Last updated on December 9, 2024

The Best Theater Scholarships with 2024 Deadlines

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20 SCHOLARSHIPS
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  1. Wicked Fan No-Essay Scholarship

    Funded by
    Bold.org
    This scholarship seeks to support fans of Wicked who are excited about the new movie adaptation of the story!
    All students are eligible
    Amount:$500
    Deadline is Approaching! 19 days left
    One Click Apply
    1
  2. Jest Laugh Scholarship

    Funded by
    Jest Murder Mystery Co.
    This scholarship aims to support students who are beginning to pursue their theatrical dreams through higher education by providing financial assistance.

    Eligibility Criteria:

    • Education Level: Undergraduate student
    • Field of Study: Theater
    Amount:$2,000
    Deadline:Apr 01, 2025
    One Click Apply
    2
  3. Marques D. Rodriguez Memorial Scholarship

    Funded by
    Rodriguez Family
    This scholarship aims to honor the memory of Marques D. Rodriguez by supporting students who share his love for artistic pursuits.

    Eligibility Criteria:

    • Education Level: High school senior
    • State: Florida
    • Background: Active member of school chorus or a music, theater, or arts program
    • GPA: 2.9 or higher
    Amount:$605
    Deadline:Apr 06, 2025
    One Click Apply
    3
  4. Lee Aca Thompson Performing Arts Scholarship

    Funded by
    Raina Lee
    This scholarship aims to honor Lee Aca Thompson by supporting students pursuing ventures in the performing arts.

    Eligibility Criteria:

    • Education Level: Undergraduate or graduate student
    • Race: BIPOC
    • Field of Study: Performing arts
    Amount:$1,000
    Deadline:Apr 09, 2025
    One Click Apply
    4
  5. Elevate Minorities in the Arts Scholarship

    Funded by
    Jacqueline Sia
    This scholarship is open to all minority students who are interested in or are taking courses towards a degree in any arts field.
    All students are eligible
    Amount:$1,033
    Deadline:Apr 01, 2021
    One Click Apply
    Scholarship is awarded to
    2 winners
    5
  6. Fans of 70's Popstars Scholarship

    Funded by
    Terri Hinton
    This scholarship aims to explore and celebrate the profound influence of the 70s music industry on the world, as it not only shaped the soundscape of the decade but also left a lasting legacy that continues to resonate with audiences today.

    Eligibility Criteria:

    • Education Level: Undergraduate student
    • Field of Study: Music, theater, or arts
    Amount:$500
    Deadline:Apr 28, 2024
    One Click Apply
    Scholarship is awarded to
    1 winner
    6
  7. John Traxler Theatre Scholarship

    Funded by
    Traxler Family
    This scholarship aims to honor the memory of John Traxler by supporting students pursuing the fine arts so they have the financial resources necessary to complete their degrees.

    Eligibility Criteria:

    • Education Level: High school senior, undergraduate, or graduate student
    • Field of Study: Fine arts (theatre preferred)
    Amount:$755
    Deadline:Dec 02, 2024
    One Click Apply
    Scholarship is in review
    7
  8. Mirajur Rahman Self Expression Scholarship

    Funded by
    Mirajur Rahman
    This scholarship will support one high school artistic creator who wants to express themselves creatively through their preferred mode of art/creation.

    Eligibility Criteria:

    • Interests: Artistic Creator
    Amount:$500
    Deadline:Jul 19, 2021
    One Click Apply
    Scholarship is awarded to
    1 winner
    8
  9. Joey Anderson Dance & Theater Scholarship

    Funded by
    Emma Bradley
    In honor of Joey Anderson, this scholarship will support female students pursuing a dance or theater degree.

    Eligibility Criteria:

    • Education Level: High School or Undergraduate student
    • Major: Dance/Theater
    • Gender: Female
    Amount:$2,100
    Deadline:Jun 01, 2023
    One Click Apply
    Scholarship is awarded to
    1 winner
    9
  10. Jeff Stanley Memorial Scholarship

    Funded by
    Daniella Stanley
    This scholarship seeks to honor the memory of Jeff Stanley by supporting students who share his passion for theater and performing arts.

    Eligibility Criteria:

    • Education Level: High school student
    • Field of Study: Theater or performing arts
    Amount:$1,100
    Deadline:Sep 02, 2024
    One Click Apply
    Scholarship is awarded to
    2 winners
    10
  11. Phil Murphy Technical Theater Scholarship

    Funded by
    Duke Core
    This scholarship aims to support students who are interested in professions in theater so they can complete their studies and go on to successful careers.

