Music Scholarships

Eligibility

To be eligible for the Incoming/New Music Students Scholarships, students must either be new to WWU or a current WWU student who is not already involved in the program. Current WWU music majors, music minors, or those enrolled in music lessons or ensembles should instead review the returning student scholarships. 

How to Apply and the Deadline

All scholarship applicants must complete an Entrance & Scholarship audition and submit the Entrance & Scholarship Audition form. To receive priority consideration for new scholarship awards, students must submit or perform the priority consideration deadline listed on the Entrance & Scholarships Audition website. Students are still eligible for scholarships after the priority deadline.

Award Amount

The award amounts for the Incoming/New Music Student Scholarships may vary from year to year, but in the past, they have typically ranged from $750 to $5,000 for one academic year. While one-year scholarships are normally awarded, multi-year scholarships may be awarded depending on funding and the number of applicants, as decided by the respective areas.

Awarding Guidelines and Enrollment Requirements

Scholarships are awarded to incoming/new students based on the following factors:  

• Demonstrated skill level in an applied audition on an instrument or voice  
• Academic achievement and professionalism departmental needs
• Total number of applicants on an instrument, in area, or in department
• Financial need award availability and criteria

Scholarship Enrollment Requirements

• Percussion, Strings & Guitar, Voice, Woodwind Areas: All scholarship recipients must enroll in both private "applied" lessons and a major/large ensemble such as a Symphonic Band, Wind Symphony, String Sinfonia, Symphony Orchestra, University Choir, Advanced Treble Chorale, and Concert Choir. Guitar students will enroll in choir in fall quarters, followed by a guitar ensemble in winter and spring when offered. An ensemble audition will be required. 

• Piano Area: All piano scholarship recipients that are music majors must enroll in private "applied" piano lessons and a major/large ensemble until they receive permission to enroll as piano accompanying which will fulfill their major ensemble requirements. Piano minors and non-majors/minors must enroll in private piano lessons but do not need to enroll in a major ensemble. An ensemble audition may be required for all groups except University Choir and Symphonic Band.

• Brass Area: Brass scholarship recipients are required to enroll in a major/large ensemble such as Symphonic Band, Wind Symphony, or Symphony Orchestra. An ensemble audition will be required. 

• Jazz Area: Jazz scholarship recipients must audition and enroll in jazz ensembles. If a student also receives an award from an area listed above, they must also complete those area requirements. A jazz ensemble audition will be required.

• Music Education: Students who receive a scholarship from the music education major must continue to major in Music Education during the time they receive that portion of the scholarship. 

• Composition: Students who receive a scholarship from the composition major must continue to major in composition during the time they receive that portion of the scholarship. 

• Musicology: Students who receive a scholarship from the musicology major must continue to major in musicology during the time they receive that portion of the scholarship. 

Eligibility

To be eligible for the Returning Music Student Scholarships, students must be enrolled in WWU private lessons, ensembles, or a declared music major or minor. Music Education students also enrolled in their student teaching internship are eligible for consideration. 

Application and Deadline

Students will apply through the online Returning Music Student Scholarship Application. The application opens on May 1 each spring and closes on May 31st at 11:59 pm.

Scholarship recipients will receive notification of their award status within two weeks after the submission deadline. The deadline for submitting materials is June 30th. Students who fail to meet this deadline may have a portion or all of their scholarship awards rescinded, depending on department and area needs. However, there will be a petition process available for such cases.

Award Amount

The award amounts may vary from year to year, but in the past, they have typically ranged from $750 to $5,000 for one academic year. While one-year scholarships are normally awarded, multi-year scholarships may be awarded depending on funding and the number of applicants, as decided by the respective areas.

Awarding Guidelines and Enrollment Requirements

All returning students are eligible for scholarships based on merit, progress, and growth during their time in a major ensemble and/or private instruction.

Scholarship Enrollment Requirements

• Percussion, Strings & Guitar, Voice, Woodwind Areas: All scholarship recipients must enroll in both private "applied" lessons and a major/large ensemble such as a Symphonic Band, Wind Symphony, String Sinfonia, Symphony Orchestra, University Choir, Advanced Treble Chorale, and Concert Choir. Guitar students will enroll in choir in fall quarters, followed by a guitar ensemble in winter and spring when offered. An ensemble audition will be required. 

