Scholarships and Grants: Graduate Students

GRCF Guy D. and Mary Edith Halladay Music Scholarship
This Grand Rapids Community Foundation scholarship is awarded to a student is a Kent County resident (2 year minimum) and a graduate level student at a Michigan college. Must have financial need and a minimum 3.0 GPA. The deadline for 2012 scholarships has passed.  The next round will open December 2012.

Sigma Alpha Iota Career Performance Grant
In memory of Verna Ross Orndorff, this annual grant of $5,000 will be awarded to a member of Sigma Alpha Iota for the purpose of advancing her career in performance. The program, open to singers and instrumentalists, will be on a three-year rotation: 1) Strings, Woodwinds and Brass: 2017-2018; 2) Piano, Harpsichord, Organ & Percussion: 2018-19; 3) Voice: 2019-20.

Sigma Alpha Iota Conducting Scholarship for Graduate Students
A $2,500 scholarship is offered in memory of Bobbie Burk to an SAI enrolled in a graduate degree program with an emphasis in conducting. Scholarships will be applied directly to recipient’s tuition for program/school.

Sigma Alpha Iota Doctoral Grant
A grant of $2,500 is awarded to a member of Sigma Alpha Iota who is enrolled in a program leading to a doctoral degree. This grant is most applicable to students in the final stages of their program. An abstract of the member’s dissertation/final project is required. Dissertations are acceptable in Music Education, Music Therapy, Musicology, Ethno-musicology, Theory, Psychology of Music, or Applied Research including Performance or Pedagogy.

Sigma Alpha Iota International Study Grant
The International Study Grant for Graduate Students is an annual grant for music studies outside the United States for initiated members of Sigma Alpha Iota pursuing advanced studies beyond the bachelor’s degree. The purpose of the grant is designed to provide a student with the invaluable experience gained through living and studying in a foreign country. Selected recipient’s check, paid in US currency, will be mailed to your US bank account. Please check with your bank for the correct routing information. This grant is $3,000 for a full academic year of 8-9 months, or $1,500 for four months. The funds for this grant will be given in two installments for the full academic year.

Sigma Alpha Iota Jazz Performance Awards
Offered in a convention year, prizes of $2,000 (winner) and $1,500 (runner-up) may be offered to college initiated members of SAI enrolled in undergraduate or graduate programs in jazz performance. Winners may be invited to perform at National Convention.Applications will be available in the Convention year. For more information contact Semenya McCord, project director.

Sigma Alpha Iota Music Education Scholarship
A scholarship of $1,500 will be awarded to a member of SAI who has completed an undergraduate degree in music and has been accepted into or is continuing in an accredited graduate program leading to a masters or doctoral degree in music education. It is preferred that the candidate has had at least one year of teaching experience in a private or public school. Applicants without teaching experience must include a video of student teaching experience and references from her major professor and her student teacher advisor. Scholarships will be applied directly to recipient’s tuition for program/school. One $1,500 scholarship will be awarded.

Sigma Alpha Iota Music Therapy Scholarship
One $1,500 scholarship is available to an undergraduate or graduate member of Sigma Alpha Iota who has successfully completed a minimum of two years approved training toward a degree in music therapy. She must be continuing her studies in this field. Scholarships will be applied directly to recipient’s tuition for program/school.

Sigma Alpha Iota Musicians with Special Needs Scholarship
The Musicians with Special Needs Scholarship of $1,500 will be awarded to a member enrolled in an undergraduate or graduate degree program in music with a qualifying disability or to someone pursuing studies to become a teacher or therapist in this field. Scholarships will be applied directly to recipient’s tuition for program/school.

Sigma Alpha Iota Summer Music Scholarship

Summer Music Scholarships will assist members who will attend recognized summer programs of music study in the United States or abroad. Scholarships for programs inside the United States will be applied directly to recipient’s tuition. Scholarships for programs outside the United States will be mailed directly to the recipient or designated agent. Five scholarships will be awarded, up to $1,000 each. An applicant may only apply for one program per summer.

Sigma Alpha Iota Triennial Graduate Performance Awards
The Triennial Graduate Performance Awards are offered to Sigma Alpha Iota applicants enrolled or accepted into a graduate study program leading to a Master’s or Doctoral degree in music. Scholarships will be awarded based on taped auditions in each of the following categories: 1)Voice (Blanche Z. Hoffman Memorial Award); 2)Piano & Percussion (Mary Ann Starring Memorial Award); 3)Strings or Harp (Dorothy E. Morris Memorial Award); 4)Woodwinds or Brass (Mary Ann Starring Memorial Award).

Scholarships will be applied directly to recipient’s tuition for program/school in US dollars. Up to eight awards in the above mentioned categories may be awarded: $2,000 each for first place; $1,500 each for second place. For more information, contact Libby M. Vanatta, project director.