For students involved in the music programs and ensembles on campus, scholarships can be a major benefit. Instrumentalists can receive two different types of financial aid for their involvement.

Student performers may either receive music scholarships or performance awards, said David McCullough, chair of the department of music and theatre.

“The music scholarships are awarded to students who major or minor in music,” McCullough said. “All music scholarships are awarded competitively based on auditions. Students are awarded varying amounts of music scholarships.”

Students who have an interest in the music programs should try for a performance award, said sophomore Heather Olson.

“Music scholarships are based on a student’s audition and their desired music ensemble,” Olson said. “The scholarship amounts are usually pretty good and I believe it is worth it because it is fun and provides students with great opportunities. My music scholarships help me pay for about half of my yearly tuition so financially it is definitely helpful.”

Music scholarships are individualized for each student. Performance awards include a broader range of students, McCullough said.

“We’re awarding scholarships to about 60 students right now,” McCullough said. “They vary in amounts from a few hundred dollars to about $1,200 a year.”

“The performance awards are monies made available to students of any academic degree program based strictly on their plans to participate in one of our groups in the four general areas of band, choral, orchestra or opera,” McCullough said. “Those are, for the most part, based on audition too, but it’s not an audition that the whole music faculty hears.”

Performance awards can be very valuable, said Quinton Lane, a sophomore who receives a scholarship although he is not a music major.

“Receiving a performance award in the band program was the deciding factor for my attendance at UNA,” Lane said. “Though I am not a music major, the award does cover a portion of my tuition which helps me financially afford school. I still enjoy participating in the program so this is an extra incentive to continue my involvement.”

However, not everyone in an ensemble receives a scholarship, said Lloyd Jones, director of bands at UNA.

“Some students elect not to audition, while others may not score high enough to receive an award, and a few have lost their award due to lack of adherence to the award stipulations,” Jones said. “Students can participate without going through the audition process.”

The number of scholarship and awards given each year is not always consistent, Jones said.

“There are many factors which come to bear on the number of awards given in any academic year, such as the number and quality of students returning from the previous season, the number and quality of incoming freshmen and the number and quality of transfers students,” Jones said. “As more students join the program we request additional funds. At times the university is able to increase the budget, and other times the university cannot.”

There are also other factors that contribute to student scholarship amounts, McCullough said.

“The faculty meets at the end of each year to look at the scholarship students and we talk about their progress,” McCullough said. “Sometimes that leads the faculty to vote to increase their scholarships. The same is true about performance awards, but it just isn’t done by the whole faculty.”

If students want to take advantage of these scholarships but are not already a part of the music program, it might be difficult for them, McCullough said.

“We don’t accept anyone into the music program who has not auditioned for us and demonstrated their competence, proficiency and readiness to study music at the college level,” McCullough said. “In other words, we don’t have any beginners here.”