Scholarship Overview
This four-year $2,500 annual scholarship is awarded to an incoming first-year JMU student who demonstrates a passion for broadcast journalism with a preference toward a student interested in broadcast journalism. The award recognizes the student’s demonstrated commitment to journalism, as well as promise of high academic achievement at JMU. The scholarship is paired with a Madison Award for Academic Excellence, which covers 75% of in-state tution and fees. In addition, the Buckhantz scholar will be directly admitted to the journalism concentration in the School of Media Arts & Design instead of having to apply during the school’s regular admission period in the spring.
The Buckhantz Scholarship is made possible through a generous donation starting in 2025 from alumnus Steven Buckhantz, class of 1977. Buckhantz is an Emmy-award-winning sports broadcaster whose career in media took him from Harrisonburg to TV networks in Chattanooga and Nashville, Tennessee, then to Atlanta, before returning to Washington, D.C., where he grew up. In addition to spending 13 years as sports director at WTIG-TV in Washington, Buckhantz served as play-by-play announcer and the voice of the Washington Wizards from 1997-2020.
Incoming first-year students can apply through the Madison Scholarship Hub, which you can access through this JMU page. The opportunity opens each fall on Oct. 1. Application materials are due in early February.
The Byrd-Mims Scholar must enroll for a minimum of 12 hours each semester, maintain a 3.0 JMU grade-point average, and participate continuously in the JMU student media.
Annual award amount
$2,500 annual four-year scholarship
Eligibility Criteria
Freshmen
GPA
Minimum 3.0
Eligibility Requirements
Incoming first-year student
Special application requirements
Deadline
23:59 PM Friday, February 6, 2026
Award Announcement
