Scholarships and Fellowships

Merit-based Scholarships and Fellowships

With essential scholarships and fellowships that are awarded based on merit, the School of Music is able to attract and nurture the finest young scholars and performers. Too often the outstanding students are forced to bypass Indiana University to go to a school or conservatory that can offer more lucrative awards. Indiana University cannot afford to lose these creative individuals, the young people who inspire their peers, challenge their professors and mentors, and add immeasurably to the school's artistic environment.

Need-based Scholarships and Fellowships

Young people entering college today face demands and opportunities unique to our time. It is becoming increasingly difficult for even the most dedicated students to "work their way through school" as many have done in the past. Currently, about two-thirds of the students on the Bloomington campus receive financial assistance through the university.

The challenge for the school, then, becomes balancing the budget without increasing tuition rates and placing an undue burden on students. Creating and growing scholarship endowments are the most cost-effective and manageable means to achieve these ends. Endowments are among the best assets a university can use to keep tuition affordable, and for the university to meet its mission to serve students. Endowed funds are invested for future growth, with only a portion of the return being used today. Investment returns that exceed the amount needed for distribution are reinvested to add to the growth of the fund. Endowments provide stable, dependable sources of financial support, protected from the uncertainties of state funding, tuition, or other factors.

Scholarships and Fellowships

Together with the IU Foundation, the School of Music stewards many private scholarships and fellowships which may be awarded based on student merit, need, or a combination of both. In the School of Music, most scholarships and fellowships are awarded by the Financial Aid Committee.

Endowed scholarship and fellowship funds are permanently invested to produce annual income. Investment returns that exceed the amount needed for distribution are reinvested to add to the growth of the fund. Endowments provide stable, dependable sources of financial support, protected from the uncertainties of state funding, tuition, or other factors. Generally, a minimum of $10,000 is required to establish a scholarship or fellowship endowment.

Annual Scholarships and Fellowships

Many donors choose to make scholarship or fellowship gifts on an annual basis. Such gifts can be made available for use in the academic year immediately following the gift. The difference between an annual gift and an endowed scholarship or fellowship is that the total of an annual gift can be spent in its entirety.

As with endowed scholarships and fellowships, annual gifts can be directed according to the wishes of the donor, with preferences for any combination of merit and need. Many donors often use annual gifts to the earnings from an endowment as the endowment matures.

For further information, please contact the Office of Development at (812) 855-4737.