AWP HBCU Fellowship Program

To invite strong participation within AWP from historically Black colleges and universities (HBCUs), we will award faculty and student fellowships to attend and participate in the annual AWP Conference & Bookfair. The program will kick off its fourth year at the 2026 AWP Conference & Bookfair in Baltimore, Maryland! The #AWP26 fellowships will be offered to three faculty members and six students. The fellowships include the following:

• a $4,000 honorarium for faculty and a $300 stipend for students

• paid travel expenses and lodging for the duration of the conference

• monthly meetings between faculty and students to workshop a creative piece

• meeting creative advisor MK Asante and attending private group discussions

• a public reading given by student fellows at the conference

• a complimentary one-year AWP membership

• publication in The Writer’s Chronicle of an article about each fellow’s #AWP26 experience

Eligibility

In order to be eligible for these fellowships, applicants must meet the following criteria:
 

• be an active HBCU faculty member (part- or full-time) or a current HBCU student (undergraduate or graduate) involved/interested in creative writing

• be available to travel and be at the conference on March 4–7, 2026

• if faculty, be available to serve as a creative writing mentor to two student fellowship recipients each for monthly workshop meetings prior to the conference and for the duration of the conference

• if a student, must be available for monthly workshop meetings with faculty mentor prior to the conference

If you are a faculty member and a graduate student, you will be required to apply under ONE category only. This is to ensure that every applicant has a fair chance. If you submit an application for both categories, it will not be considered.

APPLY TO BE A STUDENT FELLOW HERE.

APPLY TO BE A FACULTY FELLOW HERE.