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Merv Aubespin was a pivotal voice behind the formation of ACES in the late 1990s.
Bill Walsh was an author, blogger, and longtime copy editor at the Washington Post.

Six scholarships are awarded annually through the ACES Education Fund. Application materials are made available on August 15. The application deadline is November 15 and the awards are announced early the following year. 

In addition to individual cash awards, these six scholarships also include financial aid to attend one of the two annual ACES conferences, in-person or virtual.  

Learn more about the ACES EDUCATION FUND


The Bill Walsh Scholarship
Given in honor of the late editor, author, and ACES guiding spirit to a student who demonstrates excellence in the editing of news. The cash award is $3,500. Apply here for a Walsh Scholarship

ACES Scholarships and Aubespin Scholar
Given to five students who excel in critical thinking about written materials in any field and aspire to a career involving editing. 

Four of the awards come with a $1,500 cash prize. 

One student is chosen to be the Aubespin Scholar, which comes with a $2,500 cash prize. Apply here for an ACES Scholarship


ACES Scholarship Details


Who can apply?

Applicants for all ACES scholarships must be seeking degrees as enrolled college/university juniors, seniors, or graduate students at the time of the deadline (November 15). They must also demonstrate an interest in editing as a career. Scholarships are awarded without regard to the student’s nationality, residence, or field of academic concentration. Previous scholarship winners are not eligible.

Requirements

The Walsh Scholarship is awarded to an applicant who aspires to edit news and who demonstrates the talent and passion for language that Bill Walsh devoted his career to. Applicants for the other five scholarships should have a commitment to the editing of written materials and demonstrate effectiveness in doing so. We’re looking for critical thinkers who have a passion for words and enjoy making writing clear, accurate and engaging. A student may simultaneously seek both the Walsh Award and one of the other five scholarships, but may win only one.

What is the deadline?

ACES Scholarship applications open on August 15 and the deadline to apply is Nov. 15. The awards are announced early the following year.

So many winners

See the list of all of the ACES scholarship winners since 1999.

Background

Since 1999, the ACES Education Fund, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, and its predecessor have awarded nearly 150 scholarships to deserving students who have a passion for editing.

The Walsh Scholarship honors Bill Walsh, author, blogger, and longtime copy editor at The Washington Post. Walsh, who died in early 2017, was an active and creative member of the ACES Education Fund board.

The Aubespin Scholarship honors Merv Aubespin, a former president of the National Association of Black Journalists who, as the chairman of the Human Resources Committee of the American Society of News Editors in the mid-1990s, greatly helped inspire the creation of ACES.

How does it work?

The scholarship program is administered (but not judged) by members of the ACES Education Fund Board. Judging of the applications is done by two separate panels of five people each. The selection of winners is a two-step process. In December, the judges choose the finalists, who then take a timed editing test in early January. Test results are then added to the applicants’ portfolios, and a second round of judging decides the winners.

Contact ACES Education Fund President Lisa McLendon at lisamc@aceseditors.org for more information.


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Apply for a Bill Walsh Scholarship

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