Ruth Murray Underhill Award

The Denver Woman’s Press Club is once again offering the Ruth Murray Underhill Scholarship. Established in 1985, this fellowship provides support to a graduate student in the University of Colorado Boulder Creative Writing Program.

The scholarship winner will be notified once the decision has been made. The scholarship recipient will be expected to write a note of thanks to the donor, as well as a short paragraph about interests, classes and writing, one semester after receiving the award. Award winners are also invited to attend a reception during the summer, and may also participate in the organization’s events free of charge throughout the 2026/2027 year. If the winner graduates before spring 2027, all or part of the award will be forfeited.

One (1) fellowship in the amount of $2500 will be given to a qualified MFA student. Funds are applied directly to tuition during the next academic year.

Qualifications

• Graduate student in the MFA-Creative Writing program.
• Good standing in the program with satisfactory degree progress
• Applicants must have a graduation date no earlier than May 2028
• Complete the CU Boulder General Scholarship Application.
• Complete this application by the deadline.

Female students are especially encouraged to apply; however, an applicant’s gender identity will not be considered a factor in the selection process.

Submission Guidelines
Applicants must submit the following:

A manuscript of 25 pages or less
Manuscripts must have no extraneous comments, marks, or grades on it. The manuscript should not contain the applicant’s name
Cover sheet with applicant name, student ID number, and manuscript title

This scholarship is open to qualified CU Boulder applicants and does not discriminate based on race, color, national origin, sex, age, disability, creed, religion, veteran status, marital status, political affiliation, political philosophy, pregnancy, sexual orientation, gender identity or gender expression in accordance with state, federal, and Regent law.