Applications are Open for 2025
The Nation Fund for Independent Journalism is accepting applications for twelve Student Writing Fellows for a nine-month fellowship program. This program offers college students the opportunity to write for The Nation and TheNation.com and to work with Nation editors and writers to develop skills and relationships critical for a meaningful career in journalism.
Fellows will receive editorial, research and fact-checking training, mentorship, networking opportunities, and support in publishing their writing. Student journalists will apply to report on specific, dedicated subject areas/beats, all with mentoring by relevant veteran writers offering advice and contacts.
The broad scope of this project is to show what matters most to young people at this highly fraught historical moment through deeply-reported enterprise journalism. Training sessions will focus on reporting on movements and how to get beyond sensationalized profiles and horse-race coverage of politics. This project will tap into the lived experiences of young people and will focus on helping each fellow develop a distinctive narrative voice. During the summer and fall of 2025, students will publish a minimum of two reported articles and one breaking news story.
Subject Areas:
1. Racial Justice
2. Labor
3. Abortion rights
4. Sports
5. Climate change
6. Immigration
7. War & Peace/US Foreign-Policy
8. Science, Health & Technology
9. Education
10. US Politics & young people
11. LGBTQ rights
12. Housing (Costs/Homelessness/Gentrification/etc)
Requirements
The Fellowship will run from April 1 to December 21, 2025. Fellows will participate in online editorial sessions and conversations with Nation editorial staff and special guests as well as one-on-one editorial meetings. Fellows work remotely (but are strongly encouraged to attend The Nation’s May 29 student conference in New York City.) Fellows receive a $2,000 stipend plus compensation for articles upon publication. Students need to be enrolled in college through the fall of 2025 to be eligible for the program.
Application
Applicants must submit the following:
1. A cover letter of not-more-than 250 words telling us why you want to become a StudentNation Writing Fellow and which subject areas you’d be most interested in. (Please pick two)
2. One published piece of journalism (a link to the piece is fine).
3. A resume.
Applications will be accepted on a rolling basis until 5:00pm EST, March 14, 2025. Application materials should be in Microsoft Word (.doc, .docx) format and should be emailed to studentfellow@thenationfund.org. Incomplete applications will not be considered. Applicants will be informed of their status by March 24.
Eligibility
Any undergraduate students at two and four-year schools in the United States matriculating through December, 2025. International students are ineligible though we encourage all international students to pitch articles. Email studentfellow@thenationfund.org with questions.
The Nation Fund for Independent Journalism welcomes all applicants, without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, disability, genetic information, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, or veteran status.
Deep thanks to the Puffin Foundation for their great generosity in making this program possible.
