MUSIC SCHOLARSHIPS

When most people hear the phrase college scholarship, two things come to mind; Athletic and Academic scholarships. There is another option to gain money toward your college tuition. Music Scholarships.

Music scholarships are some of the most competitive scholarships in existence. The reason for this is that there are so many different types of musicians, and there are so few acclaimed music schools.  Another reason for the stiff competition for music scholarships is that there is generally more money in music scholarships than there is in any other type of scholarship. In fact, some schools and granting organizations offer partial and sometimes full scholarships for musicians. 

Musicians of any age -- sometimes even from the age of 10 and up -- are eligible for music scholarships. Some granting institutions do not require GPAs or academic scores of anything above average, and many do not put any financial requirements on the scholarships, meaning that any person of any financial background is eligible for scholarship funds. Of course, each scholarship is different. 

There are two types of music scholarships; Music foundation scholarships and College Music scholarships.
Foundation Scholarships
Music foundations are great place to look for scholarship because their mission is to dedicated to encouraging the creation, performance, and study of music. They offer awards, scholarships, internships, grants, and commissions.  Music foundations like the Young Musicians Foundation and the BMI Music Foundation, and also colleges like the Aspen Music School and many different state universities. Both American and international music foundations offer music scholarships for talented musicians. Generally, individuals win these scholarships through competition with other prospective music students. Some university scholarships award a place as a student in the school's music department, while others give money to current students

College Music Scholarships
College music scholarships are given directly from the school. The first place to look for scholarships is the financial aid office of the college you are attending or planning on attending. They have a list of specific scholarships for music students.   

Undergraduate Scholarships in Music through the University of South Carolina may supply a talented student with a full tuition. As long as a student maintains average GPAs academics are not part of the selection process, and neither is a student's financial status. USC music scholarships are awarded purely based on talent and recommendation. 

The Department of Music and Theater at the University of Iowa holds its breath too, for the best talent in vocals and instrumentation. Students eager to win a place in the program as well as a scholarship may audition each February for the competitive awards. Partial to full scholarships are available and are based on talent. Other scholarships are awarded through the larger College of Liberal Arts and Sciences where criteria such as academic merit and financial need may be considered.

CLICK HERE For a list of Music Scholarships