Best Dance Scholarships to Apply for in 2025

About Dance Scholarships

There are many different styles of dance that students can study, including jazz, ballet, hip hop, modern, tap, ethnic, folk dance, and more. The United States has hundreds of schools where you can get a degree in dance.

Dancers and choreographers are primarily employed by the performing arts industry, with an average annual salary of $34,356 in 2021. The highest employment for these professionals is found in specific areas: LA City (Northeast/North Hollywood & Valley Village) in California, Washington Heights, Inwood & Marble Hill in New York, and Northwest Hillsborough County in Florida.

A quarter of the dance-related jobs are in choreography—an area that is expected to grow. Choreographers find work at dance studios, with professional companies, on Broadway, or at a variety of smaller entertainment companies.

Dance graduates also work for a variety of performing arts studios around the world. Some dance majors become members of companies while others pursue careers as cruise ship, theme park, or casino performers.

In 2021, the most common academic degrees among dancers and choreographers were in Visual & Performing Arts, followed by Communications, and then Education. Moreover, in the same year, the median in-state public tuition was $7,850, experiencing a growth of 4.6%, while the median out-of-state private tuition stood at $42,146, with a growth rate of 2.5%.

If you are passionate about dance, scholarships are available that can help lessen your student debt and help pay for tuition.

What Is a Dance Scholarship?

A dance scholarship is an award for those who are in an undergraduate or graduate dance program. The student should be enrolled in an accredited college and exhibit artistic excellence or a passion for dance. Scholarship awards will also be available for you even if you are not a dance major but still have a talent for dance.

While some scholarships may require that you study modern dance, ballet, or other performance techniques, there are also general dance scholarships that are available.

Are There Scholarships for Dance?

Yes, there are plenty of scholarships for those who study dance as well as opportunities for those pursuing other career fields. There are also plenty of art scholarships and performing arts scholarships that dance majors can apply to as well.

On Bold.org, you can find many different types of scholarships that can help undergraduate and graduate students in public health programs.

Can You Get a Scholarship for Dance?

There are plenty of scholarships available exclusively to students who dance. While there are no guarantees that you will win every scholarship you apply for, applying for scholarships on Bold.org is easy and simple, meaning that you can apply for plenty of scholarships with the click of a button.

How to Get a Dance Scholarship

To begin applying for scholarships, click on any of the scholarships listed above. If you have not yet created your free Bold.org profile, the listed scholarships will redirect you so that you can create an account and begin applying for Bold.org's exclusive scholarships.

The scholarship search features provided on Bold.org can help you find the most relevant scholarships based on your experiences, goals, and skills. You can also use filters to pull up scholarships based on education level, scholarship amount, deadline, and category to help you narrow your search. The bookmark tool can help you save scholarships you are interested in, so you can return later.

Once you've decided on scholarships that fit you best, you can begin applying. The application process is set up to be easy, so all you have to focus on is writing a great essay or submitting other materials like videos or images.

What Does It Take to Get a Dance Scholarship?

Different scholarships have different requirements for dancers when they apply for their scholarships. Some require dancers to study a specific discipline while others require students to be from a certain identity. Some scholarships also require students to submit a portfolio of their work. While scholarships may have certain requirements, dancers with outstanding talent can find many different scholarships on Bold.org.

Best Scholarships for Dancers

Dance students are encouraged to apply for any performing arts scholarship award to reduce the costs of their dance education. Often, dance faculty or a school's dance department may be aware of exclusive scholarships for students pursuing dance. Be sure to reach out to find opportunities to help pay your college expenses.

Moreover, scholarships on Bold.org offer a unique opportunity for dance students to find and apply for scholarships they're eligible for. Create a free profile to begin today!

Scholarships for Dancers in High School

High school is a great time to get started on applying for scholarships. By applying early, high school students can maximize their higher education funding. The earlier you start, the more time you'll have to find and win scholarships. To start applying, click on any of the below scholarships for high school students.

1. Scholarships for High School Freshmen
2. Scholarships for High School Sophomores
3. Scholarships for High School Juniors
4. Scholarships for High School Seniors
5. Scholarships for High School Students
6. Performing Arts Scholarships

Dance Scholarships for College Students

While many students begin their scholarship search in high school, there are also plenty of scholarships for college students. Whether you're pursuing an undergraduate or graduate program, there are many scholarships that you'll be able to apply for. You can get started with the list below!

1. Undergraduate Scholarships
2. Scholarships for College Freshmen
3. Scholarships for College Sophomores
4. Scholarships for College Juniors
5. Scholarships for College Seniors
6. Scholarships for Community College
7. Scholarships for College Students
8. Scholarships for Graduate Students
9. Master's Degree Scholarships
10. Performing Arts Scholarships

Dance Scholarships for Females

Women make up 78% of the dance workforce in the U.S. and are often the target audience for dance scholarships as a result. To help women in dance fund their education, here are a few scholarships that can help.

1. Art Scholarships
2. Performing Arts Scholarships
3. Scholarships for Women
4. Scholarships for Moms
5. Scholarships for Single Moms

Dance Scholarships for Males

Even though men make up a smaller portion of the dance workforce, there are many male dancers who need financial assistance to reach their goals. In order to help men who would like to study dance, scholarships are essential. Male dancers can get started with the scholarship opportunities below.

1. Art Scholarships
2. Performing Arts Scholarships
3. Athletic Scholarships

When Can I Start Applying?

It's never too early for dancers to begin applying for scholarships! As soon as you're at least fourteen years old and in high school, you'll start qualifying for scholarships. The sooner you begin applying, the more scholarships you will be able to apply for, boosting your chances of covering all of your financial need.

It's also never too late to apply for scholarships! High school seniors can and should submit scholarship applications, even if it's their last month of high school. Undergraduate and graduate students can continue applying for scholarships throughout their degrees. Recent graduates who have student loans are even eligible to apply for certain scholarships!

How Do I Know if I’m Eligible for a Scholarship?

Every scholarship will include a list of eligibility requirements in the description. Eligible students must meet all of the criteria to qualify and apply, so read carefully! Some scholarships have a wide range of eligibility requirements and are less competitive as a result. The fewer eligible applicants a scholarship has, the better your chances of winning will be. 

Eligibility requirements can be anything from race or gender to location or field of study. Students who display academic excellence, leadership, or other positive traits can even qualify for additional scholarships. Additionally, students who demonstrate financial need can unlock scholarships exclusively open to low-income students. 

To make sure you're taking advantage of all of your opportunities, make sure your Bold.org profile is completely filled out. Since Bold.org may block ineligible students from applying for certain scholarships, it's important that your profile accurately reflects your information so you don't miss out on any scholarships.

Before applying, read through all requirements to ensure that you're eligible to apply. Since scholarships often take time and effort to apply for, you want to be sure that you're not wasting time on a scholarship that you're not eligible to receive.

Are Scholarships Counted as Income?

Generally, scholarship money is not counted as income, as long as the money goes to qualified expenses and doesn't exceed your total costs.

The scholarship award must be used for school-related expenses, like tuition and fees, books, and school supplies. Scholarship money is taxable if scholarship recipients use their awards for other college-related costs like room and board, food, or travel.