Aurora Writers Workshop Honing Craft, Connecting Writers
Scholarships
Our Scholarships
AWW is pleased to offer two scholarships, one for a college student in their choice of
poetry or fiction, and one for any participant in the poetry track. For more details, see
the descriptions and application instructions for each scholarship.
The application deadline for both scholarships is March 15th.
Caroline Johnson Scholarship for a College Creative Writer
Awarded to a college student each year, this scholarship pays for tuition and includes an additional $400 stipend.
Caroline Johnson (1965–2025) was an avid supporter of the Aurora Writers Workshop,
attending from the inaugural year until her passing from breast cancer in 2025. She
always wanted to attend both the fiction and poetry classes, showing her love of learning and writing.
An accomplished poet, Caroline published two collections (The Caregiver and The Language of Cancer), two chapbooks, and she earned a Pushcart Prize nomination, along with numerous awards. She served in leadership roles with Poets
and Patrons and was a longtime member of the Illinois State Poetry Society, Highland Park Poetry, and the P2 Collective. She also led workshops for veterans and emerging writers, covering subjects from spirituality to speculative poetry.
Caroline was also admired for her tireless encouragement of others and the way she created opportunities for poets of all ages and backgrounds to be heard. Caroline served for more than two decades as an English instructor and academic advisor at Morton College, where she guided and uplifted students— especially those from marginalized communities.
Applicants for this scholarship must be current college students or have graduated from
college in the year of application.
Application Instructions
Email an application letter of no more than 300 words that includes the following information:
- What college you are attending
- Which course you’d like to take (fiction or poetry)
- Why you would like to attend AWW
- Any other pertinent information, such as relevant courses taken, involvement in a writing/publishing community, and publication history
Send the application letter to Aurorawritersworkshop at gmail.com
The subject line must read:
Johnson Scholarship for {name of applicant}
Applications must be received by midnight on March 15th.
Frank Rutledge Scholarship for a Poet
Frank Rutledge Scholarship for a Poet
Awarded to a poet each year, this scholarship pays for tuition.
Frank Rutledge (1962-2019) was a Fox Valley poet. He was involved in several writing groups in cities along the Fox River including Water Street Writers, and hosted the summer reading series Harmonious Howl in Batavia. He was a fixture on Saturday mornings at Limestone Coffee where he met any writers who cared to stop by to talk about books, philosophy and writing. He was a prolific writer, leaving behind four books of poetry and copious notebooks full of his poems. His passing left a gap in the local writing community that has never been filled, but he would have appreciated the Aurora Writers Workshop for bringing writers together to talk about their craft and grow together.
This award is for the poetry track at the Aurora Writers Workshop.
Application Instructions
Email an application letter of no more than 300 words that includes the following information:
- Why you would like to attend
- Any other pertinent information such as courses taken, involvement in a writing/publishing community, or publication history
Send the application letter to Aurorawritersworkshop at gmail.com
The subject line must read:
Rutledge Scholarship for {name of applicant}
Applications must be received by midnight on March 15th.