Band Scholarships with 2023 Deadlines

Due to the high cost of higher education institutions, many music lovers and band students pursuing majors of all types are searching for the best marching band scholarships to reduce their educational expenses. 

While trying to reduce student debt, many students search for scholarship opportunities online. Numerous scholarship awards provide financial aid through online platforms, but sifting through scholarship sites to find legitimate scholarships is time-consuming for already busy students. This article provides valuable resources for students by informing them about college band scholarships and listing online scholarship opportunities.

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Do colleges offer scholarships for band?

Many colleges offer marching band scholarships to students for participation in their college marching band. Contact your school's financial aid office to see what opportunities are available at your college.

What are marching band scholarships?

Most band scholarship programs use an audition process. The order of events is usually 1) you, the student, will apply to a school,  2) upon being accepted, you can audition for the band, and 3) depending on how your school works, the scholarship process can differ upon making it into the band. Some schools may offer scholarships automatically to band members, but there may be a second audition process for scholarships. The process and eligibility requirements will vary by school and program, so check the process with your school.

The best band scholarships

There are numerous scholarships available on Bold.org for marching band and music lovers; read on for a few examples.

Sunni E. Fagan Memorial Music Scholarship

Amount: $1,000

For: Undergraduate and high school seniors who are an underrepresented minority studying music or music education

Deadline: May 8, 2023

This memorial scholarship aims to honor the life of Sunni E. Fagan by supporting students who are passionate about music.

Chang Heaton Scholarship for Music Excellence

Amount: $2,500, 5 winners - $500 each

For: Undergraduate and graduate students pursuing majors in music or theater who are BIPOC and a first-generation student

Deadline: July 28, 2023

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.

Audrey Sherrill & Michael D'Ambrisi Music Scholarship

Amount: $10,000, 2 winners - $5,000 each

For: High school seniors and juniors or undergraduate students who are from Delaware, Maryland, Pennsylvania, or New Jersey, have a GPA of 3.0 or higher, and want to pursue music performance, jazz studies, music education, or music therapy

Deadline: May 15, 2023

This scholarship seeks to honor the lives of Audrey Sherrill and Michael D'Ambrisi by supporting students who are pursuing musical careers.

1st Generation People Of Color Patrick Copney Memorial Music/Arts Scholarship

Amount: $2,000, 2 winners - $1,000 each

For: High school undergraduate students who are black/African American, from a low-income background and will be or is a first-generation student, and want to pursue music or arts

Deadline: May 17, 2023

This scholarship seeks to carry on the passionate legacy of Patrick Copney by encouraging the next generation of students to pursue their education in Music and the Arts.

Linda "Noni" Anderson Memorial Music & Arts Scholarship

Amount: $15,000, 3 winners - $5,000 each

For: High school senior or undergraduate students who are from a low-income background, have a GPA of 3.0 or higher, and will be or is a first-generation student, and want to pursue music or arts

Deadline: April 1, 2023

This scholarship aims to honor the memory of Linda Anderson by financially supporting those who love the visual arts, performing arts, and music so that they will have the resources and encouragement necessary to fulfill their dreams.

Be A Vanessa Scholarship

Amount: $5,000

For: High school seniors who are from Texas and are pursuing art, music, education, or healthcare

Deadline: April 8, 2023

This scholarship seeks to honor Vanessa's life by supporting students in Texas who are pursuing art, music, education, or healthcare.

Sammy Ochoa Memorial Scholarship

Amount: $5,000

For: High school seniors who are from Texas and are pursuing art, music, education, or healthcare

Deadline: April 8, 2023

This scholarship is in remembrance of Sammy Ochoa, who passed away from cancer in September of 2020. The Same Ochoa Memorial Scholarship will award $500 each year to one high school senior who will be going to college and is interested in a career in the medical field, music, or pursuing a trade degree.

Loan Foundation Arts Scholarship

Amount: $3,500, 6 winners - 1st winner: $1,000, 5 winners: $500

For: High school seniors who are from California and have a low-income background, have a GPA of 2.5 or higher and are pursuing the arts

Deadline: March 1, 2023

This arts scholarship aims to support marginalized teens in California who are pursuing careers in the arts so they have the resources they need to achieve their dreams.

Catherine (Kay) Williams Memorial Arts Scholarship

Amount: $500

For: High school seniors who are from Florida or Massachusetts and have a passion for drawing or painting

Deadline: May 1, 2023

This scholarship honors the life of Catherine Williams by supporting students who demonstrate artistic talent.

"Painting a Complete Picture" Art Scholarship

Amount: $3,000, 6 winners - $500 each

For: High school seniors who are US citizens, BIPOC,  first-generation college students, have non-profit or volunteering experience, have a GPA of 2.4 or higher, and are pursuing visual, studio, or performing arts.

Deadline: February 28, 2023

This scholarship seeks to support first-generation BIPOC high school students passionate about pursuing careers in the arts.

How to win band scholarships as a college student

Due to the high number of students searching for and applying for music scholarships, winning a scholarship can be an extremely competitive process. Some music majors may even feel frustrated that they apply for many scholarships but never or rarely win them. There are some strategies that students should be aware of to win scholarships.

The narrower the scholarship requirements, the more likely you are to win. Additionally, the more scholarships you apply to, the better your chances of winning. There is no limit to how many scholarships you can win on Bold.org.

Put real effort into your essays, and make sure they answer the prompt you are given. Think about what you will write, and proofread when you’re done. Make yourself stand out by following Bold.org’s tips for essay writing: grab the reader from the first sentence, stay focused on the essay prompt, write your essay in multiple, separate paragraphs, and use correct grammar.

Frequently Asked Questions About Band Scholarships

What is the best site to find band scholarships?

Bold.org is a website aimed at helping students through the process of their scholarship search.  Bold.org's mission is to help provide scholarship money and financial aid to students and recent graduates to reduce the prevalence of student loans.Bold.org's scholarship search engines are the perfect way to find new scholarships that provide college funding to students. All of Bold.org's scholarships provide free money to the winners, and there is no limit to the number of scholarships you can apply to on Bold.org.

Among scholarship sites, Bold.org stands out as a website with a clear mission, excellent filtering features in its scholarship search tool, and a scholarship blog that provides valuable information to students.

What is the most popular scholarship?

The most popular scholarships are always the scholarships that are easy to apply to. Bold.org has many easy application scholarships and no essay scholarships that don't require you to write scholarship essays to apply. With scholarships like these, it is easy to apply to dozens at a time; however, this also makes them popular with so many students. Another very popular type of scholarship is one that awards large amounts of money, as these seem very attractive to students. Both of these types of scholarships can be hard for students to win due to their popularity.

What GPA is needed for scholarship applications?

GPA requirements for applying to and winning scholarships vary, as each scholarship will have its own requirements. Check eligibility criteria for scholarships carefully before applying. Merit scholarships often have GPA requirements, especially if they are based on academics. However, there are many types of scholarships available that do not have any GPA requirements.

How many band scholarships can you use for college?

There are no limits to how many scholarships a student can apply to and win or how much award money a student can win. However, scholarship money may become taxable if the total amount of scholarship awards you win exceeds your qualified educational expenses. Contact your school's financial aid office for more information about what this looks like at your individual school.

Use the filters on Bold.org's scholarship search engines to find scholarships that apply to your interests, hobbies, future major, and future career. Some scholarships are state and even city-specific.