Aurora Writers Workshop Honing Craft, Connecting Writers
Scholarships
Our Scholarships
Caroline Johnson Scholarship for a College Creative Writer
AWW is pleasaed to offer two scholarships: one for a college student in their choice of poetry or fiction, and one for any partcipant in the poetry track. Descriptions and application instructions under each scholarship.
Application deadline is March 15th.
Caroline Johnson Scholarship for a College Creative Writer
Caroline Johnson Scholarship for a College Creative Writer
Awarded to a college student each year, this scholarship pays for tuition plus a $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), three chapbooks, and 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 admired not only for her work but for her tireless encouragement of others, creating opportunities for poets of all ages and backgrounds to be heard.
Caroline also 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 must be current students or have graduated in the year of application.
- Email an application letter of no more than 300 words including what college you are attending, which course you’d like to take (fiction or poetry), why you would like to attend, and any other pertinent information such as courses taken, involvement in a writing/publishing community, or publications.
- 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. Frank was involved in several writing groups in Fox River cities and Waterline Writers, as well as hosting a summer reading series called Harmonious Howl in Batavia. He was a fixture on Saturday mornings at Limestone Coffee where he met any writers who stopped by to talk about books, philosophy and writing. He was prolific, 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 completely 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 only for the poetry track at the Aurora Writers Workshop.
- Email an application letter of no more than 300 words including why you would like to attend, and any other pertinent information such as courses taken, involvement in a writing/publishing community, or publications.
- The subject line must read: Rutledge Scholarship for [name of applicant]
- Applications must be received by midnight on March 15th.