Boyds Mills Scholarship Program

Our Scholarship Window Is Now Closed!

For more information about scholarships, join our mailing list. Our next scholarship application period will open in early 2027.

Since the earliest days of Boyds Mills, we’ve offered scholarships for writers and illustrators to attend our workshops. It’s a tenet of the work we do here.

While the program has grown and evolved, its focus on our mission has remained: to positively impact children by amplifying the voices of storytellers who inform, educate, and inspire children to become their best selves.

Quick Links

Crystal Allen hands Kent Brown a check for $1,100

“Do Something With It”

When Crystal Allen received a scholarship and attended her first workshop with Boyds Mills in 2005, she tried to thank Kent Brown (our founder) when she met him. He appreciated the sentiment, but was more concerned with how she’d use her scholarship to inspire kids. He asked her simply to “Do something with it.”

And that she did.

Now she’s the author of more than seven books for children, and teaches on our faculty. She paid it forward with a donation to our scholarship fund in 2019.

Hear Crystal's Story

How Boyds Mills Scholarship Program Works

Boyds Mills offers scholarships each year, including General and Special named Scholarships.

The general scholarship fund and special scholarships are supported by Boyds Mills supporters who believe in the organization’s mission: to positively impact children by amplifying the voices of storytellers who inform, educate, and inspire children to become their best selves. Select named funds also support our general scholarships, honoring those who have had a significant impact on children’s literature.

Several awards are also sponsored by organizations who have partnered with Boyds Mills to make scholarships available.

The application period opens yearly, and awards are based on the following criteria: