Scholarships

The Department of Music offers scholarships to music majors who show exceptional talent and are given for demonstrated ability by audition. Scholarship amounts typically range between $1000 – $10,000 per year. 

All prospective students who audition live on campus are considered for a music scholarship during the entrance audition process. Music scholarships are awarded based on artistic talent and scholastic merit. Decisions are typically announced during the month of March.

Music Scholarship contracts are awarded for four years (for first-time freshmen) or two years (for transfers), but are annually evaluated for renewal. Conditions of scholarship acceptance and continuance include:

1. The recipient must maintain full-time enrollment (minimum 12 units)
2. Active participation in assigned ensembles, as indicated in the scholarship contract
3. Minimum 3.0 cumulative GPA at SSU
4. No grade lower than a C in any music course *(a grade of C- is lower than a C)

Evert B. Person Endowment Fund

Evert B. Person (1915 – 2011) was the former publisher of The Press Democrat and one of Sonoma County's foremost philanthropists. Thanks to his generosity, a substantial endowment fund was established to support scholarship assistance to students majoring in the performing arts. In addition to scholarships, the Person Fund allows us to support our students by bringing to SSU a variety of guest artists: master teachers, individual performers and performing groups, professional designers for productions. We also use funds from the Person Endowment to augment regular faculty with resident guest artists who work with students for a semester or more.Music Scholarships

Music Scholarship Funds

Music Scholarships are made possible through the generosity of these donors:                                                  

• James Abriel Memorial Scholarship Endowment  
• American Foundation for the Arts                                                                                                        
• Carsten Family Scholarship                                                                                                   
• John and Peggy Donovan-Jeffry Scholarship
• Demetrio and Theresa Jeffry Scholarship
• Vesta Jelte Scholarship                                                                                            
• Susan Jeza Music Scholarship  
• Jeff Langley Honorary Scholarship Endowment Fund                                       
• Carolyn Lewis Memorial Scholarship                                                                    
• Bettina Vegara Lieber and Dr. Paul Lieber Violin Scholarship Endowment     
• Tamara Loring Scholarship Fund                                                                              
• Arthur Carl Mammen Memorial Scholarship                                                          
• Beverly J. McDonald Piano Scholarship                                                            
• Michael McDonald Scholarship                                                                                  
• Lalmani Misra Memorial Scholarship                                                                    
• Marvin Olson Memorial Endowment                                                                        
• Melody Palmer Endowment Fund                                                                              
• Evert B. Person Endowment Fund                                                                          
• William and Virginia Ross Memorial Scholarship                                                
• P. Kathleen Roth Endowed Scholarship Fund                                                    
• Roxy Roth Scholarship Fund                                                                                   
• Ezra G. Rust Scholarship for Musical Talent                                                      
• Doug Heen and Bill Scogland Music Talent Award  
• Larry A. and Zilpha K. Snyder Memorial Scholarship                                          
• Stephen Sorenson Memorial Scholarship                                                           
• Laxmi Ganesh Tewari Merit Scholarship                                                               
• Pierce and Marie Thompson Memorial Piano Scholarship                                   
• U'Ren Family Scholarship                                                                                        
• Valdasz Family Foundation Endowed Music Fund                                                                                                                                                                                                                    

University Scholarships

In addition to Music talent scholarships, other financial assistance is available through the Sonoma State University Financial Aid and Scholarship Office. SSU awards over $2.5M in institutional scholarships each year. For more information, visit University Scholarships Office.