National Council for Black Studies

Terry Kershaw Student Essay Contest

The Terry Kershaw Student Essay Contest is an annual competition for undergraduate and graduate students writing on any aspect of the Africana experience. Winners receive cash awards, plaques, waived conference registration, and complimentary lodging at the NCBS annual conference.

Award

Cash award, waived conference registration, and conference hotel housing

Deadline

January 29, 2027

Level

Both

Status

99 days left

Africana StudiesArtEducationHistoryLiterature

Your scholarship score ?/100 | HBCUscholarships.net

Application effort
Medium (essay)
Who can apply
Undergraduate and graduate students

See how well this award fits your profile, how much competition to expect, and how much work the application takes.

Who is eligible

  • Must be an undergraduate student (freshman, sophomore, junior, or senior) or graduate student
  • Must attend a college or university
  • Must have a faculty advisor

What you'll need

  • Essay: "Essays should focus on ANY aspects of the Africana experience, i.e. art, education, history, literature, politics, psychology, social issues, and policy issues."
  • Essay formatting: Must be submitted in Microsoft Word (not PDF), double-spaced with one-inch margins in Calibri 12pt font, and not exceed 25 pages including references/bibliography.
  • Anonymity: Do not include your name or college affiliation anywhere in the essay document.
  • Separate Cover Sheet (Microsoft Word format): Must include your name, essay title, mailing address, email address, telephone number, name of the college you attend, your class status, and name of your faculty advisor.
  • Use MLA or APA style guide for sources.

How to apply

  • Draft your essay in Microsoft Word matching all formatting instructions, including a page header with the essay title and a bold capital G or U left justified, and page numbers in the footer.
  • Create a separate cover sheet document containing your personal details, academic status, and faculty advisor.
  • Submit both Microsoft Word documents electronically via email to studentessay@ncbsonline.org before midnight EST on the deadline date.
Apply on the provider's site
Add the deadline to:Google Calendar

Sources & verification

Official listing:
https://ncbsonline.org/students/student-essay/
How this listing was added:
Summarized from ncbsonline.org
Last checked:

Deadlines and amounts change. Always verify details with National Council for Black Studies before submitting.

See more scholarships for black students

Have a question about this scholarship?

Ask other HBCU students, scholarship winners, and counselors in the community.

Ask the communityBrowse questions

Related scholarships

U.S. Department of Education, Office of Postsecondary Education (OPE)

Center of Educational Excellence for Black Teachers (CEEBT) Program

Up to $1,815,181

The Center for Black Educator Development

Future Teachers of Excellence Fellowship

Up to $40,000

Jackie Robinson Foundation

Jackie Robinson Foundation 'MLB The Show' Scholarship

Up to $30,000