Explore our diverse range of writing support programs and opportunities for UCSB students. From mentored fellowships and scholarships to publication opportunities, these initiatives provide valuable resources to help students develop their writing skills, complete meaningful projects, and build connections within our writing community.

Expand each section below to learn more about how you can enhance your writing journey at UCSB.

 

The Raab Writing Fellows Program, funded by a generous gift from UCSB Trustee Diana Raab, provides opportunities for mentoring and research in writing to selected undergraduates. This fellowship would be valuable for students interested in pursuing graduate work or in developing a writing project with an expert in the field. The program supports the academic and professional writing of students via one-on-one work with Writing Program faculty. Moreover, students have the opportunity to collaborate with the cohort of other Raab Writing Fellows, building a strong bond and writing network for their activities at UCSB and beyond. 

Raab Writing Fellows can receive up to $750 in support for project needs (e.g., books, travel, software). Once accepted into the program, students enroll in Writing 131ABC, a year-long course sequence (four units spread out over three quarters) that provides resources and guidance for their project. Students can also concurrently take an independent study with their Writing Program faculty mentor in order to receive additional units.

Check the Raab Writing Fellows website for more information and descriptions of students' projects. 

The M. Garren Tinney Fellowships provide undergraduate writers at UCSB with mentorship, guidance, and financial support to complete substantial writing projects already in progress. These fellowships focus on helping talented writers finalize their manuscripts and prepare them for a future career in writing.

Award: $3,000 per fellow (minimum of two fellowships awarded)

Timeline: Winter and Spring quarters

Ideal Candidates:

  • Undergraduates with substantial progress on a writing project (collection, novel, essays, memoir, etc.)
  • At least third-year standing in good academic standing
  • Preference for English, Writing & Literature majors/minors, Comparative Literature, and Writing Program minors
  • Priority for students from disadvantaged backgrounds and those with financial need

Requirements:

  • Must have majority of project already written
  • Must be enrolled for the entire academic year
  • Cannot hold another writing fellowship (e.g., Raab Fellowship)

The fellowship honors Michael "Garren" Tinney's passion for writing through a memorial fund established by his mother in 2023.

Contact: Robert Krut at rkrut@ucsb.edu

The Gabler Promise Scholars Writing Program began in 2019-20 with a generous gift from Elizabeth and Lee Gabler, who live in Santa Barbara with their daughter. Ms. Gabler is a UCSB alumna with a degree in English literature. 

The program is designed to help students from historically under-resourced communities and underrepresented minority students succeed at UC Santa Barbara. The students, working over the course of a full year in small groups with a Writing Program mentor, develop strategies for writing effectively in personal/creative, academic, and civic contexts. This mentoring supports the students’ development as writers and enhance their opportunities for success at UC Santa Barbara and beyond.

Visit the Gabler Promise Scholars Writing Program website for more information about the program and its students. 

Starting Lines is an anthology of student work published annually by the University of Santa Barbara Writing Program as a text and instructional tool for first-year writing classes: Writing 2, Writing 1, and Linguistics 12.  For the last two years, we have partnered with Hayden McNeil to publish a new and improved version of Starting Lines. 

Submissions of writing and campus photography are accepted throughout the year, and selections are made by faculty readers each spring. Prizes are awarded to contest winners in various categories, and all student authors receive certificates and a copy of the anthology. Student writers are also honored at an awards celebration at the end of spring quarter.

Starting Lines is available for purchase at the UCSB campus bookstore. For more information, visit the Starting Lines Website.