Benjy Grinberg via FoxChronicle.com
Creative students sometimes have a difficult time finding scholarship opportunities. Theater, music, and other performing arts careers are rewarding, and students who have talents in these areas should be encouraged to apply for scholarships. These nine scholarships can provide important help and support to students who are interested in a performing arts education.
1. Benjy Grinberg Scholarship
The Benjy Grinberg Scholarship was created to help students achieve their dreams of performing arts and creative careers. This $1,000 scholarship can be an important supplement to a student’s financial aid package.
In order to be considered for the scholarship, students need to write a 750-word essay on the following topic: “What is a passion or hobby of yours, and what role does it play in your educational journey?”
Students may apply at the undergraduate or graduate level. Rising high school seniors are also invited to apply if they have been accepted to a college or university. The deadline is May 31, 2021.

2. Elaine Sirkin Forbes Scholarship
The Pittsburgh Foundation created this scholarship to honor Elaine Sirkin Forbes. High school seniors from Allegheny County, Pennsylvania may apply. The average award is $1,000. Students need to be interested in majoring in visual, performance, or media arts to be considered for this award.
The deadline for this year’s scholarship application is March 31, 2021.
3. George Heller Memorial Scholarship
The George Heller Memorial Scholarship is awarded by the Screen Actors Guild Foundation. This scholarship is intended to support members of SAG-AFTRA and their eligible legal dependents. The $2,500 scholarship is targeted toward students majoring in the performing arts. The scholarship cycle for this year began in December 2020.
4. CBC Spouses Performing/Visual Arts Scholarship
The CBC Spouses Performing/Visual Arts Scholarship is targeted toward the constituents of members of the Congressional Black Caucus. It is intended to support African American students in achieving their dreams of a career in the performing arts. There are 10 awards each year for $3,000 each. Successful students may apply for renewal each year. This year, the deadline to apply is April 30, 2021.
5. Alys Robinson Stephens Performing Arts Scholarship
This $1,000 scholarship was created for students at the University of Alabama – Birmingham. Students who wish to be considered for the scholarship must be accepted to UAB or have current student status. There is no application for this scholarship. Rather, students are judged on the basis of their audition and testing.
Students must show that they have a substantial talent and have promise for continued excellence in the musical field. Incoming freshmen will receive the bulk of the awards, but there are also provisions for existing students to apply.
6. Francis D. Lyon Scholarship
This $2,500 scholarship is a graduate fellowship. It is awarded annually to a student involved in film, theater, writing, or entertainment. Students must be enrolled in an institution of higher learning in Canada or the United States.
Film students will be given first priority for this scholarship, but others may be awarded based on their financial need, talent, and academic achievements. Students must be able to submit an application, a sample of their work, and a college transcript. The deadline for this academic year is March 29.
7. Walt Disney Imaginations Design Competition Project Challenge
This program was created by the Imagineering department of Disney, which is responsible for building and designing Disney’s theme parks. Disney invites students to build an installation on their college campus or in their city that inspires the population and creates a vision for the future. In order to apply, students need to be at least 18 years of age and be enrolled in their junior or senior year at an accredited United States university. They may also be graduate students or recent college graduates. The deadline for this challenge is October 11, 2021.
8. Princess Grace Foundation Awards for Film
The Princess Grace scholarship is intended for students in film, theater, or dance. This prestigious award requires that students be nominated by their dean or department chair. The application cycle for this year began in September.
9. Barbizon College Tuition Scholarship
The Barbizon College Tuition Scholarship is a four-year award in the generous amount of $10,000. Performing arts students are preferred to receive this scholarship, though applicants may be studying in any field. Students who are current high school seniors may apply. The deadline is December 1.
Performing and Visual Arts Scholarships
Scholarships for creatives in the visual and performing arts can be difficult to find. Exploring these nine scholarship opportunities may help current students, as well as high school seniors, plan their education. When they are able to receive scholarship funding for their education, they will be less dependent on student loans.
Benjy Grinberg Scholarship via FoxChronicle.com