Jay Kennedy Memorial Scholarship
Offered by National Cartoonists Society Foundation
About This Scholarship
The Jay Kennedy Memorial Scholarship is the National Cartoonists Society Foundation's annual $5,000 award for the best college cartoonists, created in memory of the longtime King Features Syndicate editor-in-chief with funding from the Hearst Foundation and donations from cartoonists like Jerry Scott, Jim Borgman, and Patrick McDonnell. Applications for the 2026 cycle are due December 21.
There is no essay. The application is a completed entry form plus eight samples of your own cartooning artwork (copies only - never originals), with notes on if and where each piece has been published in print or on the web. Submissions go by email as a single PDF to the foundation, or by mail. The NCSF board judges the work, and the number of scholarships and amounts each year are at the board's discretion.
Eligibility is broader than art school: applicants must be students at a four-year college in the United States, Canada, or Mexico who will be a junior or senior during the upcoming academic year, and they do not have to be art majors. The winner is announced in April and honored at the NCS Reuben Awards Convention alongside the world's leading cartoonists - a networking prize arguably worth as much as the check.
Eligibility
- Student at a four-year college in the United States, Canada, or Mexico
- Will be a junior or senior during the upcoming academic year
- Any major - applicants do not have to be art majors
- Must submit your own cartooning artwork
How To Apply
- Download the 2026-27 application form from the scholarship page on cartoonistfoundation.org
- Prepare eight samples of your own cartooning artwork (copies only, no originals), noting where any have been published
- Email the completed form and samples as a single PDF to the foundation, or mail printed copies to the NCSF address on the page
- Submit by the December 21 deadline; the recipient is announced in April and honored at the NCS Reuben Awards Convention
Frequently Asked Questions
Do you have to be an art major to win the Jay Kennedy Scholarship?
No. Any student at a four-year college in the US, Canada, or Mexico who will be a junior or senior in the upcoming academic year can apply - the judging is entirely about your cartooning samples.
What do you submit for the Jay Kennedy Scholarship?
A completed entry form and eight samples of your own cartooning artwork (copies only), noting any publication history. Most applicants email everything as a single PDF.
Who was Jay Kennedy?
Jay Kennedy was editor-in-chief of King Features Syndicate and previously cartoon editor of Esquire. The scholarship honoring him was seeded by the Hearst Foundation/King Features and prominent cartoonists.