Wynton Jackson and Morgan Norris – Fourth-year Journalism majors – are recipients of 2025 White House Correspondents’ Association scholarships and will attend the annual dinner in Washington, DC in April.
The White House Correspondents’ Association is very happy to announce that it is creating a new scholarship, and increasing its overall financial support of college scholarships to the highest level in more than a decade.
The new scholarship grant will award $5,000 to a student at the Scripps Howard School of Journalism and Communications at Hampton University in Hampton, Virginia.
“The additional scholarship not only provides financial support and opportunities for our students to begin building industry relationships, but it also encourages and reaffirms their talent, commitment, and potential as future journalists,” said Julia Wilson, dean of the Scripps Howard School.
“Strong, ethical journalism and the pursuit of truth is more important than ever these days, and the WHCA’s ongoing commitment to fostering diverse storytellers helps to ensure that the future of our industry remains bright. Thank you for your unwavering support of our student journalists at Hampton University.”
At the same time, the WHCA is increasing its financial support of 8 other scholarships around the country helping students at American University, Northwestern University, Ohio University, the University of Illinois, the University of Kansas, and the University of Tennessee.
All of the students from those schools and others receiving 2025 scholarships are invited as guests at the WHCA’s annual dinner on April 26.
They also will attend a luncheon and program the day before in Washington. And they will be paired with volunteer mentors from the White House press corps.
“The WHCA scholarship committee is proud of our continued and expanded support for the next generation of journalists,” said Weijia Jiang, vice president of the WHCA and chair of its Scholarships Committee. “This financial growth comes at a time when the American public needs dogged reporters more than ever. We are looking forward to recognizing and celebrating the scholars for their hard work and dedication to journalism.”
Overall, the association will spend $139,000 on scholarships in 2025, an 11.6 percent increase from 2024. It is the highest total since a 1-year spike in 2009, and the second highest in the association’s 34-year history of giving scholarships.
The association in 2025 also will leverage another $56,042 in aid and grants.
Including this year, the WHCA has awarded $2.1 million in scholarships, and leveraged another $1.6 million in aid.
“One of the most important objectives of the WHCA is to help mentor the next generation of White House reporters and I’m so thrilled we have been able to add a new scholarship and increase spending of eight others,” said Eugene Daniels, president of the association. “It’s vital that we invest in young people who want to cover Washington, DC without fear or favor.”
After a spike in spending in 2009 proved unsustainable, the association has followed a strategy of assuring future financial aid to aspiring and promising young journalists.
In 2014, it created a reserve fund to ensure that it could continue awarding scholarships without cuts or interruption even in challenging times. And since 2014, it has followed a strategy of growth including new partnerships to help students in more parts of the country.
It’s added scholarships in Arizona, Iowa, Kansas, Ohio, Tennessee and Virginia. And it created new partnerships with the Asian American Journalists Association and National Association of Hispanic Journalists that provide scholarships at various schools.
For More Information: WHCA Adds New Scholarship, Boosts Spending for Others | White House Correspondents’ Association (WHCA)