalistic tutelage to all Vidette staffers who served during his extremely influential ISU career. Harry's red pen taught many as much about reporting and writing as any other journalistic experience.

Requirements:

Must be at a grade level of: Freshman, Sophomore, Junior, or Graduate
Must be on staff at The Vidette
Must have exhibited journalistic excellence over the course of the academic year, and will be selected by the General Manager of The Vidette

The Pantagraph Endowed Scholarship

Background: In support of the ISU Campaign of Defining "Normal", the Pantagraph made a five year (2004-2009) $25,000 gift commitment designated to the School of Communication. An endowed scholarship named in honor of the Pantagraph has been established to provide educational support to students preparing for professional work as journalists and/or in the area of Mass Communication.

Requirements:

Must be enrolled in good academic standing in the School of Communication at Illinois State University
Must possess a GPA of at least 3.0 on a 4.0 scale
Must have a declared major within the School of Communication
Must have completed at least one semester as a full-time graduate student or be a full-time undergraduate student with a minimum of 60 earned credited hours
Must demonstrate strong academic achievement
Display leadership and a sincere interest in journalism as evidenced by participation in organizations as approved by the School of Communication

Journalism

The Doris Dungey Endowed Scholarship Fund

Background: Doris Dungey was known as "Tan Ta" to her family, friends and readers. Tan Ta spent most of her life working as a mortgage banker while her true passion was writing. She has a unique balance of humor, a passion for delving into the details, an understanding of people and a strong sense of human decency. Tan Ta displayed an instant recognizable writing style filled with spirit, insight and literary illusions; this continues to attract, inform and entertain readers from a wide variety of backgrounds. She enjoyed interacting with her readers and was a generous teacher, touching many lives through her work.

Requirements:

Must be an undergraduate student in good academic standing in the School of Communication at Illinois State University
Must possess a GPA of at least 3.0 on a 4.0 scale
Demonstrated financial need, as defined by the Office of Financial Aid
Must be enrolled in one of the following majors: Journalism or Mass Media
Must have work experience, extracurricular or volunteer activities (special emphasis for work on high school newspaper, year-book, or related experience)
Must be used for educational expenses

Eric Hoss Vidette Scholarship

Background: Eric Hoss, alumnus of The Vidette, has established a fund to support activities, scholarships, programs, professional development, and operations associated with The Vidette and the School of Communication. The fund supports an annual $1,000 scholarship providing financial assistance for students on staff at The Vidette.

Requirements:

Must be at a grade level of: Freshman, Sophomore, Junior, and Graduate.
Must be on staff at The Vidette
Must have exhibited journalistic excellence over the course of the academic year, and will be selected by the the General Manager of The Vidette

The Iola Stoops Juarez Endowed Journalism Scholarship

Background: This award was created to assist in the education of an undergraduate journalism student who works at the ISU newspaper, the Vidette.

Requirements:

Must be an undergraduate student in good academic standing in the School of Communication at Illinois State University
Must possess a GPA of at least 3.0 on a 4.0 scale
Must be enrolled in the followed major: Journalism
A member of The Vidette staff
Scholarship funds must be used for educational expenses
Student must have demonstrated financial need, as defined by the Office of Financial Aid

Kelly Seaton Memorial Scholarship Fund

Background: the Illinois Broadcasters Foundation (IBF) memorializes Kelly Seaton through this annual award of $1,000.

Requirements:

Must be at the grade level of: Junior
Must be enrolled in one of the following majors: Journalism or Mass Media

The Martin F. Duffy Scholarship Fund in Communication

Background: To memorialize their friend and colleague employees at USG Corporation, along with members of Marty's family, established the Martin F. Duffy Scholarship Fund in Communication.

