The Editorial Freelancers Association (EFA) is pleased to announce that the EFA Ruth Mullen Memorial Scholarship program is now open to applicants. The application deadline is June 17, 2024, for the 2024­­–2025 academic year.

Three scholarships—two for undergraduates attending an HBCU (historically Black colleges and universities) and one for an HBCU alum pursuing a graduate degree—are available to students who are Black, African American, or of Black African descent and enrolled in a degree program leading to (1) employment in the publishing or communications industry, or (2) a career that could lead to their becoming a member of the EFA. Each $5,000 award will be paid directly to the scholarship recipient’s HBCU or graduate school in two annual installments of $2,500 for disbursement on behalf of the recipient.

Andrea Reid, chairperson of the EFA EDIT (Equity, Diversity, Inclusion and Transformation) committee and an HBCU graduate herself, said, “It warms my heart to be a part of an organization that is affecting the lives of so many HBCU students. As chairperson of the EFA Committee on HBCU Scholarships and a Howard University graduate, I am delighted to see how we are changing the lives of these inspiring students. This is a great way to pay it forward.”

The EFA Ruth Mullen Memorial Scholarship, awarded in partnership with the UNCF (United Negro College Fund) is named in memory of Ruth Mullen, longtime EFA member and volunteer. At the time of her tragic death in September 2021, Ms. Mullen was serving as an EFA co-executive.

The EFA Ruth Mullen Memorial Scholarship program is being administered by the UNCF, the nation’s largest and most effective minority education organization. Founded in 1944, the UNCF is a groundbreaking organization made famous by its slogan, “A mind is a terrible thing to waste.” More than 500,000 students have earned degrees with the help of UNCF scholarships.

Tax-deductible donations to the scholarship fund can be made by visiting the Ruth Mullen Memorial Scholarship page.

If you have any questions about the program or would like to be involved, email HBCUscholarships@the-efa.org.