Phyllis Gebauer, a beloved Writers’ Program instructor who taught for the Writers’ Program since 1994, was passionate about providing learning opportunities for those who lack access. When she passed away in 2011, she left the Writers’ Program a generous gift with which to fund this needs-based scholarship program. The Phyllis Gebauer Scholarship in Writing acknowledges and fosters the talent of promising writers from diverse backgrounds and cultures who might otherwise not have the opportunity to study their craft in a supportive educational environment. Up to six scholars are named annually, and each recipient is given the opportunity to enroll in three 10-week Writers’ Program courses in creative writing or screen writing during a one-year period (master classes, Writers Studio workshops, editing and publishing courses, and 20-week courses are excluded). Courses may be taken either onsite or online but cannot be deferred for any reason.

Eligibility

In order to be considered eligible for the Phyllis Gebauer Scholarship in Writing, applicants must:

• Have a gross income not to exceed the HUD Very Low Income level, $41,700 in 2022 for a single-person household or $59,550 for a family of four. See http://www.laalmanac.com/social/so24.php for details.
• Be a U.S. citizen or eligible non-citizen with a green card.

You are ineligible to apply if you are:

• A UCLA employee or a family member or dependent of a UCLA employee
• An MA, MFA, or PhD graduate in creative writing, screenwriting, journalism or playwriting
• Pursuing a degree in any field
• An international student
• A former Writers’ Program Scholarship recipient
• A former PEN Emerging Voices Fellow

Eligibility criteria will be reviewed and confirmed for all scholarship recipients.

Application Requirements

To be considered for the 2023-2024 academic year, all of the following must be received by 5pm PT on June 16, 2023. We encourage all applicants to apply early.

The following materials are required to complete your application:

• Completed and signed Phyllis Gebauer Scholarship application form (click for details)
• Responses to two essay questions (click for details) Essays should be typed in 12-point Times New Roman font, double spaced with one-inch margins, and should not exceed 250 words each. Be sure to include your name at the top of each page. 

1. Essay 1: The Phyllis Gebauer Scholarship in Writing recognizes emerging and talented writers who lack access to writing education opportunities. What is your current writing goal, and how would this scholarship remove barriers to achieving it? 
2. Essay 2: Tell us about a quality, skill, or attribute you possess that will foster your success in reaching your writing goals.

• A signed copy of your 2022 Federal Tax Return with all schedules and worksheets (IRS form 1040, 1040A, 1040EZ, or 1040TEL, and W-2 forms) Redact your social security number for privacy. If you were claimed as a dependent on your parent's tax forms, you must also submit a copy of your parents' 2022 Federal Income Tax Return.
• A copy of your 2023 - 2024 FASFA Student Aid Report (SAR). You are required to submit a copy of the 2023 – 2024 Student Aid Report (SAR) Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) with your application, available from https://studentaid.gov/h/apply-for-aid/fafsa. The SAR is not the same as the FAFSA summary page you receive immediately after submitting your FAFSA application. It can take anywhere from three days to two weeks to get your SAR, so fill out your FAFSA early. SARs will not be accepted after the deadline. For school code, please see application instructions here.
• One letter of recommendation. Recommenders must email their letter to writers@uclaextension.edu, attention: Jennie. Recommendations may be from previous or current employers, teachers or professors, mentors, or leaders of volunteer or civic organizations with whom you have worked. All recommendation letters should be typed in 12-point font on the recommenders letterhead and should describe their relationship to you, how long they have known you, and why they feel you should be considered for a Phyllis Gebauer Scholarship in Writing. Recommenders should submit their letters directly to writers@uclaextension.edu, attention: Jennie.
• A copy of your Green Card if you are not a US Citizen
• Verification of income if unemployed or receiving public assistance dated within 30 days.

Only complete applications received by 5pm PT on June 16, 2023 via Submittable will be reviewed. UCLA Extension reserves the right to request additional financial or other documentation. Application requirements are subject to change based on University policies and guidelines.

Finalists will be notified no later than August 31, 2023. Awards consist of any three 10-week creative writing or screenwriting courses within the Writers' Program (excluding the Writers Studio, Master Class and Pro-Series, Editing and Publishing, and 20-week classes) to be taken between fall 2023 and summer 2024. Fall quarter begins Monday, September 25, 2023. Courses cannot be deferred for any reason.

