The Caucus Foundation Student Grant Program

Overview

The Caucus Foundation Student Grant Program provides completion funding for undergraduate and graduate students at accredited US institutions who are finishing thesis films, television programs, videos, or interactive projects. The Caucus Foundation is the philanthropic arm of The Caucus for Producers, Writers and Directors, a professional organization of senior-level television industry professionals including showrunners, executive producers, and directors.

In its 22-year history, the foundation has awarded 201 grants totaling over $2 million in finishing funds and awards to college and university students across the United States. The program is specifically designed to combat the lack of diversity behind the camera by supporting students who need completion money after other fundraising sources have been exhausted.

Unlike many scholarships that fund tuition or living expenses, the Caucus Foundation grant is specifically for project completion. This means you need to have a film or project in post-production with a rough cut assembled before applying. The grant covers finishing costs such as professional color grading, sound mixing, and other post-production expenses that students often cannot afford.

Grant Amounts and Structure

The award ranges from $1,000 to a maximum of $10,000, based on the completion needs of the individual project. No single grant can amount to more than 40% of the total amount awarded in that funding session.

Awards are made twice per year:

• Round 1: Applications due March 15
• Round 2: Applications due June 15 (extended to July 15 in some years)

The program also includes Gold Circle Awards, which recognize the two outstanding films each year from among the grant recipients. Gold Circle winners receive additional recognition and in-kind grants.

Eligibility

Applicants must meet all of the following requirements:

• Be a US citizen
• Be registered in an accredited undergraduate or graduate degree program that requires a thesis project in film, television program, video, or interactive project
• Be either the producer or director of the project
• Be enrolled at an accredited university, college, or conservatory at the time of submission, or have graduated within three months of the application due date
• Have exhausted other means of fundraising before applying (the grant is specifically for completion money)

The program is open to all students at accredited institutions, not just a fixed list of partner schools. However, the foundation has historically received strong applications from schools including USC, UCLA, Chapman University, and Emerson College.

Project Requirements

Submissions can be:

• Structured films (narrative, documentary, experimental)
• TV programs of any genre (game show, reality, sitcom, variety, documentary, webisodes)
• Interactive projects

Length restrictions:

• Documentaries: up to 60 minutes
• All other genres: up to 30 minutes

How to Apply

Applications are submitted online. The process requires:

• A completed application form (submitted online)
• A final script
• A final budget
• A rough cut of the project (uploaded to Dropbox)
• A financing plan
• A shooting and post-production schedule
• A crew list
• Proof of student status

The rough cut is a mandatory requirement. The foundation evaluates the rough cut to determine whether the project is close enough to completion that the grant money will actually finish it. Applicants who do not have a rough cut assembled should not apply.

Apply online through the Caucus Foundation website at caucus.org/foundation-grant-program.

What Grant Recipients Receive

Beyond the cash grant, recipients get:

• Mentor program: Caucus members provide mentoring services to grant recipients, helping them transition from student to industry professional
• New Filmmaker Mentor Program: An additional mentorship program reaching out to local universities, with Caucus members providing guidance to film students from USC, UCLA, and Chapman (expanding to other schools)
• Gold Circle Award recognition: The top two films each year receive Gold Circle status with additional awards and in-kind grants
• Industry visibility: Recipients gain visibility within the professional television community through the foundation's network of showrunners and executive producers
• Annual event recognition: Grant winners are honored at the Caucus Foundation's annual awards dinner

Track Record

Past grant recipients have used the funding for professional post-production services that would otherwise be out of reach for student projects. For example, 2019 grant recipient Kelly Pike (UCLA) used the grant for professional color grading and sound mixing, stating: "Without these funds, I would not have been able to finish this film properly. But now I have a film that I am proud to have represent me as a director."

2019 grantees included students from Chapman University, Emerson College, and UCLA, with projects spanning narrative fiction and documentary.

Who Should Apply

Undergraduate or graduate students at accredited US institutions who are in post-production on their thesis film, TV program, or interactive project and need completion funding. You must be the producer or director of the project, have a rough cut assembled, and be a US citizen. Students who have not yet started production or who do not have a rough cut are not eligible and should wait until they are further along in post-production.

The program is particularly suited to students whose projects demonstrate diverse perspectives and creative voices, as the foundation's stated mission is to promote diversity behind the camera.

See Also

For understanding television writing careers, see Television Writing Careers. To plan your thesis film production budget, use the Production Budget Calculator. For post-production timeline planning, use the Post Production Timeline.