Top Music Scholarships in 2021

Music is such a passion for certain students that they want to make a career out of doing what they love. While a career as a music teacher is rewarding for many, there are other options, including audio engineering, video game sound design, and music therapy. Whatever musical career path you decide upon, you can undoubtedly use a few scholarships to help fund your education.

Jump ahead to:

Top Music Scholarships
Need-based Financial Aid for Music Students
Summary of Music Scholarships
Expired Music Scholarships

Keep on reading to learn more about our top music scholarships including eligibility, award amount, and application deadlines!

Top Music Scholarships in 2021

$14,770 3LAU “Everything” Scholarship

Eligibility: High school and undergraduates who submit a short written answer along with a link to an original song, dance, or art piece that represents their “everything”
Amount: $14,770
Deadline: June 20, 2021

$1,000 Kap Slap “Find Your Sound” Music Grant

Eligibility: Open to beginning musicians who write about what they would do with their time if money wasn’t an issue
Amount: $1,000
Deadline: April 29, 2021

$1,000 Ella Henderson Dream Big Scholarship

Eligibility: Open to all high school students who share an essay about the way music changed their lives
Amount: $1,000
Deadline: April 30, 2021

$1,000 Joe Bonamassa Music Studies Scholarship

Eligibility: Open to students at all levels of education with a minimum GPA of 3.0 who have an interest in playing/creating music
Amount: $1,000
Deadline: June 1, 2021

$890 KUURO Master Your Craft Scholarship

Eligibility: Students at every level of artistic study, including music, art (digital or print), film/tv, video, photography, and more
Amount: $890
Deadline: May 1, 2021

Berklee College of Music Presidential Scholarship

Eligibility: Students demonstrating the highest musical merit and the highest financial need are eligible. Audition required
Amount: Tuition, on-campus housing, and a laptop
Deadlines: Fall (September) EA: November 1; Fall (September)Regular Decision: January 15; Spring (January): July 1; Summer (May): December 1

Congressional Black Caucus Foundation Performing Arts Scholarship

Eligibility: African-American college students majoring in the performing arts
Amount: $3,000
Deadline: April 30, 2021

Darryl Davis “Follow Your Heart” Scholarship

Eligibility: Open to undergraduate students in any field of study. A passion for singing, a history of giving back to your community, and involvement with church is a plus
Amount: $500
Deadline: September 11, 2021

Gabriella Carter Music and Me Scholarship

Eligibility: Open to Black students who write an essay about the comfort that only music can bring
Amount: $1,000
Deadline: March 4, 2021

Jack Kent Cooke Young Artist Award

Eligibility: Full-time students between the ages of 8–18 with exceptional musical talents
Amount: $10,000
Deadline: March 15, 2021 (high school seniors due 12/4/2020)

Ocean Awareness Contest

Eligibility: Students ages 11 to 18 who create a work of art in their chosen genre, including visual art, film, music, poetry, prose, and interactive and multimedia
Amount: Scholarships worth from $100 to $1,500
Deadline: June 14, 2021

Sikdope “Music Is The Cure” Scholarship

Eligibility: Open to students at every level of education studying in the United States whose second language is English
Amount: $3,020
Deadline: August 1, 2021

scholarships for musicians

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.

Summary of Music Scholarships

Expired Scholarships

Austin Kramer Music Scholarship

Eligibility: Open to students at all levels who share an inspiring song, curate a 10-20 track playlist, and then submit a paragraph (under 100 words) explaining your playlist
Amount: $500
Deadline: January 30, 2021

Glenn Miller Birthplace Society Scholarship

Eligibility: Graduating high school seniors or first-year college students who intend to make music a central part of their future life
Amount: $4,000
Deadline: March 2 (cancelled for 2021 due to Covid)

John Lennon Scholarships

Eligibility: Current student or alumnus/alumna at a U.S. college or university between the ages of 17 and 24 who submit an original song in any genre
Amount: $20,000 (three will be awarded!)
Deadline: January 22, 2021

Peermusic Latin Scholarship

Eligibility: Open to students composers enrolled in college for the best original song or instrumental work in any Latin genre
Amount: $5,000
Deadline: January 22, 2021

School Band & Orchestra Magazine Essay Scholarship

Eligibility: Open to students who write an essay of 250 words or less on a music theme
Amount: Ten $1,000 scholarships are awarded in two categories: Five $1,000 scholarships to students in grades four to eight and five $1,000 scholarships to students in grades nine through 12
Deadline: December 31

Women Band Directors International Scholarships

Eligibility: Aspiring female band directors enrolled in a university music curriculum pursuing a degree in music education
Amount: $300 to $500
Deadline: December 1 (opens September 1, 2021)

About Maria Geiger

Maria Geiger is an online educational technology instructor and an adjunct writing instructor. Maria’s interests include viewpoint diversity, blended/flipped learning, digital communication, and integrating media/web tools into the curriculum to better facilitate student engagement. Maria earned both a B.A. and an M.A. in English Literature from Monmouth University, an M. Ed. in Education from Monmouth University, and a Virtual Online Teaching Certificate (VOLT) from the University of Pennsylvania.