Contact Information 

If you have questions regarding the Phyllis Gebauer Scholarship in Writing, please contact Jennie Seidewand at writers@uclaextension.edu or 310-825-9415.

About Us

Southland Alibi is the student-run literary journal published by the Writers’ Program at UCLA Extension.

We seek high-quality fictional works of all types.  Send us a piece that makes us laugh, cry, love, or nod our heads in the wonderment or bewilderment of life.

The editorial staff is dedicated to art and writing that represents diverse viewpoints and experiences and that may also cross boundaries of genre and form.

Submission Requirements

- Original, unpublished work only

- Max word count: 3,000. We will accept stand-alone excerpts from larger works

- 12 point font, Times New Roman, double spaced

- Include a cover letter with your name, e-mail address, phone number, and the title of your piece, as well as a brief biography. In the biography, please consider the following: what texts, traditions, cultures, or histories is your piece in conversation with? What does your piece mean to you?

- Do not include your name on the manuscript itself

- Simultaneous submissions are accepted, but please withdraw your submission if it is accepted elsewhere

- Multiple submissions from the same author may be submitted

If you have questions not otherwise addressed here, please contact us at: southlandalibi@unex.ucla.edu. We appreciate your patience and will respond to your e-mail as quickly as possible, but kindly allow at least 3 business days before following up with us.

Southland Alibi, the student-run literary journal published by the Writers’ Program at UCLA Extension, seeks previously unpublished nonfiction of up to 4,000 words (with a suggested length of around 2,500 words). We are open to all styles of nonfiction including journalism, memoir, personal essay, creative and literary nonfiction, as well as innovative pieces which defy genre convention. Works of extraordinary merit that exceed 4,000 words may be considered for serialization.

If you have questions not otherwise addressed here, please contact us at: southlandalibi@unex.ucla.edu. We appreciate your patience and will respond to your e-mail as quickly as possible, but kindly allow at least 3 business days before following up with us.

Southland Alibi is the student-run literary journal published by the Writers’ Program at UCLA Extension.

Our poetry editors are looking for fresh, diverse voices.

Please adhere to the following guidelines when submitting your work:

• Submit up to three poems in ten pages or less, but PLEASE SUBMIT EACH POEM SEPARATELY.
• Submissions must be typed and single-spaced, Times New Roman, 12-point font.
• If you are submitting multiple poems, please start each poem on a new page.
• Submit all of your poems in one document; we will only consider one document at a time per poet.
• Please include a cover sheet with your submission. Your cover sheet should include your full legal name, phone number, mailing address, E-mail address, and a short biography.
• Submissions of visual or concrete poetry should be submitted in PDF format.
• We welcome international submissions. Languages other than English may be included in the poem as long as the bulk of the poem is written in English and/or includes an English translation.
• We accept simultaneous submissions, but if your poetry is accepted for publication elsewhere, please notify us immediately.
• We do not accept previously published work.

We strive to respond to poetry submissions within a reasonable timeframe, but we appreciate your patience as we manage the volume of submissions. If you have questions not otherwise addressed here, please contact us at: southlandalibi@unex.ucla.edu. We appreciate your patience and will respond to your e-mail as quickly as possible, but kindly allow at least 3 business days before following up with us.

Southland Alibi is the student-run literary journal published by the Writers’ Program at UCLA Extension.

Southland Alibi is not only for writers, but also for artists to showcase works of art through numerous mediums, such as drawing, painting, photography, and film. We are interested in adding new creative voices that tell stories on a canvas.

We accept works from various fields of creativity. Please check out our Submission Guidelines below, including a list of what we seek and what is not permitted.

If you’re a visual artist interested in contributing to the magazine, please contact us to discuss: southlandalibi@unex.ucla.edu

SUBMISSION GUIDELINES

Southland Alibi seeks innovative work and accepts all visual art forms. We welcome those from all stages in their careers to apply. An artist's statement is welcome with your submission but not required. We will consider any genre, subject, and medium, but we are mostly looking for photography, paintings, drawings, sculpture, and comics. Images of art pieces need adequate and even lighting and at least 300 DPI to be considered. Submit a maximum of three pieces at one time for consideration. If you choose to make multiple submissions, please submit EACH work separately (via separate Submittable submissions). Please submit your art in either PNG or JPEG file formats named by the title of your piece, if titled. All work must be original and music cannot be copyrighted. We do not allow hateful text, images, symbols, or other content in your name, or bio.