Who is eligible to apply for this scholarship?

• Any high school senior interested in pursuing a degree in music, who is women-identifying or is a person of color.

Do I have to know the exact college or university I am attending before I apply for the scholarship?

• No, you can indicate in the application your choices for schools. If you receive the scholarship, we will need to know your school choice before sending the scholarship.

Do I need to have live recordings of my submitted compositions?

• No you do not. A MIDI recording from any notation program like Finale, Sibelius, MuseScore etc. is acceptable, even a recording generated in a DAW. There is also an option on the application to list a shared video link if that is more desirable.

Do the musical scores I submit have to be in a notation software?

• No, however it is important that your submitted scores be easy to read, as to present your compositional talent in the best light possible.

What information should I include in the "statement of goals in music composition"?

• It is our intent, by creating this scholarship, to help increase the number of students pursuing a career in composition who are female-identifying or a person of color. Tell us in your statement what you hope to achieve in a career in composition and how this scholarship will help you to achieve those goals.

What types of information should be included in the letters of recommendation?

• We want to know about your successes in music and composition, and for the recommender to highlight your talents and potential. We want to know why they think you are deserving of this scholarship.

If I don't win the first year, can I apply again next year?

• Presently this scholarship is limited to high school seniors entering college in the fall. It is our hope to add more scholarship opportunities in the near future.

If I win the scholarship, am I eligible to receive the scholarship in the future?

• Right now the scholarship is a one-time scholarship, but it is our intent to expand the scholarship program in the future to make this a renewable scholarship.

If I win the scholarship, will a check be sent to me or will it be sent to the college I am attending?

• Lift Up Our Voices, Inc. will send the scholarship money directly to the college/university you will attend. Upon being selected to receive the scholarship, we will secure the necessary information from you, including the school and contact information, in order to disperse payment.

The application is long, can I save what I have done so far and come back and finish it later?

• Yes. The application has a "Save and Continue Later" link at the bottom near the submit button.  If you have partially filled out the application, you can click this link, and it will save your responses securely on our server. You will then receive a unique link to use when you are ready to come back and complete your application. You can input your email address so that the link is sent to you.  Please note that the link will expire 30 days after you click the "save and continue later" link.

What is the application deadline?

• The deadline for submitting all of the materials and information for the application is May 15, 2024.