Financial Assistance Options

MusicLink Foundation

• Location: Headquartered in Arlington, VA (operates nationwide including DMV)
• Can Be Used For: Subsidized private lessons in the MusicLink Network for low-income students, instruments, and camp scholarships.
• Who Qualifies: Low-income families (equivalent to federal free/reduced lunch program)
• Additional Services: links students with professional teachers who reduce fees
• Phone: (703) 534-9490
• Email: info@musiclinkfoundation.org
• Website: musiclinkfoundation.org

Winston Classical Voice Scholarship (NSAL DC Chapter)

• Location: Washington DC metro area
• Grant Amount: DC Chapter awards $2,000 (1st place), $1,500 (2nd place), and $1,000 (3rd place)
• Age: 16-22 years old
• Genre: Classical voice only
• Can Be Used For: Private study, workshops, summer programs, or college tuition
• Who Qualifies: Young classical singers demonstrating exceptional talent and promise
• Website: nsalwashington.org/winston-classical-voice-scholarship

National Conservatory of Arts - Merit Scholarship

• Location: Washington DC (4606 16th Street NW, Crestwood neighborhood; also 1810 16th Street NW, Dupont Circle)
• Services: Merit-based scholarships for music lessons
• Programs: Private and group lessons in piano, voice, guitar, ukulele, violin, viola, cello, string bass, drum set, djembe, African drumming
• Phone: (202) 581-1043
• Email: Info@NationalConservatoryofArts.org
• Website: nationalconservatoryofarts.org/merit-scholarship-application

Music for Life

• Location: DC, Maryland, and Northern Virginia 
• Grant Amount: 100% FREE music lessons through Music for Life’s own programs
• Services: After-school guitar lessons, Band & Orchestra program, STEAM Guitar program, piano instruction, ukulele, group classes, private lessons, theory, performance opportunities, free mentoring
• Who Qualifies: At-promise youth (low-income, at-risk youth without resources)
• Phone: (703) 283-8547
• Email: contact@musicforlife.org
• Website: musicforlife.org

Washington Musical Pathways Initiative (WMPI)

• Location: Washington DC metro area
• Grant Amount: Up to 75% tuition scholarship
• Services: Full tuition for weekly private lessons through Levine Music, DC Youth Orchestra Program participation, chamber music coaching, music theory classes, funding for instruments and maintenance, financial support for summer music opportunities, access to National Symphony Orchestra/Kennedy Center/Washington National Opera events, college/career preparation workshops
• Who Qualifies: Aspiring professional musicians showing strong commitment and potential
• Website: washingtonpathways.org

Learn24 OST Youth Scholarship Program (Greater Washington Community Foundation)

• Location: Washington, DC
• Grant Amount: Varies
• Services: Funding for summer and after-school programs including music lessons, dance, tutoring, mentoring, and sports
• Who Qualifies: DC students, especially those with specific needs
• Purpose: Equitable access to high-quality out-of-school-time programs
• Website: Check Learn24 or Greater Washington Community Foundation website

WMTA Summer Scholarship Program

• Location: District of Columbia, Northern Virginia, and Suburban Maryland
• Grant Amount: $500
• Services: Summer music workshops/programs
• Who Qualifies: Students in the Washington Music Teachers Association service area
• Organization: Washington Music Teachers Association 
• Website: wmta-dc.org/pdfs/WMTA_Summer_Scholarship.pdf

Levine Music Financial Aid

• Locations: Northwest DC, Southeast DC (THEARC), Silver Spring MD, North Bethesda, MD (Strathmore), Falls Church VA
• Services: Need-based tuition assistance for private lessons or group classes
• Awards: Up to 60-minute lessons for private instruction; sliding scale tuition (all families pay some portion)
• Who Qualifies: Based on household income using federal standards; one course offering per academic year
• Priority Deadline: June 1 for following academic year
• Website: levinemusic.org/camp-levine/tuition-assistance/

Backstage Boost Fund (DMV Music Alliance)

• Location: DC/MD/VA
• Grant Amount: Varies
• Can Be Used For: Music lessons, rehearsal space, studio time, equipment, workshops, creative projects, video production
• Email: info@dmvmusicalliance.org
• Website: dmvmusicalliance.org/backstage-boost/

Jack Kent Cooke Young Artist Award

• Grant Amount: Up to $10,000
• Can Be Used For: Instrument purchases, lessons, camps, travel, competitions
• Website: fromthetop.org/apply/jack-kent-cooke-young-artist-award

Mockingbird Foundation Grants

• Services: Music education, unconventional instruction, underserved populations, direct student engagement
• Grant Types: Competitive Grants, Emergency-related Grants, Tour-related Grants
• Deadline: August 1
• Note: Highly competitive (fewer than 1% of inquiries funded)
• Website: mbird.org/grants

MusiCares

• Services: Financial assistance for rent, utilities, car payments, medical bills, mental health treatment, addiction recovery
• Who Qualifies: Musicians, songwriters, engineers, producers, live crew, tour bus drivers, managers, agents, A&R, makeup artists, costume designers, music video technicians - anyone whose livelihood depends on music
• Eligibility: 5+ years in music industry OR credited contribution to 6+ commercially released recordings/videos (3 years for disaster relief)
• Phone: (800) 687-4227
• Email: help@musicares.org
• Website: musicares.org/get-help

