The New Jersey Press Foundation has extended the application deadline for both the Stevens and Kilgore scholarships. Due to school closings, applications must now be postmarked by Tuesday, Feb. 18. Click on the links in this paragraph to download rules and application.

The Kilgore scholarship – valued at $5,000 – is awarded by New Jersey Press Foundation, which administers the Bernard Kilgore Memorial Scholarship Fund. The recipient also is named GSSPA’s New Jersey High School Journalist of the Year and is entered in a competition for the National High School Journalist of the Year, operated by the Journalism Education Association.

The scholarship recipient is selected by a panel of New Jersey newspaper editors. Selection criteria include the student’s intent to major in journalism in college. Applicants must have at least two years of experience on their high school newspaper. Applicants must submit at least three letters of recommendations with their applications and at least three samples of writing published in the high school or community newspaper. Because applicants must have at least a 3.0 grade point average out of 4.0, a current high school transcript must be enclosed with the application package.

The Bob Stevens Memorial Scholarship, valued at $2,000, is awarded to an outstanding journalism student who has demonstrated dedication to his or her school newspaper or yearbook. This scholarship does not require that the recipient major in journalism in college or pursue a career. Applications will be judged by a panel of independent judges, chosen from the many professional journalists employed in New Jersey.

The scholarship is awarded by the Garden State Scholastic Press Association. The winner of the award is announced at GSSPA’s Spring Advisers’ Conference in May.

Bob Stevens was a dedicated teacher at Highland Park High School for many years, where he served as the adviser to the Highland Fling, the student newspaper.

He was a founding member of GSSPA and served as the first president of the organization. After his death, GSSPA started this scholarship to honor his memory and to help aspiring journalists.

The student’s school newspaper adviser must be a member of the GSSPA in order to be eligible for the award. The membership fee is $25 per year.