Top scholarships for music students overall
We’ve hand-picked the following scholarships based on the strong reputation of their organizations, the value of the awards, and being open to a wide number of students. Apply with confidence to these 3 top scholarships for music students:
- Ocean Awareness Scholarship – For students aged 11-18 who submit writing, artwork, or a dance piece about the importance of conserving the ocean. Worth $1,000
- Davidson Institute Fellows Scholarship – $50,000 scholarship for K-12 students who have produced a significant work in the field of STEM, literature, music, or philosophy
- YoungArts Competition – Scholarship worth up to $10,000 for high school sophomores, juniors, and seniors passionate about dance, music, design, film, jazz, photography, theater, visual arts, singing, or writing who submit a written piece or video showcasing their talents
- Micky Golomb Memorial Scholarship – Scholarship worth $10,000 for high school seniors or college freshman living in Fairfield County and enrolled (or planning to enroll) in a music degree program at an institution of higher education
How to win music scholarships
Like any type of scholarship, music scholarships receive a lot of applications. To stand out and win a scholarship, you’ll have to put a lot of thought into your essays and application materials. Before you begin applying, try sitting down and doing some reflection. Think about what has led you to pursue a music education, and how you work your background, upbringing, and culture into your work.
If you have already completed your own projects or been a member of an ensemble, think about how these experiences have shaped your goals and demonstrated your potential. Consider the change you hope to make in the world through your music, where you want to be in 5 years, and how you plan to get there.
Next it’s time to get your brainstorming down on paper. Don’t worry about grammar or succinctness here, just get your ideas on the page in bullet points or sentence fragments or whatever feels most natural to you. Once you begin writing your essays, these notes will come in handy often.
Writing a great essay
Writing a great scholarship essay is a unique craft that takes some time to get used to. Luckily, we can help you do it through guides on how to write a winning scholarship essay, how to start and end your essay, and how to write about yourself. We can also help you respond to common scholarship essay prompts, including “Why do you deserve this scholarship?” Finally, check out our guides to tailoring your writing to 250 or 500 word limits.
Also see:Â Top summer music programs for high school students
Resources for music students
Delta Omicron
Delta Omicron is an international business fraternity for music students of all gender identities. They have chapters at many colleges throughout the country and facilitate lectures, recitals, networking opportunities, and much more.
American Music Therapy Association
The AMTA is a national organization that helps support and develop the field of music therapy all across the country. Student membership is only $60 per year and comes with perks such as literature from the organization, networking opportunities, and trainings.
Need-based financial aid for music students
If you are a current or prospective music major, you may also qualify for need-based financial aid through your college or through the government. There are two major financial aid applications you should know about:
- Free Application for Federal Student Aid (or FAFSA) which is how students can access financial aid through the government. This financial aid can include federal student loans, Federal SEOG Grants, and Pell Grants.
- CSS Profile which is how some colleges and universities award institutional financial aid.
Be sure to check-in with your college to see what applications are required for need-based financial aid.
Frequently asked questions about music scholarships
Do I need to major in music for music scholarships?
Some music scholarships require that their applicants be majors, while others will accept hobby musicians. Opportunities such as the John Lennon Scholarship award students based on their music submission, but do not require them to study music in college. However, scholarships such as the one offered at Berklee College of Music require that you major in the field.
There may also be some scholarships that allow students who minor or concentrate in music. The rules will vary by scholarship, so if you have any doubts, don’t hesitate to reach out to the organization offering the scholarship. It can never hurt to make sure, and it might even help your chances of winning the scholarship by showing your interest.
Can I get music scholarships for all types of music?
Are there music scholarships for both playing and composing?
Can I get a scholarship for music production?
Music production and audio engineering students have less scholarships available than some other fields, but they are certainly out there! The Audio Engineering Society has a great list of scholarship opportunities for audio engineering students in undergrad or graduate programs. Some are even offered by the society itself.
Audio engineering students can also reach out to the institution they hope to attend, or even look into local scholarships as a way to fund their education.
Do colleges offer music scholarships?
What instrument is most likely to get a scholarship?
That being said, it is generally easiest to get a scholarship for an instrument that is not especially competitive. Instruments such as the harp, oboe, french horn, trombone, and the bassoon are less widely played than more common instruments like the guitar, piano, or drums. So, schools will likely be more willing to offer scholarships to students that play these instruments to create a diverse student base.
Other scholarship categories to explore
- Top art scholarships
- Scholarships for vocalists
- Musical theatre scholarships
- Instrument scholarships
- Marching band scholarships
- Film scholarships
- Top video scholarships
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📝Sample Essay from a Scholarship Winner
Here's a winning scholarship essay from Haylie M, who won our "Creativity Takes Courage" Scholarship for Art Students. Read the essay below and keep scrolling for some commentary on what made this a winner.
Prompt: How are creativity and courage connected? Tell us about a time when you had to be courageous to share your art with others.
Essay
Creativity and courage are connected down to the core of what they are. You cannot be a creative person without also being a courageous person. Whether you are displaying your painting or singing on a stage, as an artist you have to have the courage to develop and share the passion you have for your art. This is especially true when you are first starting out your creative journey. You have to have the courage to make mistakes, be adaptive and BE CREATIVE. Being creative, in any sense of the word, can be an incredibly difficult and scary thing.
This past semester, I was invited to perform as a soloist with my school orchestra. As a band student I very rarely have a spotlight in the orchestra setting, and this made me immensely anxious. Despite this fear, I stepped forward and learned the music. Why? Because I am passionate about my art, and I want to share it with others no matter how anxiety-inducing it may seem. I would not be where I am today in any of my creative ventures if it weren't for having the courage to both fail and succeed. I fully believe that courage and creativity intertwine within a person and it involves a careful balancing act to be able to understand that relationship and use it to your advantage.
Why it worked
Haylie writes a concise, introspective essay here that uses a performance in her school orchestra to demonstrate her willingness to tackle both success and failure. She shows that she is a hard worker and that she has paid attention to the effort involved in success.
The essay prompt for this scholarship asks for students to do a lot in only 250 words. They must demonstrate a connection between creativity and courage, and tell a personal anecdote that demonstrates to scholarship reviewers that this student is worthy of a scholarship. Haylie does a good job of splitting the essay between these two tasks. In the end, she ties it back to work ethic and willingness to try and fail. That's why we chose her as our 2024 winner.
Will Geiger
Scholarships360 Co-Founder, Former Admissions Officer