Scholarship Opportunities

Chicago-North Romance Writers, through the generosity of donors, is able to provide writers in need with modest scholarships to support their writing careers. Scholarships are available for CNRW membership dues and registration fees for the Spring Fling conference.

These scholarships are named in honor of Chicago-North Romance Writers members whose contributions to romance writing, mentorship, and support of the organization is still felt today.

Membership Scholarships

Two annual membership scholarships, the Blythe Gifford Scholarship and the Sharon DeVita Scholarship, provide writers experiencing financial need with a one-year membership to Chicago-North Romance Writers. Scholarship applications are reviewed on a revolving basis. Annual membership scholarships may be renewed once per recipient.

Spring Fling Scholarships

The Carla Luna Scholarship provides a partial in-person tuition stipend toward registration for the biennial Spring Fling Writers Conference. It will not cover the full expense of registering for Spring Fling and does not include a stipend for food, travel, or other expenses. The application window for the Carla Luna In-Person Spring Fling Scholarship for 2026 is October 1, 2025 - January 15, 2026.

The Cathie Linz Scholarship provides a full virtual tuition stipend for the biennial Spring Fling Writers Conference. This scholarship covers virtual registration fees and allows the recipient to attend via livestream from anywhere. The application window for the Cathie Linz Virtual Spring Fling Scholarship for 2026 is October 1, 2025 - January 15, 2026.

Blythe Gifford

Carla Luna