In addition to scholarships offered by the University, there are several scholarships available only to students majoring in English. Students are selected by a committee of faculty members in consultation with Acadia’s Financial Aid Office. Student Assistantships valued at approx. approx. $864 Cdn. per semester are also available through the Department. Preference is given to graduating Honours and Majors and then to third and second year English Honours students. Honours Summer Research Awards valued at approx. $5400 Cdn, for four months of work are also available on a competitive basis for students completing thesis research. Please contact the Department for details.

The Sgt. Philip Sydney Beals Memorial Prize. A prize of approx. $70 Cdn. was contributed by the family of the late Sgt. Philip S. Beals of the 85th Bn. C.E.F. It will be awarded annually in April by the Department of English and Theatre to the student having submitted the best piece of poetry.

The Bittner Scholarship in English was established by Alice Holmer Bittner in memory of her husband William R. Bittner who was a professor of English at Acadia from 1967 to 1977. The scholarship is available on Departmental nomination to a student majoring or honouring in English and entering the second or subsequent year of study at Acadia. Preference is given to a student demonstrating an interest in creative writing.

The Class of 1907 Essay Prize. The Class of 1907, by an endowed gift, has established an essay prize of the annual value of approx. $40 Cdn. This prize will be awarded each year to the student enrolled in English 1406 in the winter session who, in the opinion of the Department of English and Theatre, has written the best regularly required class essay.

The Margaret L. Ford Scholarships in English (4), History (4), Political Science (4), French (4) and German (4) of approx. $525 Cdn. each were endowed by the late Ms. Ford (B.A. Acadia, 1922; M.A. Toronto, 1930) who was born in Wolfville and was a distinguished teacher in schools in New Jersey, Massachusetts, and Ontario. They are awarded annually to the top students in years one, two, three, and four in English, history, political science, French, and German.

The Gregory Doane Hatfield Memorial Prize is presented annually on the recommendation of the Department of English and Theatre to the student who earns the highest marks in any creative writing course given at Acadia University. This prize was made possible through a bequest from the late Muriel Eugenie Hatfield in memory of her husband Gregory Doane Hatfield, B.A. (Acadia ‘27).

The Gwendolyn Mary Hill Memorial Scholarship in English (approx. $320 Cdn.) was provided by Dr. Allan C. Hill in memory of his wife who was a Bachelor of Arts degree graduate in 1924. It is awarded annually to the highest ranking student entering the fourth year of a Bachelor of Arts degree program with honours in English.

The Dr. Rosemary Therese and Stephen A. Holton Scholar-Bursary is awarded annually to a student majoring in English on the basis of financial need and academic performance. The award was established in 2003 by the late Stephen A. Holton in memory of Dr. Rosemary Therese Holton.

The Dr. Allister Irwin MacDonald Scholar-Bursary is awarded annually on recommendation of the Department of English and Theatre to a student entering the second or subsequent year of the Bachelor of Arts program, majoring or honouring in English. The award will be made to students with demonstrated financial need who are achieving a high academic standard and have a marked passion for English literature. At the discretion of the Department, the scholar-bursary may be divided between two students and may be renewed.

The scholar-bursary was established through the estate of Dr. Allister Irwin MacDonald, a scholar and Professor of English at Acadia, as a dedication to his immediate family – his parents Daniel and Ella MacDonald, and his five brothers; Samuel William, James Maxwell, Henry Burns, (Rev. Dr.) Donald Crockett and (Rev.) Joseph Richardson.

The Henry Lyons Memorial Scholarship. An endowed scholarship with an annual value of approx. $40 Cdn, is to be awarded to the student with the highest mark in English 1406 who is proceeding to a major in English. The amount is to be paid on the fees of the junior year.

The Wallace and Trenna Turner Scholarship was established by the Turners in 1983 to support a needy scholarship level student in the second or subsequent year of study in art, music, or creative writing. The recipient must be a person of proven creative talents. Wallace Turner was a well¬known water colour artist, who together with Trenna, had an interest in helping needy students with creative
talents.

The Charles Woodbury Williams Scholarship in English of the value of approx. $730 Cdn. is to be awarded at the discretion of the Department of English and Theatre. Normally priority will be given to an honours student of outstanding ability, but failing such, the scholarship may be awarded to a major student of exceptional promise.

We offer a limited number of entrance Acadia Graduate Awards valued at $9,450 Cdn. to qualifying students. To be considered for this funding, candidates need to apply for admission to the MA program no later than February 1. Recipients of these internal awards act as Teaching Assistants in the Department of English and Theatre. Their duties include assisting with instruction and marking, as well as holding regular office hours. Teaching Assistants are assigned wired office space. Graduate students may also benefit from financial support by working as Research Assistants for faculty with grants. The English Department offers six other fellowships and scholarships to complement the Graduate Award.

Aaron Jenkins Perry Memorial Fellowship (approx. $5630 Cdn.): this fellowship was provided from the estate of Mrs. Jennie Perry and is awarded annually to a deserving student in the Master of Arts program in the Department of English with preference given to a student wishing to work in the field of Middle or Old English. Dr. Aaron Perry (BA, Acadia, 1901; MA '02; D.Litt.,'38; MA, Yale,'03) was a devoted teacher, administrator, researcher and author.

Bittner Graduate Fellowship in English (approx. $4629 Cdn.): this fellowship was established by the late Alice Homler Bittner in memory of her husband, William R. Bittner, who was a professor of English at Acadia from 1967-1977. The fellowship is awarded to a graduate student in the Department of English on recommendation of that department.

Dr. Harrison H. Way Memorial Scholarship (approx. $1099 Cdn.): this fellowship is awarded annually to a student pursuing his/her Master’s degree in English literature, with a preference for a student working in Prose. The recipient will be chosen on the recommendation of the Graduate Committee in the Department of English and Theatre.

Dr. Vernon Blair Rhodenizer Graduate Scholarship (approx. $1185 Cdn.): established by the late Dr. Vernon B. Rhodenizer (Head of the English Department, 1919-1954) is awarded annually to support study in English literature at the graduate level at Acadia University.

Louise Morse Warne Scholarship: the scholarship is awarded on recommendation of the Faculty of Arts to returning undergraduate and/or Master’s students who have graduated from a Nova Scotia high school or were homeschooled at their residence in Nova Scotia as described by the Nova Scotia Department of Education. The awards, which may be renewed, will be made to students who have demonstrated superior ability and good qualities of leadership and character. Preference may be given to students majoring in English.

William Inglis Morse Library Research Fellowship (approx. $965 Cdn.): an annual fellowship endowed by the late William I. Morse, D.Litt. of Cambridge, MA. (Acadia'97) for research in English or History. Priority will normally be given to a graduate student, but failing such, the fellowship may be awarded to a senior honours student. The recipient shall perform the duties of curator of the William Inglis Morse Collection and avail himself/herself, so far as possible, of the resources of the collection in conducting his/her research.
External funding opportunities

We also encourage candidates to apply for external funding opportunities. A list of major and prestigious external scholarships, fellowships, and awards can be consulted at http://gradstudies.acadiau.ca/tl_files/sites/gradstudies/docs/StudentFundingListing.pdf