Sister Rita Jeanne Abicht Scholarships, named for JEA's longtime treasurer, recognize the top high school journalists in the country. The contest begins at the state level. Winning portfolios from state Journalist of the Year competitions are sent to the national level, with winners announced at the Spring JEA/NSPA National High School Journalism Convention. JEA sends scholarship funds to the winner's college or university account. Applicants must be a senior in high school or equivalent for international schools. The applicant's adviser must be a current JEA member. To compete for a JEA scholarship, the portfolio must be a state JOY award winner. Students in states without a state director should submit their portfolios to the JEA director whose name will be listed under the state name. Applicants from outside the United States should submit their entries to JEA's global engagement director. At the judges' discretion, up to three international portfolios (with no more than one per country) may advance to the JEA competition. Applicants are no longer required to have two years of scholastic journalism experience, though most will. Applicants must provide and submit their and their adviser contact information; up to three letters of recommendation combined into a single PDF; a link to their portfolio, which must be public and not password protected; a transcript or counselor statement; social media handles for the applicant, winner and winner's publication(s); contact information for local media and stakeholders such as school district leaders; and the applicant's future plans, if known. For Round 1, applicants must check state submission deadlines. For Round 2, state-winning portfolios must be submitted to JEA by March 15. Please visit the scholarship's website for more information.