Department of English
Scholarships
The Fresno State Foundation — with additional support from the Alumni Association and the Division of Research and Graduate studies — awarded 42 scholarships worth more than $52,500 to students majoring in English and creative writing for 2023-24. These scholarship awards, through nominations by English Department faculty, come from endowment funds and gifts to the university. Awards range from $500 to $10,000.
The English scholarship committee is chaired by Dr. William Arce. The creative writing scholarship committee is chaired by Prof. Brynn Saito. The department's representative on the College of Arts and Humanities development committee is Dr. René Rodríguez-Astacio.
Two scholarships of $500 -- one at the undergraduate and one at the graduate level -- are awarded each fall to students who demonstrate significant interest in Chicano/a culture and/or history and who are pursuing a career in the field of creative writing.
Students apply through the Department's call for submissions, and selection is made by an outside judge chosen by the creative writing faculty.
One scholarship (amount varies) is awarded every other fall, in odd-numbered years, to a graduate student studying poetry in the Creative Writing MFA program.
Students apply through the University's general scholarship application, and selection is made by the creative writing faculty.
This is an apply-to award; students must select the opportunity to qualify.
One fellowship of $1,000 is awarded each fall to a third-year poetry student in the Creative Writing MFA program, as nominated by the poetry faculty.
Scholarships (amounts vary) are awarded each fall to students in the liberal arts who are studying literature and writing, with preference given to incoming graduate students in the Creative Writing MFA program.
Students apply through the University's general scholarship application, and selection is made by the creative writing faculty.
This is an auto-match award; English Department students automatically qualify.
Scholarships (amounts vary) are awarded each fall to students with a declared major in the English Department, all programs.
Students apply through the University's general scholarship application, and selection is made by the faculty.
This is an auto-match award; English Department students automatically qualify.
Scholarships (amounts vary) are awarded each fall to students with a declared major in the English Department, all programs.
Students apply through the University's general scholarship application, and selection is made by the English faculty.
This is an auto-match award; English Department students automatically qualify.
One scholarship (amount varies) is awarded each fall to a student who demonstrates significant interest in pursuing a career in creative writing, with preference given to a second- or third-year student in the Creative Writing MFA program.
Students will apply through the University's general scholarship application, and selection will be made by the creative writing faculty.
This is an apply-to award; students must select the opportunity to qualify.
One scholarship of $1,000 is awarded each fall to a student studying creative writing, with preference given to undergraduate English - Creative Writing majors.
Students apply through the University's general scholarship application, and selection is made by the English faculty.
This is an auto-match award; English Department students automatically qualify.
One scholarship (amount varies) is awarded each fall to a deserving student based on compelling writing and artistic potential in English or Creative Writing, with preference given to a second- or third-year student in the Creative Writing MFA program.
Students apply through the University's general scholarship application, and selection is made by the creative writing faculty.
This is an auto-match award; English Department students automatically qualify.
One scholarship (amount varies) is awarded each fall to a student who is pursuing a degree in English who demonstrates significant interest in multiethnic literatures.
Students apply through the University's general scholarship application, and selection will be made by the English faculty.
This is an apply-to award; students must select the opportunity to qualify.
Scholarships (amounts vary) are awarded each fall to students who are pursuing a degree in English.
Students apply through the University's general scholarship application, and selection is made by the English faculty.
This is an auto-match award; English Department students automatically qualify.
Two scholarships (amount varies) are awarded each fall to students who demonstrate significant interest in the Hmong or Asian American cultural experience.
Students apply through the University's general scholarship application, and selection is made by the creative writing faculty.
This is an auto-match award; English Department students automatically qualify.
One scholarship (amount varies) is awarded each fall to a second- or third-year student in the Creative Writing MFA program.
Students apply through the University's general scholarship application, and selection is made by the creative writing faculty.
This is an apply-to award; students must select the opportunity to qualify.
Fresno State's current scholarship application period begins October 1, 2021 and ends March 2, 2022. This application period is for current-year scholarship opportunities that may become available during the 2021-22 academic year, as well as for future-year scholarship opportunities for the 2022-23 academic year.
Please note there are different deadline dates for the various scholarship opportunities offered at Fresno State. Because these deadline dates can change without notice, please do not procrastinate on finishing the application process. If you are enrolled at Fresno State, submit your scholarship application as soon as possible. This will allow you to be considered for current-year opportunities that may become available, as well as future-year opportunities.
To apply for English and creative writing scholarships listed on this webpage, please complete the Fresno State general scholarships application.
