William B. Ruggles Journalism Scholarship

The William B. Ruggles Journalism Scholarship honors the esteemed Texas journalist who coined the phrase “Right to Work”  and contributed greatly to the movement’s advancement. A $2,000 scholarship is awarded annually to the student who exemplifies the dedication to principle and high journalistic standards of the late  Mr. Ruggles.

Our Journalism Scholarship Application Process:

1. Student writes essay.
2. Student completes application.
3. Student submits application.
4. Institute staff choose top essays and forward them to the Selection Review Committee members.
5. Selection Review Committee members review blind essays re: If any personally identifying information is included in the essay, it will be redacted before submitting it to the Selection Review Committee.
6. Institute Board receives the nominees as chosen by Selection Review Committee.
7. Institute Board votes to either approve, make different selections, or not to award any scholarship
8. Winner announced and notified by Institute.

WHO MAY APPLY FOR THE WILLIAM B. RUGGLES JOURNALISM SCHOLARSHIP?

Applicants are limited to students attending (or accepted for Fall enrollment) undergraduate or graduate institutions of higher learning throughout the United States.  

(Officers, directors, and employees of the National Institute for Labor Relations Research, the National Right to Work Committee, Members of the Selection Review Committee, and their families are not eligible.)

CRITERIA FOR SELECTION

The scholarship is awarded based on scholastic ability and a demonstrated interest in the National Institute of Labor Relations Research Institute’s work.

Applicants must: 

1. Demonstrate potential for the successful completion of the educational requirements in an accredited college journalism program by submitting a transcript or copy of acceptance letter from the school you are or will attend; and, or demonstrate journalistic skills by actual journalistic works including social media;
2. Demonstrate an understanding of the principles of voluntary unionism and the economic and social problems of compulsory unionism by submitting an essay of approximately 500 words.

SELECTION PROCESS

After an initial review of the applications by Institute staff, a Selection Review Committee of three or more independent educators and representatives of the Institute will review the essays, then submit a ranked recommendation of no more than three essays to the Institute’s Board of Directors.

At the National Institute for Labor Relations Research’s annual meeting (typically held in April), the Board will consider the recommendations of the Selection Review Committee and Institute staff before making its final decision. 

However, should the Board conclude that no applicant meets all the criteria, then no recipient will be selected and no scholarship will be awarded.

The awarded scholarship will be paid directly to the institution of higher learning at which the award recipient attends.  The recipient must provide a copy of their transcript from that institution at the end of the academic year.

APPLICATION INSTRUCTIONS

The application consists of three parts:

Part 1.  Create a wonderfully inspired typewritten essay of 500-700 words clearly demonstrating an interest in, and knowledge of, the Right to Work principle as it applies to educators

Part 2. Obtain a copy of your transcript for submission to the National Institute for Labor Relations Research or have your school send it to the Institute on your behalf.

Part 3. Complete the formal online application below and attach your essay (and transcript if available) with your online submission. 

However, if for some reason you are unable to complete the online application and attach your essay and transcript; you may print the online application and mail it along with your essay to the address below.

All Applications must be submitted by January 31, 2023

Full Name *

Enter your full name

Date of Birth *

Date of Birth: (Month/Day/Year) ##/##/####

Email *

Enter your preferred e-mail address

Home Phone *

Mobile Phone

Mailing Address *

Address Line 2

City *

State * AL AK AS AZ CA CO CT DE DC FL GA HI ID IL IN IA KS KY LA ME MH MD MA MI MN MS MO MT NE NV NH NJ NM NY NC ND OH OK OR PA RI SC SD TN TX UT VT VA WA WV WI WY

Postal Code *

School Address

College or University Currently Attending *

College or University To Which Scholarship Would Apply *

Course of Study *

Journalism

Media

Other (Explain in notes section below)

Major/Subject Area *

Current Cumulative Grade Point Average *

Current Class Standing *

Freshman

Sophomore

Junior

Senior

Other (Explain in notes section below)

Activities: List any professional work experiences, extracurricular activities, and/or awards and honors *

Postgraduate Plans: *

Reference One — List two references (exclusive of relatives and fellow students) who are most familiar with your abilities and goals and/or experience in the field of education. *

Reference #1 – Name, Address, Phone, and E-mail

Reference Two *

Reference #2 – Name, Address, Phone, and E-mail

NOTES

If you have explanatory notes that you would like to provide regarding any of your responses, please provide them here.

Attach Essay *

Drop a file here or click to upload Choose File

Maximum upload size: 104.86MB

Attach your essay either as an Adobe .pdf or a Word .doc or .docx file

Certification *

(Enter Full Name) I certify that the information provided on this application and all supplemental forms is complete and correct to the best of my knowledge. I further certify that if I am chosen as a scholarship recipient, I will use those funds only for expenses related to my education in an institution of higher learning in the United States, and I will provide a transcript at the end of the school year for which the scholarship will apply.

Date

Please enter the two words that you see below exactly as shown to complete the application

If you are human, leave this field blank.

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Below is the submission schedule:

• Online applications must be received from September 1^st through January 31^st.
• If mailed, all application submissions must be postmarked from September 1^st through January 31^st and received no later than February 10^th.  (For example, received in NILRR mailroom between September 1^st, 2022 and February 10^th, 2023.)

We prefer that you use the William B. Ruggles Journalism Scholarship ONLINE APPLICATION below.  It is your responsibility to confirm that we received your entire application regardless of your application transmission method of choice.  The online application generates and sends an email notice of submission receipt.

ALL MAILED APPLICATIONS AND TRANSCRIPTS MUST BE SUBMITTED TO:

Questions? Call: (703) 321-9606 and ask for help with the William B. Ruggles Journalism Scholarship application.