• Piano Area: All piano scholarship recipients that are music majors must enroll in private "applied" piano lessons and a major/large ensemble until they receive permission to enroll as piano accompanying which will fulfill their major ensemble requirements. Piano minors and non-majors/minors must enroll in private piano lessons but do not need to enroll in a major ensemble. An ensemble audition may be required for all groups except University Choir and Symphonic Band.

• Brass Area: Brass scholarship recipients are required to enroll in a major/large ensemble such as Symphonic Band, Wind Symphony, or Symphony Orchestra. An ensemble audition will be required. 

• Jazz Area: Jazz scholarship recipients must audition and enroll in jazz ensembles. If a student also receives an award from an area listed above, they must also complete those area requirements. 

• Music Education: Students who receive a scholarship from the music education major must continue to major in Music Education during the time they receive that portion of the scholarship. 

• Composition: Students who receive a scholarship from the composition major must continue to major in composition during the time they receive that portion of the scholarship. 

• Musicology: Students who receive a scholarship from the musicology major must continue to major in musicology during the time they receive that portion of the scholarship. 

Timeline and Application

Applications are accepted until 11:59 pm on April 1st. All applicants³ will be notified of award decisions on or around April 15. Apply Now

Purpose

The purpose¹ of the Music Department Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Scholarship is to:

• Recruit and retain music students representing historically underrepresented and systemically oppressed, racialized, and marginalized communities—inclusive of LGBTQ+ identities
• Support these students’ academic pursuits and experience
• Help the Department of Music flourish as an inclusive artistic community

Eligibility

Eligible applicants include both prospective and returning students who are (a) accepted as music majors or minors, and (b) in good academic standing. The Music Department may verify eligibility by reviewing each student’s departmental status and academic transcripts. All eligible students may reapply each year, though preference may be given to applicants who have not yet been awarded the Music Department DEI Scholarship.

Criteria and Evaluation

Awards will be based on information provided in the application below and evaluated by an appointed committee of Music Department faculty². Whenever possible, preference will be made to applicants who demonstrate, in descending order of priority:  

• Acceptance into the Music major or minor
• Evidence of active contributions to diversity, equity, and inclusion in learning environments
• Good academic standing
• Strong performance or potential in the student’s area of concentration
• Stated financial need

Notes

1. The Music Department Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Scholarship is separate from other funding opportunities, including those within the Music Department. Applying for this opportunity has no effect on and is not affected by other funding opportunities for which the applicant may have applied.

2. The awarding committee will consist of 3-4 Music Department faculty, at least 2 of whom serve on the Music Department Scholarship Committee and at least 2 of whom serve on the Music Department Strategic Planning Committee. Writing style will have no effect on how application responses will be viewed.

3. Depending on the amount of funding available in a given application year, the Music Department DEI Scholarship Awarding Committee may make multiple awards of varying amounts. Similarly, the committee may choose to not award any funding, should no applicant satisfactorily meet the stated awards criteria.

Support and Purpose

Support for Music Department emergency scholarships comes from the Murray Music Scholarship Fund.

The fund’s purpose is to provide support for students in the Music program who contribute multiple hours to the Department of Music through their leadership, musicianship, academic performance, and have a short-term financial need.

Application and Review Timeline

Applications are accepted on a rolling basis, with three quarterly review dates throughout the academic year:

• October 15
• January 15
• April 15

One week after each review date, members of the Scholarship Committee will review applications and make awards based on available funding. The average award amount is $500. Priority will go to students who have not been previously awarded funding.

Apply Now

All recipients must accept their scholarship via Web4U unless otherwise notified in the award email.

1. Visit MyWestern
2. Select Web4U in the top menu
3. Select the Financial Aid & Scholarships
4. Select Financial Aid & Scholarships
5. Select Accept WWU Scholarships
6. Read and accept the university terms of the scholarship
7. Select YES or NO to publicize your scholarship award
8. If YES, fill in the requested information >> SUBMIT
9. If NO >> SUBMIT
10. Repeat steps 4-9 if needed.

