The William “Rev. Bill” McDonald Scholarship
Forms: Candidate Submission | Essay Submission
The Military Writers Society of America (MWSA) is proud to support our mission and to provide an additional benefit to our members through our scholarship program.
Who is eligible?
11th and 12th-grade students whose intention is to continue their education past high school.
Veterans who have a DD-214.
Must be sponsored by an active member of MWSA in good standing.
The MWSA member may only sponsor one student each year.
The Process
Step 1: Candidate Nomination
MWSA members submit their scholarship candidate by providing their own and their candidate student’s information using the form below.
Step 2: Essay Submission
The student must write a paper or an essay (minimum of 500 and maximum of 1,000 words) on a subject announced by MWSA that will change each year.
All work must be the sole work of the candidate.
Essay must be written in Times New Roman using a font size of 14.
Step 3: Essay Evaluation and Scoring
A panel of three judges will score each submission and forward the result to the Scholarship Chair.
Scores will be compiled, and a decision made by the Scholarship Chair.
NOTE: Member Sponsor, Candidate, and Judge names will remain anonymous to maintain objectivity throughout the judging process.
Timeline and Details for 2024
Applications provided to MWSA by the sponsor must arrive via online form by January 31st to be eligible.
Essays will be accepted via the online form from November 30th until January 31st.
Winners will be announced no later than April 1st of 2024.
Member Sponsor is responsible for ensuring the scholarship candidate understands the rules and guidelines.
Member Sponsor is also responsible for ensuring all requisite forms (application and essay) are submitted in a timely manner, via the MWSA-provided online form.
Essay Topics (Select One):
“Why is (Home School, Parochial School, or Public School) the best for me?”
“How can I help improve climate change?”
“What lesson did I learn the hard way, and how has that helped me become a better person?”
“How did my teacher influence my educational goals?”
“What does patriotism mean to me?”
“Why is America the greatest country?”
Winning Scholarship Details
Six (6) winners will be selected.
The First Place winners in each Student and Veteran Category will each win $1,000.
Second and Third place winners in each Student and Veteran Category will each be presented with a Certificate of Achievement.
Scholarship Amounts:
1st Place $1,000 (2)
2nd Place – Certificate (2)
3rd Place – Certificate (2)
If no essays are deemed award-worthy for 1st, 2nd, or 3rd place, then no award will be given for that position.
Sponsor recognition in each Student and Veteran Category (Sponsorship awards can be combined)
1st place winning sponsor receives a one-year extension to their MWSA membership.
2nd place winning sponsor receives a 10% discount on next year’s conference fee.
3rd place winning sponsor receives a 5% discount on next year’s conference fee.
If you have any questions, please contact the MWSA Scholarship Chair at scholarship@mwsa.co.
Scholarship Application Form
High School Students and Veterans
Submit your scholarship candidate using this form. All information submitted will remain confidential (to maintain anonymity in the judging).
Essay Submission Form
Essay Submission Form
Submission deadline 1/31/2024