It’s Never Too Early (or Too Late) to Financially Plan for College and Beyond

Oct 7, 2025
 
 

If you haven’t begun to fund your vocal education, start here and start now with this article outlining options for scholarships, grants, loans, and more.

Disclaimer: The information provided in this article is for general information purposes only and should not be concidered personalized finacial advice. Consult with a qualified finacial professional before making investment decisions.

 

When I was asked to write this article on financial aid and scholarships for college singers, the first thing I did was returned to my roots as an academic advisor and started compiling lists: a list of competitions that offer cash awards, a list of music organizations that offer scholarships and grants, and a list of philanthropic organizations that offer financial aid. I even dug into interest-earning savings and checking accounts, bonds, and certificates of deposit. 

One of the best pieces of advice I can give is for you to start by talking with your parents or guardians, a skilled guidance counselor, a librarian, and your teachers—all of whom can help you research opportunities that best fit your needs, tapping into your interests, heritage, and beliefs. 

You’ll find helpful lists at the end of the article. Even more important, I hope that the information and explanations offered here will give insight and show you some of the tools you can use to help you make sound financial decisions to pursue your artistic goals. 

As the title says, it is never too early or too late to think about financing your studies. This article focuses predominately on paying for your formal education (undergraduate and graduate degrees), but don’t forget your extended studies at summer training programs, Young Artist Programs, and as fellows and apprentices, which will all require some level of personal funding. 

Even after you’ve completed your formal academic training, there will be costs associated with housing, lessons, coachings, wardrobe, audition travel, and living expenses during engagements, to name just a few. There will always be costs associated with pursuing and maintaining our careers. 

The typical methods for financing higher education include savings, scholarships, grants, and loans. 

  • Savings: Based on your situation, you may be in a position to devote a small percentage of the money you earn through a formal job, allowance, gifts from family members, or part-time work to an interest-earning account. Even committing 10% of each paycheck will add up over time. Family members can also explore investment plans specifically designed to be used for college tuition and other affiliated costs. Consistently contributing to this fund is very important. 
  • FAFSA (Federal Scholarships and Grants): This is the only method to apply for federal financial aid such as Pell Grants and direct subsidized loans. Most colleges and universities require students to submit The Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) form as part of their school application since they use this information to calculate the amounts of scholarships, grants, loans, and even work-study programs you are offered. The website (studentaid.gov/h/apply-for-aid/fafsa) has posted the federal application deadline for the 2025–2026 school year: June 30, 2026. (Individual state and college deadlines vary; see the website for details.) 

Submit this form as soon as you can during your senior year of high school and any year you are enrolled at your college or university. There are financial aid options for those pursuing undergraduate and graduate degrees, and even for those in some professional certificate programs.

  • Other Scholarships: A scholarship is a monetary award that is merit based and is not paid back. Your search for scholarships will be in addition to your FAFSA application, exploring opportunities in your home town and state and even nationally, plus scholarships that you apply for on your own. Application requirements may include a letter of interest, a resume, an essay on a specific topic, and a copy of your transcript. If a music organization offers scholarships, you may have to perform an audition or submit recordings. Scholarship recipients may be asked to send a thank you card, periodic updates about their studies, or even present/perform/speak at an event hosted by the sponsor of the award. 

An exceptional tool used to be the independently run Scholly app; it was purchased by Sallie Mae in 2023 and has been folded into their website, the SLM Education Services website (www.sallie.com). Sallie Mae is a recognized name in student loan management. Their website can now be used to find scholarships as well as apply for loans directly from Sallie Mae. Be sure you understand your responsibilities when applying for scholarships, grants or loans. 

You can also look for opportunities available through organizations in your town including fraternal groups such as Lions, Elks, VFW, and Rotary Clubs. Also look for scholarships offered through your hometown newspapers and broadcast organizations (TV, radio, and Web-based), your house of worship, and even your high school. For example, my local school district has built a “Scholarship Central” website to help students find funds.

  • Other Grants: A grant is a monetary award that is need based and is not paid back. In addition to the federal grants mentioned above, there are grants offered by individuals, corporations, or even states designed to assist students who meet specific criteria, such as students from low-income families or those who will be the first in their family to attend college.  
  • Loans: A loan is an advance of money that must be paid back. Federally subsidized loans, like the ones you may be offered in your financial aid package, typically do not accrue interest while you are in school (the interest is “paid” by the government), but you begin paying back the loan within six months of your graduation. If you continue your studies full time, pursuing a graduate degree or artist diploma, payments can be deferred until you complete that program. Loans are paid back with monthly installments and begin accruing interest almost immediately. There are also private student loans, and you can speak with your school financial counselor, banker, or other trusted advisor about the feasibility of taking out these types of loans. 

As performing artists, let me add one more category to this list!

  • Competitions: In the CS May/June 2025 Convention issue (available on csmusic.net) my article, “Competitions: A Potential Path to Success,” explored how success at competitions could assist singers as they pursue the careers they seek. Since that article did not explicitly explore the financial benefits of competitions, let’s do that now.

As you research competitions, you’ll find that they fall into three distinct financial categories:

Competitions that offer modest monetary prizes, but may offer future performance opportunities or acceptance into their training program

Competitions that offer prize money at each stage of the process (local, state, regional, and national), increasing in amounts as you progress

Competitions that offer prize money only at the semifinal or finals stage

There are some competitions that offer sizable monetary awards and a place in their fellowship or training program, but those tend to be focused on singers who have completed their formal training and are ready for their next professional step. We’ll focus our attention here on opportunities for those who are at the beginning or middle of their higher education journey. 

