Journalism Scholarships for South Asian Students

New York, NY, February 9, 2004 -- The South Asian Journalists
Association (SAJA) is currently accepting applications for its 2004-2005 journalism scholarships.

Students who are enrolled, or about to enroll, in a U.S. or Canadian college or university are eligible to apply.  Applicants are judged on their writing skills, commitment to journalism, participation and enthusiasm in SAJA, and financial need.

There are three award levels: 1) a $500 scholarship for a high school graduate entering college; 2) a $500 scholarship for an
undergraduate-level student; and, 3) a $1,000 scholarship for a
graduate-level student.

"Making the decision to become a journalist, particularly when you're of South Asian descent, is never easy.  SAJA's journalism scholarships were created, in part, to encourage and help our fledgling journalists to not give up on their dreams," says Asha Beh, SAJA board member and student outreach coordinator.

"I am so grateful to SAJA for its support because it recognizes the importance of nurturing the next generation of South Asian
journalists," says Sasha Khokha, a graduate student at the University of Berkeley and one of last year's award winners.  "The mentorship and financial support from SAJA has allowed me to envision a future in this career.  This is especially important in our community where more traditional (and lucrative) professions are often more highly valued."

SAJA, a nonprofit organization established in 1994, is made up of more than 800 journalists of South Asian origin throughout the U.S. and Canada, including a variety of journalists based in South Asia for North American news organizations.

More details about the scholarships and the application can be found at: http://www.saja.org./scholarships.html.  The postmark deadline for applications is Wednesday, March 31.

Winners for the 2004-05 academic year will be recognized at this year's SAJA Convention, June 17-20: http://www.saja.org/convention2004.html

For more information, please contact SAJA student outreach coordinator Asha Beh: acaroline@yahoo.com