Jay Kennedy Memorial Scholarship
Scholarship Sponsored by National Cartoonists Society Foundation
The annual Jay Kennedy Scholarship, in memory of the late King Features editor, was funded by an initial grant from the Hearst Foundation / King Features Syndicate and additional generous donations from Jerry Scott, Jim Borgman, Patrick McDonnell and many other prominent cartoonists. Submissions are adjudicated by the board of directors of the National Cartoonists Society Foundation, and an awardee is chosen from a field of the best college cartoonists. The recipient is announced in April, and honored at the annual NCS Reuben Awards Convention attended by many of the world’s leading cartoonists.
Applicants must be students at a 4-year college in the United States, Canada or Mexico who will be a Junior or Senior during the upcoming academic year. Applicants do not have to be art majors to be eligible for this scholarship.
2026 SCHOLARSHIP APPLICATIONS DUE IN DECEMBER.
Along with a completed entry form, applicants are required to send 8 samples of their own cartooning artwork (copies only); noting if and where the work has been published, either in print or on the web. (See application for details.) DO NOT send original artwork.
The applications will be judged by the National Cartoonists Society Foundation (NCSF) and the number of scholarships given out and their amounts will be at the discretion of the NCSF
Go to Scholarship Application