Clarion Scholarships
Most students receive some amount of financial aid to attend Clarion, although the amount of scholarship money given out each year varies according to need. Two full scholarships are provided for each Clarion class: the The Octavia E. Butler Memorial Scholarship, and the George R.R. Martin Sense of Wonder Scholarship.
The Octavia E. Butler Memorial Scholarship
Full scholarship. Sponsored by the Carl Brandon Society, to support Clarion and Clarion West students of color (this includes, but is not limited to: African-Americans, Asian-Americans, Native Americans, Latino/as, Pacific Islanders, Alaska Natives and related groups.)
George R.R. Martin Sense of Wonder Scholarship
Full scholarship. A scholarship meant to encourage aspiring writers who strive to capture that sense of wonder in stories that cross the vast vista of interstellar space. In describing what he intends this scholarship to foster, Martin writes in his Not a Blog, “I love the aliens, be they threatening or benevolent, the more alien the better. I dream of starships, strange worlds beneath the light of distant suns. I want the sights and sounds and smells of times and places and cultures colorful and exotic.”
The Delany-Kushner-Sherman / The Future is Queer Scholarship
This scholarship provides financial support for Clarion students who self-identify as part of the broader queer community. In addition, it recognizes the need for more queer representation in speculative literature, and the many hardships queer writers face due to employment, home, and financial discrimination.
The Exophonic Writers Scholarship
To encourage diverse voices and backgrounds in speculative fiction, this scholarship contributes financial support for a writer who is working in English as their second language — a writer who was not immersed in spoken or written English at least prior to the age of six (6). Writers born in the United States or another English-speaking country but who meet this criterion due to no or minimal English spoken at home in early childhood are eligible. Deaf writers and writers who are Children of Deaf Adults and who were not exposed to significant spoken English until formal schooling are also eligible.
The Ex Bellum, Literati - From War, Writing Scholarship
Many influential authors of science fiction and fantasy have been veterans of military service, experiences that profoundly shape the writer and their works. This scholarship is for those who currently serve on active duty or in the reserves, are eligible for Veterans Administration benefits, or are retired.
The Fearless Imagination Scholarship
Awarded annually to a BIPOC (Black / Indigenous / Person of Color) woman whose work provocatively and fearlessly explores complex, sensitive, yet vitally important topics in the tradition of the great SFF writers who use the genre to challenge stale conventions, overturn outdated assumptions, and advance our broader cultural imagination in essential ways.
The Leonard Pung Memorial Scholarship
Clarion alumnus Leonard Pung passed away in 2012. The Clarion class of 2009 established this scholarship as a tribute to his spirit, creativity, and courage. The scholarship is awarded to a student who begins study at the Clarion Workshop after the age of 40. Because Leonard was only starting to live his dream when he passed away, his classmates hope this scholarship will enable others to finish the journey he began.
The Michael Mason Scholarship
A scholarship in memory of Michael Mason, an enthusiastic fan of science fiction who served for many years as the librarian of the Los Angeles Science Fiction Society (LASFS).
The Dr. Philip Edward Kaldon Clarion Scholarship
This scholarship, in remembrance of Dr. Phil Kaldon (Clarion 2004), provides support for a student who has a degree in, or is teaching or working in, a STEM discipline (Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics), and whose writing typically contains some element grounded in science.
The Friends of Clarion Scholarships
A scholarship pool funded by small donations from multiple sources, including Clarion alumni, instructors, and other friends.
The Clarion Class Write-a-Thon Scholarship
Funded by Write-a-Thon donations contributed by members of the Clarion Class with the most participation, for the purpose of helping a new Clarion student with workshop tuition. The Class Write-a-Thon Scholarship is renamed annually in honor of the class whose members have collectively contributed the highest dollar amount during the Write-a-Thon.
The UCSD Knight-Wilhelm Endowed Scholarship
Administered by the University of California, San Diego in honor of Damon Knight and Kate Wilhelm, the co-founders of the Clarion Workshop, to help talented beginning writers attend Clarion.
Do you want to support the Foundation’s efforts to make Clarion affordable and accessible to all?
You can donate to support a specific scholarship and 100% of that money will go to tuition assistance for students awarded that scholarship. Check out our donation page to learn more.