Student-centric advice and objective recommendations
Higher education has never been more confusing or expensive. Our goal is to help you navigate the very big decisions related to higher ed with objective information and expert advice. Each piece of content on the site is original, based on extensive research, and reviewed by multiple editors, including a subject matter expert. This ensures that all of our content is up-to-date, useful, accurate, and thorough.
Our reviews and recommendations are based on extensive research, testing, and feedback. We may receive commission from links on our website, but that doesn’t affect our editors’ opinions. Our marketing partners don’t review, approve or endorse our editorial content. It’s accurate to the best of our knowledge when posted. You can find a complete list of our partners here.
Top 26 Music Scholarships in November 2022
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
- Frequently asked questions about music scholarships
- Additional scholarship categories to explore
Keep on reading to learn more about our top music scholarships including eligibility, award amount, and application deadlines!
Top 26 Music Scholarships in November 2022
The Scholarships360 Research Team reviews all scholarships individually and strives to exclude any scholarship where any of the below applies:
- The scholarship requires a fee to apply
- The scholarship provider’s privacy policy allows for the misuse of student data
- The scholarship requires paid membership in an organization (with certain exceptions for reputable trade organizations and others)
- Student are required to sign up for a site or service to apply*
- The scholarship seems primarily used for lead generation** or idea harvesting purposes***
- The scholarship website has many grammatical errors and/or advertisements
- The scholarship or scholarship providing organization seem untrustworthy
- There is no evidence the scholarship was previously awarded
- The scholarship has not been awarded in the past 12 months
- There is no available contact information
If you believe a scholarship has been published in error, please reach out to [email protected] and we’ll take a look!
* There are certain exceptions to this, for example if the sponsoring organization is a major corporation or nonprofit with its own scholarship application system.
** Lead generation scholarships will require students to sign up for an app or website and require minimal (if any) application requirements.
***Idea harvesting scholarships will require students to submit blog posts or other materials that companies may use for marketing purposes.
$10,000 “No Essay” Scholarship
Scholarships360 Exclusive
Easy scholarship open to all US-based high school, college, community college and graduate students.
$2,000 Nitro College Scholarship – No Essay
Sponsored
Easy scholarship open to all high school, college, community and graduate students.
Niche $50,000 “No Essay” College Scholarship
Sponsored
Open to high school and college students, as well as anyone looking to attend college or graduate school in the next year.
Jazz at the Ballroom Scholarship
Offered by Jazz at the Ballroom
Open to high school jazz instrumentalists attending a California high school.
F. Lammot Belin Arts Scholarship
Offered by Peter Belin
Open to individuals planning to make their chosen fine art their life's work. Being from Pennsylvania is preferred, but not required.
“Follow Your Own Path” Essay Scholarship
Scholarships360 Exclusive
Open to all postsecondary students, regardless of the type of training/education they are pursuing.
“Outstanding Undergraduate” Essay Scholarship
Scholarships360 Exclusive
Open to current undergraduates at four-year universities in the U.S.
DAR Occupational/Physical Therapy Scholarship
Offered by Daughters of the American Revolution
Open to students accepted to or currently enrolled in an accredited school of occupational therapy.
FMA Solo Program
Offered by Flying Musicians Association, Inc.
High school juniors and seniors who have a passion for music and aviation. Applicants must be nominated by their music director/teacher.
Navy ROTC Scholarship
Offered by Naval Service Training Command
High school seniors applying to NROTC universities and college students at NROTC universities with less than 30 semester hours completed.
$10,000 CollegeXpress Scholarship
Sponsored
Annual $10k scholarship from CollegeXpress open to all high school students.
Classic Center Cultural Foundation Performing Arts Scholarship
Offered by Classic Center Cultural Foundation
Open to high school students in Northeast Georgia who are involved in the performing arts.
Jeanette M. Russell Jazz Scholarship Program
Offered by Gold Coast Jazz Society
Middle, high school, and college vocal/instrumental music students pursuing a music education with an emphasis in jazz studies.
Jack Kent Cooke Young Artist Award
Offered by From The Top
Open to pre-collegiate musicians who need financial help to offset the costs of studying classical music at a high level in the U.S.
Concerto Competition
Offered by United States Marine Corps
Open to high school musicians interested in being the guest soloist for the Marine Band in their upcoming concert season.
Nick & Helena Patti Foundation Scholarship
Offered by Joint Civic Committee of Italian Americans
College sophomores and upperclassmen of Italian heritage who reside in Illinois and were orphaned or raised in a foster home.
Fred J. Miller Memorial Music Education Fund
Offered by Music For All, Inc.
College-bound high school seniors who will pursue a degree in music education and perform at one of the major, national band championships.
Music For All Foundation Scholarships
Offered by Music For All, Inc.
College-bound high school seniors who will pursue a degree in music education and perform at the Bands of America Marching Championships.
$25k “Be Bold” No-Essay Scholarship
Sponsored
Easy scholarship open to high school students, college students, community college students, and graduate students.
Niche $2,000 “No Essay” College Scholarship
Sponsored
Easy scholarship from Niche open to all high school, college, and graduate students.
- 1
- 2
-
Next
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?
Yes! Whether you’re making jazz, classical, rock, rap, or anything else, there are scholarships out there for you. Keep in mind, some scholarships are tailored towards students of a particular genre. So, it may be a good idea to seek out an opportunity that is meant for students of the specific type of music you make. That being said, there are opportunities for every type of music out there.
Are there music scholarships for both playing and composing?
Yes – there are a wide range of music scholarships available, and some can be for performance, some for composition, and some for either/or!
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?
Many colleges offer music scholarships! Music schools such as Berklee offer the most generous scholarships, but are also often more competitive. Liberal arts schools also tend to offer merit-based music scholarships. For example, Kenyon College offers a $15,000 per semester scholarship to applicants who show promise in the field of music.