Requirements:

Must be an undergraduate student, preferably journalism major, and enrolled in good academic standing in the School of Communication at Illinois State University
Must possess a minimum of 60 credit hours and an accumulated GPA of at least 3.0 on a 4.0 scale
Scholarship funds must be used for educational expenses

The Pantagraph Endowed Scholarship

Requirements:

Must be enrolled in good academic standing in the School of Communication at Illinois State University
Must possess a GPA of at least 3.0 on a 4.0 scale
Must have a declared major within the School of Communication
Must have completed at least one semester as a full-time graduate student or be a full-time undergraduate student with a minimum of 60 earned credited hours
Must demonstrate strong academic achievement
Display leadership and a sincere interest in journalism as evidenced by participation in organizations as approved by the School of Communication

The Randy Salerno Endowed Memorial Scholarship

Background: This fund is established by an initial gift of $25,000 from the Randy Salerno foundation. Additional fundraising will be done by the School of Communication at ISU through contacts with alumni, faculty and friends who knew and appreciated Randy's dedication to excellence in broadcast journalism.

Requirements:

Must be a full-time undergraduate student with a minimum of 30 earned credit hours with a declared major of journalism within the School of Communication at Illinois State University
Must have demonstrated financial need, as defined by the Office of Financial Aid

The Vicki Lynn Kelley Endowed Scholarship Fund

Background: The Vicki Lynn Kelley Endowed Scholarship Fund will support undergraduate students studying communication with a preference to those pursuing careers in radio journalism. It is the donor's wish that selection not be based solely on academic merit but rather in tangible skills that will contribute to the students career success; initiative creativity, ethical leadership and a commitment to improving the lives of others through the field of communication.

Requirements:

Must be an undergraduate student in good academic standing in the School of Communication at Illinois State University.
Must possess a GPA of at least 3.2 on a 4.0 scale
Preference will be given to students pursuing careers in broadcast journalism
A strong commitment to the field of broadcast journalism and demonstrated creativity, leadership and interpersonal communication skills

The Hendershott Love Scholarship Fund

Background:The Hendershott Love Scholarship Fund will support a TV-10 student.

Requirements:

Must be at a grade level of: Junior
Must possess a GPA of at least 3.0 on a 4.0 scale
Must be a student in TV-10
Must have demonstrated financial need, as defined by the Office of Financial Aid

The Les and Shannon Vann Endowed Scholarship Fund

Background: The Les and Shannon Vann Endowed Scholarship Fund will support a TV-10 student.

Requirements:

Must be at a grade level of: Junior
Must possess a GPA of at least 3.0 on a 4.0 scale
Must be a student in TV-10

The Carl Hulse Scholarship Fund

Background: The Carl Hulse Scholarship Fund was created to establish a scholarship for a student in the School of Communication that is also working on the editorial staff or as a reporter for The Vidette, Illinois State University's student newspaper.

Requirements:

Must be a student in the School of Communication
Must be editorial staff or a reporter at The Vidette
Scholarship funds must be used for educational expenses

The Eymann School of Communication Scholarship

Background: This award was created to provide financial assistance for students.

Requirements:

Preference given to a student who worked or interned at a public broadcast station or any broadcast station
Must possess a GPA of at least 3.0 on a 4.0 scale
Must have demonstrated financial need, as defined by the Office of Financial Aid

Harry & Jo Thiel "Red Line" Scholarship Fund

Background: The Harry and Jo Thiel "Red Line" Scholarship was established in 2015 in honor of Harry, the Vidette GM from 1976-1996, and his wife Jo, who together guided countless Vidette staffers in journalism and life. The "Red Line" refers to the enduring and endearing red pen Harry used to provide journalistic tutelage to all Vidette staffers who served during his extremely influential ISU career. Harry's red pen taught many as much about reporting and writing as any other journalistic experience.

