The Angie Thomas Writers Scholarship will cover tuition, room and board at Belhaven University in Jackson. The program might also provide smaller scholarships to other students. Photo by Imani Khayyam

JACKSON, Miss. (AP) — A private university in Mississippi is preparing to award a second scholarship to an incoming freshman who will major in creative writing.

The Angie Thomas Writers Scholarship will cover tuition, room and board at Belhaven University in Jackson. The program might also provide smaller scholarships to other students.

Belhaven established the scholarship to honor Thomas, who earned her degree there in 2011. She wrote the bestselling novels “The Hate U Give” and “On the Come Up.” Her new novel, “Concrete Rose," is being published this month.

“The pandemic has affected so many families financially, and suddenly many students may not know how to pay for college,” Thomas said in a Belhaven news release Friday. “I’m thankful that the Angie Thomas Writers Scholarship exists so that it’s no longer a concern for a young person and their family.”

Scholarship applications are due March 15 and the winner will be selected April 15.