You are hopefully aware of the CS Music Competition, in which participants at the national level vie for over $13,000 in cash prizes and, based on eligibility, students can be considered for more than $5 million in university and college scholarships. 

If you haven’t explored everything that CS offers, I urge you to do so. There are a number of other national organizations that also host competitions each year. The National Association of Teachers of Singing (NATS) hosts annual student auditions that culminate in the National Student Auditions. Singers as young as elementary school age can participate for cash awards through NATS NSA. The Music Teachers National Association (MTNA) sponsors competitions, most of which begin at the local level for students in elementary, middle, and high school as well as college, and then proceed to state and national levels. The Schmidt Vocal Competition is held in two categories, high school and undergraduate. To learn about what competitions are being run and how to enter, there is no better source than CS Music’s website. 

There are competitions available to you at every stage of your development that can result in monetary awards. By participating in competitions that offer cash awards, you can save money for school doing what you love most, performing. Your teachers can of course recommend opportunities to you, but I encourage you to start making your own list. 

As soon as you begin your search, keep track of all websites and links you follow. Create a calendar of application deadlines and requirements. And, remember, you will be able to use your college prescreening videos and essays (with modest modifications) for multiple school applications. In addition, personal statements, resumes, repertoire lists, records of extracurricular and volunteer activities, and other general information can all be used multiple times. Use your network of colleagues from school, CS Music, and local theaters, and plan for the year’s competition season, starting now! 

As a final suggestion, I want to recognize and encourage you to pursue your entrepreneurial ideas. Artists have the ability to see beyond what is front of them, to identify a need, and then fill that need. And while monetary compensation may not be your initial reason for creating, I urge you to confidently and fearlessly price your endeavor. By doing so, you are reinforcing to your potential clients the value of your work. The model of the starving artist may be romantic when singing La bohème, but that ideal is nonsense. 

I hope this article has inspired you to take stock of your financial situation and to understand that the decisions you make now can have a lasting impact on your financial well-being. Understanding what you need to be successful, productive, and happy combined with a plan of how to achieve those goals financially—including learning how to save, budget, and spend your money—are skills that can be learned at any age. And in my opinion and experience, once you begin thinking about money as a tool, you will have a better understanding of how to use it to help create the life you envision.  

Also consider expanding your search to include faith-based and other ethnicity-based opportunities and scholarships offered through your local governmental and nonprofit organizations.

 

Sidebar

General Scholarship and Grant Sites:

College Scholarships.org (www.collegescholarships.org/financial-aid/is a free scholarship search engine.

Fastweb (www.fastweb.com/) is a free scholarship search platform.

Forbes Advisor (www.forbes.com/advisor/student-loans/how-to-find-grants-for-college/) offers information and advice and includes a number of links to get you started on your general search. 

The Gates Scholarship (www.thegatesscholarship.org/scholarship) is a highly selective scholarship for outstanding high school seniors from low-income households.

Sallie Mae scholarship search page (www.sallie.com/scholarships/scholly) is a free service to find and sort through thousands of college scholarships.

ScholarshipOwl (scholarshipowl.com/) is a fee-based service.

 

Music Organizations that Offer Scholarships and/or Host Competitions:

Music Teachers National Association (www.mtna.org/MTNA/Engage/Competitions/Competitions

National Association of Teachers of Singing (www.nats.org/competitions

National Federation of Music Clubs (www.nfmc-music.org/competitions-awards/

Schmidt Vocal Arts (schmidtvocalarts.org/programs/high-school-vocal-competition/): high school awards & competitions

YoungArts (youngarts.org/competition/): for ages 15–18 only 

 

Substantial Cash Awards that You May Not Know About:

American Traditions Vocal Competition (www.atcsavannah.org/

The Handel Aria Competition (handelariacompetition.org/

Houston Grand Opera Eleanor McCollum Competition for Young Singers (www.houstongrandopera.org/on-stage/concert-of-arias

National Federation of Music Clubs Young Artist Competition (biennial) (www.nfmc-music.org/competitionscategory/young-artist-competition/)

Opera Ebony Benjamin Matthews Vocal Competition (www.operaebony.org/events

Opera Grand Rapids VanderLaan Prize (www.operagr.org/vanderlaan-prize/)

 

Heritage-Based Organizations that Provide or List Scholarships:

APIA (Asian and Pacific Islander American) Scholars (apiascholars.org/scholarships/)

Mexican American Legal Defense and Educational Fund (www.maldef.org/resources/scholarship-resources/)

National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) (naacp.org/find-resources/scholarships-awards-internships/scholarships)

National Italian American Foundation (www.niaf.org/programs/scholarships/)

 
 
 
Liana Valente
Dr. Liana Valente is a teacher, administrator, and performer whose career has included positions with universities, opera companies, summer training programs, and fine arts non-profit organizations. She serves as the National Federation of Music Clubs Representative to the United Nations Department of Global Communications and is committed to UN Agenda 2030 and its 17 Sustainable Development Goals. She is a champion of new music, commissioning and performing premieres of art songs and performance pieces each year.