Samford University's Department of Journalism and Mass Communication will award partial scholarships to as many as eight freshmen who enroll in the fall of 2014. Application deadline is March 1. Each scholarship is worth $1,800 per year.

Scholarships will be awarded based on ACT scores, high school grades, volunteer work and participation in media-related clubs. They can be renewed each year that the student maintains a 3.5 or better grade point average and is involved with Samford student media.

"These scholarships can provide $7,200 in financial assistance during a student's time at Samford," said Samford JMC chair Dr. Bernie Ankney. "This can help students receive an outstanding education in journalism and mass communication at a reasonable cost."

Samford offers programs in print and broadcast journalism, public relations and advertising. The JMC department also houses an interdisciplinary film production minor and offers courses in sports media, social media, church media and photojournalism. Samford journalism students regularly win awards for their work, and graduate to be highly competitive in the job market.

"Samford communication graduates work for some of the top magazines, newspapers, television stations, and public relations and advertising firms in the nation," said Ankney. "This scholarship can be a great step toward a bright and rewarding future in journalism and mass communication careers."

Samford is consistently ranked in the top tier of its peer group by U.S. News & World Report. With about 4,900 undergraduate and graduate students, it is Alabama's largest private university. The university offers undergraduate, graduate and professional degrees in eight schools: arts, arts and sciences business, divinity, education, law, nursing and pharmacy.