Submissions are now open!
Please follow the instructions below to submit your work
Intro
There are three parts to the scholarship information presented here:
The Sacramento Suburban Writers Club is holding an annual scholarship competition for senior high school students. The next award will be made in Spring 2026 for the best short story or essay. A prize of $1000 will be awarded to the winner, and the winning entry will be published in the Suburban Scribe, the club’s newsletter.
Submission of entry to the competition is free, subject to support by one of the applicant’s teachers.
A panel of judges will be appointed by Sacramento Suburban Writers Club to choose the winner. Decisions will be based on their individual experiences and expertise, and on a clearly defined set of writing criteria. Their decision is final.
Full rules of entry are listed below.
Entries can be independent of the student’s choice of study or vocation. There are no prerequisites for submitting an entry, for instance previous grades or qualifications will not be considered. The award will be awarded based solely on the merits of the submitted work.
All entrants will receive free membership to Sacramento Suburban Writers Club for one year. This alone is worth $30 for a full-time student membership.
Submissions will be accepted from any high school senior in the Sacramento area (and environs) who plans to attend college in the fall of 2026. Allowances will be made for students who wish to take a sabbatical before entering college.
The Sacramento Suburban Writers Club is committed to foster, encourage, and educate writers and independent publishers of all ages.
Sacramento Suburban Writers Club is a non-profit organization listed under IRS 501(c)3.
End of Intro
Teacher’s Response
In order for the student to qualify for this scholarship, one of the applicant’s teachers must send an email from the school’s email account to scholarship@sactowriters.org within two weeks of the student’s submission. The subject line of the email should say: FROM TEACHER.
Include the following information in the body of the email:
- Teacher’s name and contact info
- Name of high school
- Student’s name
In as little as one sentence, the email should confirm the following:
- The student has an interest in submitting an entry to the Sacramento Suburban Writers Scholarship competition.
End Of Teacher’s Response
Application Rules, Requirements, and Information
- Only one submission per student
- Applicant must be a senior in high school
- Submission must be matched to a Teacher’s Response (see above)
- Story or essay must be submitted to scholarship@sactowriters.org in a Microsoft Word or PDF document. A subject line of SCHOLARSHIP ENTRY will prevent the entry from getting lost.
- Plagiarism will disqualify any entry
- No profanity
- No explicit sexual references
- No AI generated content
- No poetry
- Entry must be an unpublished original short story or essay between 2,000 and 3,000 words.
- Deadline for submission is April 17, 2026.
- Scholarship funds will be paid directly to the junior college, university, training program or trade school of the student’s choice, not to the student. The fund can be used to cover tuition, fees, or books. If the money is not used within two calendar years from the date the winner is notified, the student’s winnings will become null and void, and that amount shall be resubmitted to Sacramento Suburban Writers Club for another student, after the expiration of two years.
- Submissions must be emailed to scholarship@sactowriters.org
- Judging Criteria
- Authentic (your own) genuine writing content
- Your ability to express your thoughts clearly while engaging or entertaining the reader
- Grammar, punctuation, spelling, and transitions, etc.
- The award will be announced at an Awards Banquet the evening of Monday, May 11, 2026, by the current SSWC president. The winning student will be given an opportunity to read their submission to the assembled multitudes at the banquet.
- All submissions which conform to the rules of entry will be awarded a free one-year membership to SSWC. The student membership fee of $30 will be waived. Membership in SSWC includes access to critique groups and the possibility of being published in the Suburban Scribe Newsletter.
Additional information
Scholarship funds will be paid directly to the college of the winner’s choice. The funds are for classes and books. If the student drops out of college, the funds will not be available to the student as cash, and the remainder of the funds must be returned to SSWC in a timely manner. If the money is not used within two calendar years from the date the winner is notified, that person’s winnings will become null and void.
Applicants who have won a similar Sacramento-area writing club scholarship in the previous twelve months are not eligible.
The entries of each applicant will be judged for content, clarity, and interest, as well as grammar and punctuation. The SSWC Scholarship Committee will determine the winner based on their sole discretion and best judgment.
The deadline is April 17, 2026. An email reply will be sent to each applicant within a week of receipt confirming that their entry has been received.
The winner will be announced to the media, on the SSWC website, and in our newsletter. All entrants and their families are invited to attend the SSWC Awards Banquet the evening of May 11, 2026, where the winner will be announced and will receive the award certificate.
The judges’ decision is final.
End Of Application Rules, Requirements, and Information
Student’s Submission Instructions
Submit your story or essay on any subject to scholarship@sactowriters.org in a Microsoft Word or PDF document, Times New Roman, 12-point font, one-inch margins, and double-spaced lines. Number your pages. Be creative and surprise us with your imagination. Be certain to use a subject line of SCHOLARSHIP ENTRY in the email.
Remember to keep within the limit of 2000 – 3000 words.
Include a separate file with a cover page that has:
- Your name and email address
- Your teacher’s name
- Your high school
- A short statement explaining why you are interested in writing and what it will mean for you if you win this scholarship.
The cover page and your story or essay should be in separate documents, so the author will not be known during the judging process. Attach both documents to one email and send to scholarship@sactowriters.org. To avoid getting lost, the subject line of the email should say: SCHOLARSHIP ENTRY.
Reminders:
- Make certain your teacher has sent the required response listed above.
- Stay within the 2000 – 3000 word limit.
- Email by the deadline of April 17, 2026, but earlier is better.
- Follow directions.
Judging criteria:
- Content of your story
- Ability to express your thoughts clearly while engaging or entertaining the reader
- Grammar, punctuation, spelling, and transitions