    Eligibility Criteria:

    • Education Level: High school senior, undergraduate, or trade school student
    • Field of Study: Theater
    Amount:$1,000
    Deadline:Aug 10, 2024
    One Click Apply
    Scholarship is awarded to
    1 winner
    11
  12. Chang Heaton Scholarship for Music Excellence

    Funded by
    Melody Heaton
    This scholarship seeks to support first-generation BIPOC students who are pursuing careers in music or theater so they can find success through their passions.

    Eligibility Criteria:

    • Education Level: Undergraduate or graduate student
    • Race: BIPOC
    • Background: First-generation student
    • Field of Study: Music or theater
    Amount:$2,500
    Deadline:Jul 28, 2023
    One Click Apply
    Scholarship is awarded to
    5 winners
    12
  13. Creative Arts Scholarship

    Funded by
    The Studio, LLC
    This scholarship will support high school seniors and undergraduate students from Illinois who will be pursuing a degree in the arts.

    Eligibility Criteria:

    • State: Illinois
    • Field: Performing arts: music, dance, theater, etc.
    • Education Level: High school senior, undergraduate
    Amount:$3,000
    Deadline:Jun 30, 2024
    One Click Apply
    Scholarship is awarded to
    2 winners
    13
  14. Make Your Mark BIPOC Arts Scholarship

    Funded by
    Grind Arts Company
    In an effort to jumpstart the career of BIPOC creators, this grant will be awarded to an up-and-coming artist(s) of color to create a short piece that exists at the intersection of dance, theater, and film. We hope that the work you create from this grant will be something that you can have forever, and use as a tool to begin your journey as an artist.
    All students are eligible
    Amount:$2,500
    Deadline:Apr 02, 2021
    One Click Apply
    Scholarship is awarded to
    1 winner
    14
  15. Dr. Magidson Memorial Theater Scholarship

    Funded by
    Magidson family
    This scholarship seeks to support passionate theater students who face obstacles to higher education due to their demonstrated need.

    Eligibility Criteria:

    • Education Level: High school senior, undergraduate, or graduate student
    • Financial Status: Low-income
    • Background: First-generation student
    • Field of Interest: Theater arts
    Amount:$5,000
    Deadline:Aug 09, 2024
    One Click Apply
    Scholarship is awarded to
    1 winner
    15
  16. Kozakov Foundation Fellowship for Creatives

    Funded by
    Kozakov Foundation
    The Kozakov Foundation Fellowship for Creatives (Acting in Theater or Film) is designed to aid a student with university tuition to pursue a career in film, theatre, or television.

    Eligibility Criteria:

    • Education Level: Undergraduate Student
    • Majors: Acting in Theater or Film
    Amount:$5,135
    Deadline:Jul 01, 2023
    Scholarship is awarded to
    1 winner
    16
  17. Godi Arts Scholarship

    Funded by
    Mark Godi
    This scholarship aims to support students who are pursuing the arts so they can afford to complete their college degrees.

    Eligibility Criteria:

    • Education Level: Four-year undergraduate student
    • Field of Study: Arts - music, dance, visual arts, theatre, etc.
    Amount:$1,000
    Deadline:Nov 15, 2023
    One Click Apply
    Scholarship is awarded to
    1 winner
    17
  18. TBC Academic Scholarship

    Funded by
    Tiara Cosby
    This scholarship aims to support first-generation BIPOC college students pursuing higher education.

    Eligibility Criteria:

    • Background: First-generation students
    • Major of interest: Arts
    • Race: BIPOC
    • Education level: High school seniors, undergraduate or graduates
    Amount:$500
    Deadline:Jun 01, 2024
    One Click Apply
    Scholarship is awarded to
    1 winner
    18
  19. Mia Noflin Goes to Broadway Scholarship

    Funded by
    Karis Noflin
    To honor the life of Mia Noflin and to support students looking to express themselves in the arts, this scholarship will be awarded to one high school senior (2022) applying to college for performing arts.

    Eligibility Criteria:

    • Major of interest: Performing arts related field
    Amount:$726
    Deadline:Apr 02, 2022
    Scholarship is awarded to
    1 winner
    19
  20. West Pullman Scholarship

    Funded by
    Friends & Family
    This scholarship aims to support students who are passionate about English, Theater or Film as they pursue higher education.

    Eligibility Criteria:

    • State: IL
    • Education Level: High school senior, undergraduate, or graduate student
    • Race: Black
    • Field of Study: English, Theater or Film (playwriting preferred)
    Amount:$4,985
    Deadline:Aug 27, 2023
    One Click Apply
    Scholarship is awarded to
    1 winner
    20

About theater scholarships

College in the United States costs an average of $35,331 a year and this cost has risen by 6.8% a year. While many colleges offer financial assistance to their students, this is not enough to cover the thousands of dollars students must pay in tuition each year.