2025-26 Recipients
Andrés Montoya Memorial Scholarships
- Stefan Leiva (MFA Creative Writing)
- Emerald Hope Medrano (MFA Creative Writing)
Benck Family Scholarship for Poetry
- Amelia Holguin (MFA Creative Writing)
C.G. Hanzlicek Poetry Writing Fellowship
- Audra Burwell (MFA Creative Writing)
Cheng Lok Chua Scholarship
- Noah Reed Miranda (B.A. English - Literature)
College of Arts and Humanities - Dean's Council Scholarships
- Phoua Lee (MFA Creative Writing)
- Jessika Torres (M.A. English - Literature)
College of Arts and Humanities - Dean's Council Scholarships (Honors Program)
- Aaron Alvidrez (B.A. English - Literature)
- Devynn Brown (B.A. English - Literature)
- Angelina Johnson (B.A. English - Literature)
- Noah Reed Miranda (B.A. English - Literature)
College of Arts and Humanities - general scholarships
- Victoria Acevedo (B.A. English Studies)
- Seth Ervin (M.A. English - Literature)
- Victoria Hopper (M.A. English - Rhetoric and Writing Studies)
- Phoua Lee (MFA Creative Writing)
- Jessika Torres (M.A. English - Literature)
Edward and Alberta Brown Scholarships
- Alexander Ayers (MFA Creative Writing)
- Deborah Mechelle Bento (MFA Creative Writing)
- Oliver Esparza Nava (MFA Creative Writing)
- Celeste Jones (MFA Creative Writing)
- Emerald Hope Medrano (MFA Creative Writing)
- Kayla Quevedo (MFA Creative Writing)
- Leslie Kay Quintana (MFA Creative Writing)
- Tere Joyce Randolph (MFA Creative Writing)
- Steven Sandage (MFA Creative Writing)
- Indigo Terán (MFA Creative Writing)
- Ivy Tong (MFA Creative Writing)
English Department Scholarship
- Taylor King (B.A. English - Literature)
Georganne and Phillip Robert Tombs Scholarships
- Aaron Alvidrez (B.A. English - Literature)
- Devynn Brown (B.A. English - Literature)
- Analaura Flores (B.A. English Studies)
- Mariah Gabler (M.A. English - Literature)
- Angelina Johnson (B.A. English - Literature)
- Joshua Sagouspe (M.A. English - Literature)
- Isabella Seechan (B.A. English - Literature)
- Hope Vang (M.A. English - Literature)
H. Ray McKnight Memorial Scholarship
- Aliyah Torres (M.A. English - Literature)
John and Corrinne Hales Scholarship
- Anya Connelly-Howland (MFA Creative Writing)
Larry Levis Memorial Scholarship
- Soreath Hok (MFA Creative Writing)
Mireyda Barraza Martinez Memorial Scholarships
- Angelina Leaños (MFA Creative Writing)
- Stefan Leiva (MFA Creative Writing)
Peter Everwine Memorial Scholarship
- Dani Conklin (B.A. English - Creative Writing)
Philip Levine Scholarship
- Chou Xiong (MFA Creative Writing)
Professor Emeritus Eugene Zumwalt Scholarships
- Abigail Early (B.A. English - Literature)
- Jayla Kajitani (M.A. English - Rhetoric and Writing Studies)
Soul Vang Scholarship in honor of Nouchue Vang and Ying Yang Vang
- Ivy Tong (MFA Creative Writing)
Whitey Alan Fisher Memorial Scholarship
- Taylor Seals (MFA Creative Writing)
Division of Research and Graduate Studies - Nonresident Tuition Waiver Awards
- Emerald Hope Medrano (MFA Creative Writing)
- Juana Santana (MFA Creative Writing)
The English Department's annual Creative Writing Prize contests are organized each spring by the Creative Writing Program, with financial support from the Academy of American Poets and community donors. The faculty coordinator for the prizes is Prof. Brynn Saito.
2025 Winners
Read the full news release on the MFA blog
Ernesto Trejo Poetry Prize (graduate)
- Winner: Taylor Seals
- Honorable Mention: Angelina Leaños
Larry Levis Poetry Prize (undergraduate)
- Winner: Dawn Parker
- Honorable Mention: Celeste Jones
Soul Vang Prize for Poetry
- Winner: Phoua Lee
Mireyda Barraza Martinez Prize for Social Justice Writing
- Winner: Phoua Lee
Fresno Fiction Prize (graduate)
- Winner: Stefan Romeo Leiva
- Honorable Mention: Phoua Lee
Fresno Fiction Prize (undergraduate)
- Winner: Dawn Parker
- Honorable Mention: Steven Sandage
Fresno Creative Nonfiction Prize (graduate)
- Winner: Soreath Hok
Fresno Creative Nonfictin Prize (undergraduate)
- Winner: Steven Sandage
English and creative writing students excel in their scholarly and creative work, and they consistently achieve significant academic honors and professional accolades. The education they receive today will help them to make a difference in our communities tomorrow.
Your generous donations to English Department scholarships and projects directly help our students achieve their goals. We greatly appreciate the support of our donors.
If you would like to contribute to an existing scholarship or establish one of your own, please contact Dr. John Beynon, department chair, at jbeynon@csufresno.edu or 559.278.2553.