Requirements:

Must be at a grade level of: Freshman, Sophomore, Junior, or Graduate
Must be on staff at The Vidette
Must have exhibited journalistic excellence over the course of the academic year, and will be selected by the General Manager of The Vidette

Application: coming soon

Deadline for application: TBD

Mass Media

The Doris Dungey Endowed Scholarship Fund

Requirements:

Must be an undergraduate student and enrolled in good academic standing in the School of Communication at Illinois State University
Must possess a GPA of at least 3.0 on a 4.0 scale
Must be enrolled in one of the following majors: Journalism or Mass Media
Demonstrated financial need, as defined by the Office of Financial Aid
Work experience, extracurricular or volunteer activities (special emphasis for work on high school newspaper, year-book, or related experience)
Scholarship must be used for educational expenses

Eric Hoss Vidette Scholarship

Requirements:

Must be at a grade level of: Freshman, Sophomore, Junior, or Graduate
Must be on staff at The Vidette
Must have exhibited journalistic excellence over the course of the academic year, and will be selected by the General Manager of The Vidette

Illinois Broadcasters Association Endowed Scholarship

Background: This scholarship is created by the Illinois Broadcasters Association in recognition of the excellent education offered by the School of Communication at Illinois State University. The purpose of the scholarship is to recognize those students who seek a career in media management, sales and promotion broadcasting.

Requirements:

Must be an undergraduate student in good academic standing in the School of Communication at Illinois State University
Must possess a GPA of at least 3.0 on a 4.0 scale
Demonstrated financial need, as defined by the Office of Financial Aid will be considered, but primary consideration will be merit based
Preference will be given to students pursuing careers in media management, sales and promotion in broadcasting

Kelly Seaton Memorial Scholarship Fund

Background: the Illinois Broadcasters Foundation (IBF) memorializes Kelly Seaton through this annual award of $1,000.

Requirements:

Must be at the grade level of: Junior
Must be enrolled in one of the following majors: Journalism or Mass Media

The Vicki Lynn Kelley Endowed Scholarship Fund

Requirements:

Must be an undergraduate student in good academic standing in the School of Communication at Illinois State University
Must possess a GPA of at least 3.2 on a 4.0 scale
Preference will be given to students pursuing careers in broadcast journalism
A strong commitment to the field of broadcast journalism and demonstrated creativity, leadership and interpersonal communication skills

The Eymann School of Communication Scholarship

Background: This award was created to provide financial assistance for students.

Requirements:

Must possess a GPA of at least 3.0 on a 4.0 scale
Demonstrated financial need, as defined by the Office of Financial Aid
Preference given to a student who worked or interned at a public broadcast station or any broadcast station

The Spilatro Scholarship Fund

Background: This award was created to provide financial assistance for students.

Requirements:

Must be at a grade level of: Freshman, Sophomore, or Junior
Must be enrolled in the following major: Mass Media
Must be involved in TV-10, with preference given to students involved in the production side of TV-10

Harry & Jo Thiel "Red Line" Scholarship Fund

Requirements:

Must be at a grade level of: Freshman, Sophomore, Junior, or Graduate
Must be on staff at The Vidette
Must have exhibited journalistic excellence over the course of the academic year, and will be selected by the General Manager of The Vidette

Application: coming soon

Deadline for application: TBD

Public Relations

The Mayor Judy Scholarship Fund

Background: In 1986, Judy Markowitz made a major financial commitment to ISU to establish a fund to assist students in the College of Arts and Sciences, School of Communication who major in public relations. Income from the endowment fund is to be used toward tuition and academic expenses.

Requirements:

Must be enrolled in good academic standing in the School of Communication at Illinois State University
Must be at a grade level of: Junior
Must be enrolled in the following major: Public Relations

Pecora-Keane Family Scholarship

Background: This award was created to provide financial assistance for students.

Requirements:

Must be at a grade level of: Freshman, Sophomore, or Junior
Must have a minimum of 2.8 on a 4.0 scale
Primary preference given to student in Public Relations
Secondary preference to student in the School of Communication
Preference given to students experiencing temporary financial hardship due to unexpected medical diagnosis

Application: coming soon

Deadline for application: TBD