Nominations are now open for the 2025 Student Freedom of Information Award, presented by the Student Press Law Center and sponsored by the Joseph L. Brechner Freedom of Information Project at the University of Florida. The award honors students or student teams whose investigative reporting has promoted transparency and highlighted important issues in their school or community in the previous year.  

Submissions are open to student journalists from high schools and colleges across the United States. Reporting must have been published or broadcast between June 1, 2024, and June 30, 2025. Submissions can come from student media, reporting labs, classes, or other journalism programs.

The award also boasts a $2,000 reward for first place in the collegiate division and $1,000 for the high school division.

The selected winner(s) will be honored at the Fall National College Media Convention in Washington, D.C., and the National High School Journalism Convention in Nashville. 

Anyone can nominate a deserving student or team, and students are encouraged to submit their work on their own behalf. Multiple nominations can be made by submitting separate forms. Additionally, students nominated for the Student Freedom of Information Award may also be eligible for the SPLC’s Courage in Student Journalism Award, with that nomination form becoming available soon. 

The deadline for entries is 11:59 p.m. Eastern on June 30, 2025. For more information, you can visit SPLC’s website. To submit a nomination, you can use this form. If you have any questions, email splc@splc.org. 

Posted: February 12, 2025
Category: Brechner News
Tagged as: Brechner Awards, Brechner Freedom of Information Project, FOIA, Student Journalists, Student Press, Student Press Law Center