As a result of this gap in student aid, many college students feel forced to take on student debt in order to achieve their goals of higher education.

Undergraduate students might be dissuaded from getting a theatre education because of inflated tuition prices, but thankfully, many theatre scholarships exist for students interested in degrees in theatre arts.

Theater scholarships provide students interested in all aspects of theatre, including design, production, musical theatre, directing, and playwriting, with the financial aid to further their creative passions.

Theatre is a versatile and important field. The skills learned through a theatre education are becoming increasingly important in the workplace. Degrees in theater allow students to hone their creative skills and become talented professionals. Studying the performing arts is a great way to improve skills of oral communication, improvisation, and cooperation.

A degree in the theatre arts is not out of reach with a theatre scholarship. Bold.org gives students access to hundreds of scholarships, so they do not have to take on the burden of high student debt to access higher education. Theatre scholarships are crucial to breaking down barriers in education.

What is a theater scholarship?

A theatre scholarship is a form of educational financial assistance offered to undergraduate students studying theater or a related field. Theater scholarships are helpful for students who want to avoid student debt as they do not have to be paid back. Most theater scholarships are merit-based scholarships intended to award talented students.

Theatre scholarships might be geared to students who are concentrating in a specific area like stage design or acting. Other theatre scholarships like a director's scholarship might be intended for students who have specific career aspirations.

There are many scholarships in theater that make higher education more accessible for anyone from high schoolers to recent college graduates.

Can you get a scholarship for theater?

There are plenty of scholarships out there to help you get a college education. Whether you're a high school, undergraduate, or graduate student, it's possible for you to get a theatre scholarship.

On bold.org, you can find many fine and performing arts scholarships as well as more general scholarship opportunities for students in any program of study. Bold.org makes finding and applying for scholarships easy, so you can focus on winning scholarship awards.

How to apply for theater scholarships

The scholarship application process is easy. To begin applying for theater scholarships, you can click any of the links below or go directly to bold.org and create a free profile. To create your profile and access hundreds of exclusive scholarships, all you need to do is fill out some brief biographical information.

Once your profile is complete Bold.org will begin recommending scholarships to you or you can begin searching through all available scholarships by keyword, category, and education level. Filtering searches by the "arts" and "humanities" categories will allow you to find many relevant theater scholarships.

When you find a scholarship you are interested in applying for, be sure to read through the description to ensure you meet all eligibility requirements. Many scholarships will require applicants to meet certain criteria to apply. For example, there might be a drama scholarship that only allows Native American students who participate in community theatre to apply.

What application materials a scholarship wants will vary. Most scholarship applications will require students to submit a short essay, but many fine arts scholarships will ask for other materials like a digital portfolio or a taped scholarship audition.

There are even no-essay scholarships that only require the click of a button to apply. No-essay scholarships are great options for busy students who do not have much time to spend creating application materials, but applying for a scholarship with stricter eligibility requirements will increase your chances of securing a scholarship award.

How to get a theater scholarship

Whether you are in high school, college, or graduate school, the only way to get theater scholarships is to apply for them. Applying for the scholarships on bold.org is easy so you only have to focus on creating the best application materials possible.

It's also important to find scholarships that match your talents. If you are not a particularly skilled writer but you are talented at filmmaking, try applying for scholarships that accept submissions from video or visual arts.

Finding scholarships with narrow eligibility requirements can also help you succeed at getting scholarship awards. Having a more limited applicant pool can make your application stand out more.

However, don't be discouraged if you don't win a scholarship award right away. Remember that it is impossible to know exactly what a donor is looking for in award-winning applicants. Applying for as many scholarships as you can gives you the best chance of securing financial assistance for your education.

Best theater scholarships

Finding the money to attend college does not have to be a struggle. Many theater scholarships exist to help students afford higher education.

Magidson Memorial Theater Scholarship

This $5,000 theater arts scholarship supports first-generation low-income high school seniors, undergraduate, or graduate students who are passionate about theater and keeping art alive.

Chang Heaton Scholarship for Music Excellence

This $2,525 scholarship award seeks to make pursuing an education in the performing arts less challenging for a BIPOC first-generation undergraduate or graduate student majoring in music or theater.

Theater scholarships for high school students

Students in high school often find it easier to apply for scholarships before they have the abundance of responsibilities that college can bring. Students can begin applying for scholarships on Bold.org as early as their freshman year.

