National Press Club

Seeking volunteer judges this spring to select 6 NPC scholarship winners

Holly Butcher Grant

February 06, 2026

The National Press Club and the Journalism Institute are seeking volunteers this spring to review and select recipients for all 2026 NPC scholarships. 

Each judge is committing to:

  • Reviewing applications for one of the six scholarship opportunities listed below. 

  • Being available during a one-hour window on Saturday, April 25, for a Zoom meeting to discuss and select the scholarship winner. 

  • Being available to evaluate applications independently (on your own time) the two weeks ahead of the April 25 judging session. Each judge will review 10 to 12 applications.

  • Watching an orientation video explaining the judging process and our scholarship platform.

Scholarships being awarded this year are:

  • The Scholarship for Journalism Diversity Honoring Julie Schoo: A $5,000 scholarship awarded to a high school senior that can be renewed for up to three years at $5,000 per year. 

  • The Richard G. Zimmerman Scholarship: A one-time scholarship of $5,000 to support a high school senior who wishes to pursue a career in journalism. 

  • The Wes Vernon Broadcast Scholarship: Supports diversity within broadcast journalism. The scholarship is $5,000 awarded to a student who demonstrates a commitment to a career in broadcast journalism. The award can be renewed for up to three years.  

  • The Lewis Scholarship: Provides housing and a monthly stipend to support student journalists of color with newsroom internships in Washington, D.C., during the summer semester. Students must be a college junior or senior.

  • The Dennis and Shirley Feldman Fellowship: Recognizes a journalism graduate student with a one-time scholarship of $5,000. 

  • NEW IN 2026: The Rich Passan Sports Writing Scholarship: A $5,000 award supporting undergraduate college juniors or seniors who demonstrate excellence and promise in sports journalism.

If you'd like to be a judge, please complete this form. Judges will be chosen on a first come, first to serve basis. In addition to knowing they are supporting the next generation of journalists, scholarship judges will be acknowledged in the Wire and in NPC Journalism Institute publications.

National Press Club scholarships are administered by its nonprofit affiliate, the National Press Club Journalism Institute. Click here to learn more.