The Best Performing Arts Scholarships with Upcoming Deadlines

As college becomes increasingly expensive, many students are opting to pursue more traditional and stable careers rather than following their artistic dreams. While the arts often go unappreciated in society, they're a critical form of expression and entertainment, and the next generation of great performers must be supported. With college costs continuing to rise, performing arts awards are more important than ever, and scholarships can become a valuable source of financial aid for students who wish to pursue their artistic interests.

About performing arts scholarships

College costs in America have more than doubled during the 21st century and are continuing to grow. A year of college now comes with an average price tag of $35,331 once tuition, books, living expenses, and other supplies are factored in. This large sum is difficult for many students and families to match, resulting in many students giving up their educational dreams or turning to student loans to finance their degrees. 

Student loans can help make higher education accessible to students who don't have the necessary funds to pay for the upfront costs of college, but they can prove difficult or even impossible to pay off. As a result, the average borrower spends twenty years paying off their student debt, with some borrowers taking even longer, especially if they also borrowed money for graduate school. 

The high monthly payments that borrowers must pay soon after graduating are often difficult to make, especially on an entry-level salary, resulting in 21% of borrowers increasing their balance during the first five years of repayment.

Scholarships are a key way for students with financial need to afford college without taking on debt. As a form of financial assistance that doesn't need to be repaid, scholarships are often preferable to loans.

What is a performing arts scholarship?

A performing arts scholarship is a unique type of financial aid that caters specifically to students involved in or studying performing arts. As a scholarship, a performing arts award is a form of gift aid that doesn't need to be repaid, unlike loans. Performing arts scholarship awards come in many different forms and range from a few hundred to many thousands of dollars.

Students who are majoring in the performing arts or otherwise pursuing careers in them can benefit from these exclusive scholarship opportunities to minimize their need for student debt as they pursue higher education.

Can you get a scholarship for the performing arts?

There are many scholarships specifically for students pursuing performing arts. This means that there are scholarships with small eligibility pools since students pursuing other fields of study won't be eligible to apply. As a result, your chances of winning will be even higher!

Students involved in the performing arts can also consider applying for general scholarships open to all students or for scholarships for students from particular demographics. No matter what your dream career is in the performing arts, there are many scholarships that can function as the financial aid that you need for your journey.

How to apply for performing arts scholarships

You can apply for performing arts scholarship opportunities in a variety of ways. At your chosen college, there may be a general arts scholarship fund for students studying visual arts or performing arts, or there may be specific scholarships for students majoring in or participating in the performing arts alone. You can also look at performing arts associations. For instance, the Educational Theatre Association offers scholarships to students pursuing theatre.

Independent scholarship providers such as Bold.org can also offer valuable financial assistance. There are hundreds of scholarships available for students of all grade levels, majors, and demographics, including performing arts students.

Check out these additional art scholarships to maximize your scholarship awards!

How to get a performing arts scholarship

Scholarships often come with significant competition, but there are many ways to improve your chances of winning. To reduce the competition you're up against, consider applying for scholarships that are only open to a small group of students. Since there will be fewer eligible applicants, you'll have a better chance of winning than you will for scholarships that are open to all students. 

Additionally, scholarships that require essays as part of the application process often receive fewer applications since they require more work than no-essay scholarships. No-essay options can be valuable when you're short on time, but consider applying for at least some essay-based scholarships in order to improve your chances of winning. 

Applicants can also stand out by being nominated for scholarships, earning more bold points, and being among the first to apply for a scholarship. Don't forget to take advantage of your profile to make an impression on donors and be sure to utilize your essays or written statements to the fullest by sticking to the prompt in a unique and personal way.

Best scholarships for performing arts students

There are many types of performing arts scholarships available, including scholarships for musicians, theater performers, singers, and other artists. Regardless of your experience, education level, or other qualifications, there are scholarships available for you.

Performing arts scholarships for high school students

Many performing arts scholarships are geared towards high school students in an effort to encourage them to pursue their dreams in college. There are performing arts scholarships available for students as early as freshmen year! To maximize your earnings, consider starting your search now.

1. WCEJ Thornton Foundation Music & Art Scholarship
2. Moriah Janae Dance Grant
3. Jacob Naumann Memorial Scholarship

Performing arts scholarships for high school seniors

In addition to the high school scholarships above, there are also opportunities exclusively for high school seniors. Since there will be fewer eligible applicants for scholarships exclusive to seniors, you will have a better chance of winning. The scholarships below are great ways to begin earning funding.

1. KBK Artworks Scholarship
2. Caliber X Scholarship
3. Carl’s Music Matters Scholarship

Scholarships for performing arts majors

Many performing arts awards are exclusively open to college students studying the performing arts. Scholarships may be open to all art students while others may require applicants to be theatre arts majors or to be studying music, the visual arts, etc. If you're pursuing a form of performing arts, consider applying for the scholarships below!

1. Chang Heaton Scholarship for Music Excellence
2. Grant Woolard Memorial Scholarship
3. 1st Generation People Of Color Patrick Copney Memorial Music/Arts Scholarship

Performing arts scholarships for international students

Many international students are particularly in need of scholarship aid since many don't qualify for federal aid. To support international students who are pursuing their creative dreams in the United States, there are many scholarships that international performing arts students are eligible to apply for on Bold.org.

1. Future Party Entertainment and Culture Scholarship
2. Bold Art Matters Scholarship
3. Christian ‘Myles’ Pratt Foundation Fine Arts Scholarship

Frequently asked questions about performing arts scholarships

How to find performing arts scholarships

The first step to finding a performing arts scholarship is to create your free profile on Bold.org to gain access to hundreds of exclusive scholarships. You can then use the scholarship filters to narrow the list of scholarships based on the award amount, education level, and deadlines. 

Additionally, you can browse scholarships by category to find different types of scholarships, including performing arts scholarships. To find scholarship opportunities for performing arts students, browse through the "Arts" and "Music" categories.

How do I know if I'm eligible for a scholarship?

Every scholarship will have its eligibility requirements listed in the description. In order to qualify for a scholarship, you must meet all of the criteria. Before applying, make sure that you've completed your profile and that you've filled it out accurately. In many cases, the eligibility filters on Bold.org will prevent you from applying for a scholarship if your profile doesn't meet the requirements. 

When can I start applying?

You can begin applying for scholarships on Bold.org as soon as you're in high school and at least fourteen years old. By applying early, you can maximize the amount of time you'll have to earn scholarship funding before you start college. Even if you're already a high school senior, college student, or even a recent graduate with student loans, you'll still be eligible to apply for many scholarships.

If you win a scholarship in high school, your money will be held for you until you enroll in an accredited college and it will then be sent to your school by check as a form of financial aid!