Sweet Relief Musicians Fund

• Services: Financial assistance for physical or mental health issues, disability, age-related problems
• Programs: General Fund, Mental Health Fund, Hearing Health Fund, Natural Disaster Relief Fund, Musicians Cancer Fund
• Who Qualifies: Career musicians and music industry workers
• Phone: (888) 955-7880
• Email: info@sweetrelief.org
• Website: sweetrelief.org

Jazz Foundation of America

• Services: Rent/mortgage payments, utility bills, food security, instrument repair/replacement, pro bono medical care
• Who Qualifies: Jazz, blues, and roots musicians and their families in crisis
• Phone: (212) 245-3999
• Email: info@jazzfoundation.org
• Website: jazzfoundation.org

Musicians Foundation

• Services: Medical/dental situations, natural disasters, certain housing crises
• Eligibility: Professional musician for 5+ years, filed taxes as musician for 5+ years, currently residing in U.S., must be a professional music performer/composer/arranger/educator in a specific time of need caused by unexpected hardship
• Phone: (212) 239-9137
• Email: info@musiciansfoundation.org
• Website: musiciansfoundation.org/apply

Entertainment Community Fund

• Services: Emergency financial assistance, affordable housing, health care counseling, career development
• Who Qualifies: All entertainment professionals including musicians in film, theater, television, music, opera, radio, and dance
• Eligibility: Documentation of professional performing arts earnings for most recent six consecutive years with at least three years of minimum $10,000 annual income; OR for those 60+, documented 20 years of performing arts income with minimum 10 years of at least $5,000 annual earnings
• Eastern Region: (917) 281-5919 | eastern@entertainmentcommunity.org
• Website: entertainmentcommunity.org

American Federation of Musicians (AFM)

• Programs: Lester Petrillo Memorial Fund (for AFM members who become ill/disabled and cannot work); AFM Emergency Relief Fund (for members in FEMA-declared disaster areas)
• Who Qualifies: AFM members in good standing
• Website: afm.org/emergency-assistance

Blues Foundation - HART Fund

• Services: Acute, chronic and preventive medical/dental care, funeral/burial expenses, free health screenings
• Who Qualifies: Blues musicians and their families in financial need due to health concerns
• Phone: (901) 527-2583
• Email: bluesmembership@blues.org
• Website: blues.org/hart-fund

IBMA Trust Fund (Bluegrass)

• Grant Range: $750 to $5,000
• Who Qualifies: Bluegrass music professionals (artists, composers, broadcasters, media representatives, event producers, agents, educators, managers, record company employees) who have derived at least 50% of income from bluegrass for 5+ years
• Phone: (615) 256-3222 or (888) 438-4262 (toll-free)
• Email: ken@ibma.org
• Website: ibma.org/bluegrass-trust-fund/apply

Gospel Music Trust Fund

• Services: Financial assistance for emergency, major catastrophe, or terminal/severe illness
• Eligibility: 10 years of full-time employment in Gospel/Christian music field
• Phone: (615) 969-2781
• Website: gospelmusictrustfund.org

Foundation for Contemporary Arts - Emergency Grants

• Grant Amount: $500 to $3,000
• Who Qualifies: Experimental artists in dance, music/sound, performance art/theater, poetry, visual arts with U.S. Tax ID Number
• Special Criteria: Financial losses from U.S. federal government funding cuts, freezes, or reallocations
• Timeline: Rolling basis; 15-20 grants awarded monthly
• Note: No waiting period between grants; can apply at any time
• Phone: (212) 807-7077
• Email: grants@contemporary-arts.org
• Website: foundationforcontemporaryarts.org/grants/emergency-grants

Entertainment Community Fund (formerly known as Actors Fund)

Founded in 1882, the Entertainment Community Fund is a national human services organization here to meet the needs of our entertainment community with a unique understanding of the challenges involved in a life in the arts.

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Bagby Foundation for the Musical Arts

The Foundation offers small grants to support opera and classical music professionals, with a focus on pensioners. Contact J. Andrew Lark at 212-986-6094 for more information.

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Jazz Foundation of America

The Jazz Foundation’s Musicians’ Emergency Fund provides housing assistance, pro bono medical care, disaster relief and direct financial support in times of crisis.

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Music Maker Foundation

Music Maker's programs work in concert to sustain the health and creativity of the musicians we serve while educating Americans about the richness of our nation's culture.

Musicians Health Alliance (MHA)

Music Health Alliance’s mission is to #HealTheMusic by providing access to healthcare — including mental health — through services that protect, direct, and connect music industry professionals with medical and financial solutions.

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Musician Treatment Foundation

The Musician Treatment Foundation (MTF) assists in delivering free and low-cost surgical and nonsurgical care for the shoulder, elbow, and hand injuries of uninsured and underinsured professional musicians.

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