WASHINGTON -Best-selling author James Patterson is partnering with Howard University to encourage and support new authors with a $120,000 fund from the Patterson Family Foundation for scholarships for beginning writers.  

Under the James Patterson Writer Education Scholarships program, 12 full-time Howard University students will be selected to receive $10,000 scholarships each for tuition and fees in the next academic year.  

“I’m thrilled to support a new program at Howard University and to fund scholarships encouraging writing careers for young people,” said Patterson. “I’ve long been a champion of my fellow authors and aspiring writers everywhere, and I hope that these scholarships result in even more students being able to focus on getting their work published.” 

Howard University has long been an incubator for fiction and nonfiction authors. “We are grateful to James Patterson for wanting to find new literary talents here at Howard. Paul Lawrence Dunbar, Zora Neale Hurston, Toni Morrison and Ta-Nehisi Coates are just some of the great writers who developed their voice at Howard University, and we are excited to work with Mr. Patterson to bring forth more,” said David Bennett, senior vice president of Development and Alumni Relations. 

The 12 recipients are to be selected by The James Patterson Scholarship Committee, which is to be appointed by Howard University President Wayne A. I. Frederick, Provost Anthony K. Wutoh, or their designees. The scholarship committee will be responsible for publicizing the program. 

All scholarship awardees must be full-time students, either freshmen who intend to become writers or first-year graduate students who will be writers or writing teachers. Priority consideration will be given to students who exhibit financial need. The committee will have discretion to select other students if there are not enough in the applicant pool. 

The one-time award is to be applied only to tuition and fees. The Patterson Family Foundation will evaluate the program over the year. The foundation intends and desires for the scholarships to be funded each academic year and renewed for each student as they progress to graduation, if they stay in good standing and continue to meet the program criteria. 

About Howard University 

Founded in 1867, Howard University is a private, research university that is comprised of 14 schools and colleges. Students pursue more than 140 programs of study leading to undergraduate, graduate and professional degrees. The University operates with a commitment to Excellence in Truth and Service and has produced one Schwarzman Scholar, three Marshall Scholars, four Rhodes Scholars, 12 Truman Scholars, 25 Pickering Fellows and more than 165 Fulbright recipients. Howard also produces more on-campus African American Ph.D. recipients than any other university in the United States. For more information on Howard University, visit www.howard.edu. 

About James Patterson 

James Patterson is the author of more than 200 novels, including the Alex Cross, Maximum Ride, Michael Bennett, Middle School, Ali Cross and Women’s Murder Club series. He has written more than 300 books, including collaborations with Dolly Parton and former President Bill Clinton. Many of Paterson’s works have been adapted into films and TV shows. He is listed in the Guinness Book of Records as the world’s highest-earning author, and the first to sell more than 1 million eBooks. 

Media Contact: Misha Cornelius; misha.cornelius@howard.edu