Thank You Letter Policies and Procedures

1. Download Thank You Letter Instructions
2. Submit letters through the Music Thank You Letter Submission form as shared links only. Files must be named "Last Name, First Name, Fund Name." Submit share links only to Word Doc files only. PDFs and photos are not accepted.

Music scholarship recipients must submit a thank you letter to each fund that contributed to their award, as outlined by foundation guidelines. See the scholarship award email for the contributing fund information listed in the first paragraph. The number of required letters varies by the recipient. Students with a tuition waiver are exempt from this requirement, as specified in their award email.

Donors have no role in selecting scholarship recipients. Letters should not include the dollar amount or directly thank the donor for being selected. Express gratitude for the foundation's support of the music department, rather than for selecting or awarding scholarships.

Each letter must be addressed to the corresponding greeting listed below which is decided by the donor. Funds with multiple donors or donors that wish to remain anonymous will request the greeting to be “Dear Generous Donor.” 

Dear Florence Price,

As a recipient of the Hildegard von Bingen Scholarship, I am writing to thank you. I am incredibly honored to be chosen and cannot express enough my feelings of gratitude for your contribution.  

I am originally from Olympia, WA where I graduated from Capital High School in 2014. I was drawn to Western Washington University by its music department and its unique “small school” feel while still being a large and diverse campus. During my time at Western, I have performed in the University Symphonic Orchestra, and Concert Choir and have participated in several small chamber groups, including the scholarship string quartet.

Next year will be my senior and final year at Western, and I will be graduating with a Bachelor of Music in Performance, and a minor in political science. These past three years have been the most inspiring, eye-opening years of my life and I have learned more about myself and the world around me than I could have possibly imagined. After graduation, I plan to attend a summer intensive program to further my technique and artistry and hopefully pursue a master’s degree in the fall of 2019. 

Through this act of philanthropy, you are helping me achieve my dream and reach graduation sooner than previously expected. This scholarship will allow me to focus on my studies and have more time to practice which would otherwise be dominated by the need for a full-time job. I can also participate in more chamber ensembles and take more classes to fulfill my political science minor.

I am inspired by your donation and look forward to a time when I can support another student like myself. Thank you again for your generous contribution. I am truly grateful for your support in helping to fund my education.

Sincerely,

Clara Schumann

Scholarship Enrollment Requirements

• Brass Area: Brass scholarship recipients are required to enroll in a major/large ensemble such as Symphonic Band, Wind Symphony, or Symphony Orchestra. An ensemble audition will be required. 

• Guitar Area: All recipients will enroll in a major/large ensemble in fall quarter, followed by a guitar ensemble in winter and spring. Guitar students may enroll in University Choir without an audition or audition for band or orchestra on another instrument.

• Percussion, Strings & Guitar, Voice, Woodwind Areas: All scholarship recipients must enroll in both private "applied" lessons and a major/large ensemble such as a Symphonic Band, Wind Symphony, String Sinfonia, Symphony Orchestra, University Choir, Advanced Treble Chorale, and Concert Choir. An ensemble audition will be required. Jazz ensembles do not apply to ensemble requirements for these areas.  

• Piano Area: All piano scholarship recipients that are music majors must enroll in private "applied" piano lessons and a major/large ensemble until they receive permission to enroll as piano accompanying which will fulfill their major ensemble requirements. Piano minors and non-majors/minors must enroll in private piano lessons but do not need to enroll in a major ensemble. An ensemble audition may be required for all groups except University Choir and Symphonic Band.

• Jazz Area: Jazz scholarship recipients must audition and enroll in jazz ensembles. If a student also receives an award from an area listed above, they must also complete those area requirements. A jazz ensemble audition will be required.

• Music Education: Students who receive a scholarship from the music education major must continue to major in Music Education during the time they receive that portion of the scholarship. 

• Composition: Students who receive a scholarship from the composition major must continue to major in composition during the time they receive that portion of the scholarship. 

• Musicology: Students who receive a scholarship from the musicology major must continue to major in musicology during the time they receive that portion of the scholarship.