  1. WCEJ Thornton Foundation Music & Art Scholarship
  2. Christian ‘Myles’ Pratt Foundation Fine Arts Scholarship
  3. 1st Generation People Of Color Patrick Copney Memorial Music/Arts Scholarship

Theater scholarships for high school seniors

Finding scholarships as a graduating senior will save you from future financial burdens. High school seniors who are finalizing their college plans can ensure they have enough financial support for their education by applying for the scholarships below.

  1. Marcarelli Community Spirit Scholarship
  2. Noah Yohannes Academic Scholarship
  3. 100 Women Giving Back Northwoods Up-and-Coming Giver Scholarship
  4. Cardel Love Scholarship

Theater scholarships for college students

While there are many scholarships for younger students, students already enrolled at a college or university can still find scholarships. The scholarships below are perfect for college students currently studying performing arts.

  1. Glider AI-Omni Inclusive Allies of LGBTQ+ (GOAL+) Scholarship
  2. Matt Preziose Creative Scholarship
  3. Carlynn’s No-Essay Coming to America Scholarship
  4. KBK Artworks Scholarship
  5. Alexis Potts Passion Project Scholarship

Theater scholarships for Asian American college students

Many Asian American and other minority students find it difficult to afford higher education. Scholarships like the ones featured below help make attending an accredited college or university more accessible for these students.

  1. HRCap Next-Gen Leadership Scholarship
  2. Filipino-American Scholarship
  3. Small Seed Big Flower Scholarship
  4. Carlos F. Garcia Muentes Scholarship

Frequently asked questions about theater scholarships

How to find theater scholarships

When searching for theater scholarships, students should first reach out to the financial aid office at their college or university to see if any institution-specific scholarships are available to them. Students can also utilize Bold.org, a scholarship platform that makes finding other theater scholarships easy.

Creating a free Bold.org profile allows students exclusive access to hundreds of scholarships. Students can search through scholarships by category to find the most relevant scholarships.

Bold.org also has many scholarship pages to help students find the best scholarships. Theater students interested in other performing arts like music can check out the Exclusive Music Scholarships page, while a general arts scholarship can be found here.

What colleges offer theater scholarships?

Most colleges will offer some form of financial aid to students, and many do so through departmental scholarships. If a college or university has a theater or performing arts department, then it is very likely they will offer theater scholarships to meritorious students.

From New York University to the University of Kentucky, schools across the nation offer plenty of theater scholarships. No matter where a student chooses to attend school, they'll likely be able to find a theater scholarship.

While many colleges offer theater scholarships, students will often find that schools with larger theater departments have more theater scholarships available. The University of Central Florida offers 4 scholarships specifically for theater students compared to the 145 awards offered by the Theater, Film, and Television department at the University of California, Los Angeles.

When can I start applying?

You can begin applying for scholarships as early as your freshman year of high school. It's best to begin applying for scholarships as early as possible to maximize your scholarship potential. By applying for scholarships while in high school you can save yourself from future financial stress.

Though it is never too late to begin applying for scholarships. Current college students, as well as recent college graduates, can find many scholarship opportunities on Bold.org. No matter what stage of life you're in, you can still find financial support for your college education.

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

Scholarships will have a range of different eligibility requirements set by the donor. A scholarship might specifically be for Black students pursuing musical theater, while another might be for a student enrolled full-time that successfully demonstrates leadership abilities. The only way to determine if you meet the criteria to apply is to read the description of the scholarship you are interested in.

On Bold.org, each scholarship will have the eligibility requirements clearly presented in a list at the top of the page. Bold.org will even restrict you from applying to certain scholarships if your profile information is incompatible with the eligibility requirements.

What do I have to do to apply?

Every scholarship will have its own application process but the instructions will always be listed in the description and easy to follow. For most scholarships, you will have to write a short essay to apply, but videos, images, and other documents can also be required. Many arts scholarships will ask students to submit videos or images of their work.

How many scholarships can I receive?

There is no limit to how many scholarships you can receive, so you should apply for as many as you can. Pursuing an arts education can be expensive, but there are numerous scholarship opportunities out there to support your educational goals.

Can scholarships be used towards student loans?

Many people think that scholarships are only meant for current students, but this is not the case. If you've already graduated college, finding scholarships to help pay off your student debt is a great option.

Are scholarships counted as income?

Scholarships are not usually counted as income. Scholarship awards are sent directly to the college or university a student attends to pay off their educational expenses, so they are not included in a student's income. If a student receives an excess amount of financial aid, then the scholarship awards might be refunded to the student and counted as income.

Frequently Asked Questions