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SWP Scholarship Application

Summer Writing Program Scholarship Application

All Naropa scholarships are need-based and are open to international students unless otherwise stated. You can apply for multiple scholarship with this one application.

Please provide the following information for the scholarship(s) you wish to apply for.

Personal letter

About 500 words in length, discussing the following areas: If you will be applying for more than one SWP scholarship, you may use the same Personal Letter in other SWP scholarship applications.

  • Your contributions and activities within the Jack Kerouac School, the university, and/or the local/national artistic community.
  • Recent accomplishments, current projects, or publications of your work.
  • Your interest in attending the Summer Writing Program and which workshops you plan to attend.
  • If you are applying for the Zora Neale Hurston, kari edwards, or Leslie Scalapino Awards, additional information regarding your experience with specific populations should be included.

Writing Sample

  • 5–10 pages of your current poetry, prose, or translation.
  • Include proof of citizenship or permanent residency if you are applying for the kari edwards scholarship.

The deadline for SWP scholarship applications is March 16, 2026

Your scholarship may be re-allocated if you have not registered for the desired week(s) of the SWP by the end of the day on Apil 1, 2026.

Register for your desired week(s) of the 2026 Summer Writing Program beginning April 13, 2026

Please visit the Summer Writing Program page for more information.

YOU ARE READY.

This is where experiential learning meets academic rigor. Where you challenge your intellect and uncover your potential. Where you discover the work you’re moved to do—then use it to transform our world.

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About Naropa

Located in Boulder, Colorado, Naropa University is a Buddhist-inspired, nonsectarian liberal arts university that is recognized as the birthplace of the mindfulness movement. Naropa offers undergraduate and graduate degree programs that emphasize professional and personal growth, intellectual development, and cultivating compassion. 

Academics

Contemplative education brings together the best of Western scholarship and Eastern world wisdom traditions. Therefore, your pursuit of wisdom at Naropa means learning both about academic subjects and about your own place in the world. This innovative approach places Naropa on the cutting edge of the newest and most effective methods of teaching and learning.  

Admissions & Aid

If you’re seeking an education that resonates with both personal fulfillment and global impact, Naropa could be your top choice. At Naropa, you will experience a comprehensive curriculum that integrates the best of Eastern and Western educational approaches. Explore how Naropa can fuel your journey of intellectual and spiritual development.

Life at Naropa

Through its incredibly vibrant and welcoming community,  “Naropa offers a home for those who aren’t willing to conform to convention—the mystic, the healer, the prophet, the rebel, the artist, the revolutionary, the oddball—those who are incredible contributors to the evolution of society and of our planet.”—Core Associate Professor Zvi Ish-Shalom

The Naropa Difference

How is Naropa different from other universities? At Naropa, a liberal arts education balances rigorous academics with powerful interpersonal skills and self-awareness to educate the whole person. Naropa’s contemplative approach is inspired by Buddhist philosophy and the conviction that we can build a diverse, contemplative, enlightened society when we have transformed education to affirm the basic goodness of every person. 

Support Naropa

At a time when the value of higher education is being questioned, Naropa University stands firmly rooted in its mission to create a more just and regenerative world by nurturing insight, awareness, courage, and compassion in its students. By making a gift to Naropa, you play a pivotal role in helping to create the authentic, effective & mindful leaders that the world desperately needs.

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Naropa University campuses are closed on 12/17/2025. 

Due to adverse weather conditions of high winds and planned power outages, all Naropa campuses will be closed today. 

 

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Spring and Summer Start Dates for the MA in Clinical Mental Health Counseling Concentrations

In support of students and in response to federal legislation impacting financial aid for graduate students, Naropa University will be accepting applications for MA in Clinical Mental Health Counseling for spring starts through January 10.

Graduate School of Counseling concentrations listed below will be offering online and low-residency courses to start their programs in January 2026 as well as our Summer 2026 terms.

Beginning a graduate program in Spring 2026 or Summer 2026 means that you will have access to apply for Graduate Plus loans as these loans will be eliminated at the federal level starting in Fall 2026.

Contact Admissions (admissions@naropa.edu) today to learn how you can begin the next step in your graduate education journey.

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