With funding being cut drastically for music programs in schools all across the country, many students might fear that there is no chance for them to find suitable music grants. In fact, some students automatically apply for loans that they cannot afford simply because they are not aware of or do not know how to apply for grants. But the fact is that music is a vital part of American culture and economy, and there are many groups and individuals that offer music grants in order to promote and further the proliferation of music across a wide spectrum of audiences and applications.
While not specifically known as music grants, there are a number of grants available through the federal government that can be used for music education or development. By completing a FAFSA or Free Application for Federal Student Aid, it is possible to get a number of grants that can be used as grants for music education. The most common of these is the well-known Pell grant. Pell grants, like all aid available on the FAFSA, are available to undergraduate students with financial need. The maximum award amount is $5,550. Students requiring musical education grants can use the Pell for that purpose, and if rapidly finishing a degree program some students may be able to get two Pell grants in the same academic year.
Other grants available via the FAFSA include the Academic Competitiveness grants, Teacher Assistance for College and Higher Education grants, and the Federal Supplemental Education Opportunity grants. All of these are not program of study specific, and so may be used as music grants. For exceptional students with significant academic achievements, the Academic Competitiveness grant may be awarded under certain conditions. Students seeking grants that one day wish to become teachers should consider the TEACH grant. Under this program, students are awarded grants up to $4,000 that come with teaching obligations. Awardees must commit to teaching elementary or secondary school for 4-5 years in a school district that serves low income families. Additionally, the FSEO grant mentioned above may be used as a grant for music education and is generally only available to students who also qualify for the Pell grant.
Sources of Music Grants not found on the FAFSA
The National Endowment of the Arts Foundation may be an excellent source of grants as well. While this agency typically awards grants to schools and other organizations, it can be used as a resource to find out where those grants were awarded. A student can then contact those organizations or schools and apply for an individual grant. For students seeking music grants to be awarded in 2011, researching the “Grants for Arts Project” on the NEA website is an excellent resource.
Other sources of grants similar to the National Endowment for the Arts are plentiful in America. Like the NEA, most of these organizations do not provide grants to individuals, but rather to schools and universities. However, students can use some of these organizations to source where their funds go, and then make contact with those schools directly. Some of these include:
- VH1 Save the Music Foundation
- Mockingbird Foundation
- Muzak Heart and Soul Foundation
- Liberace Foundation
However, it should be noted that this is only a very small list. Students seeking grants should pay special attention to groups or organizations in their geographic area that issue grants for music or grants for other types of art. Often, even groups that do not award music grants to individuals will be happy to provide information concerning where a student can source the funds provided and make direct applications.
Many private individuals, organizations, non-profit or charitable foundations and businesses provide grants to individual students. These grants are rarely advertised, and generally have different requirements than those of federally-funded grants. However, non-government grants are almost always higher in award amount. There are a number of great resources to locate and apply with some of these groups, but the following is a short list of the hundreds of organizations dedicated to bettering music by providing grants:
- Aaron Copeland Fund for Music
- American Musicological Society
- Beebe Fund for Musicians
- Chamber Music America Grants Program
- Fender Music Foundation
- Harmony Foundation Grants
- Kurt Weil Foundation for Music
- Mr. Holland’s Opus Foundation
- Society for American Music Awards
In order to obtain the best grants possible, students should not limit their applications to local or music-specialty specific groups. Instead, applications should be made with many providers of grants well in advance of the application acceptance deadline. Also, students seeking music grants should ensure that their application is well-worded, fully researched, and free of errors or omissions.