BOSTON, MA, January 4, 2006 — The Berklee College of Music Presidential Scholarship – a grant established to bring the nation's best young musicians to study at Berklee at no cost to them or their families – was awarded to five students from Seattle, Denver, Boston, California, Pennsylvania. Presidential Scholars attend Berklee for four years, with all college tuition, housing, and fees provided at no charge. While such all-expenses awards are not unknown for student athletes in the U.S., this program is the first of its kind by an American music college. 

The five Berklee 2005 Presidential Scholars are Jeffrey Fajardo, Denver, CO; Victor Gould, Simi Valley, CA; Robert Hanlon, Seattle, WA; Denise Hudson, Peckville, PA; and Ayeisha Mathis, Boston, MA. All five students enrolled and began their Berklee coursework this fall.

Diversity and opportunity are the twin pillars of the Presidential Scholarship initiative. "It's just a fact of life that musical talent isn't distributed only to wealthy people," says Berklee President Roger Brown."As a private college, we're very expensive for a family without a lot of income. If we want Berklee to continue to be the place where the finest contemporary musicians gather, we have to do some work to make sure it's possible for them to get here, and be able to stay here."

Five Presidential Scholars will be added annually over the course of the next three years, to reach a total of 20 students. The college's board of trustees has signified its belief in the initiative by approving the use of $1.5 million from the college's endowment to fund the program.

To be considered for a 2006 Presidential Scholarship, students must audition through Berklee's existing scholarship audition program. Those who are identified as full-tuition scholarship candidates, based on musical merit, will be invited to submit a federal financial aid form. Those that demonstrate need will be considered for a Presidential Scholarship. To apply, students should call the Berklee Scholarships Office at (617) 747-8681 or email scholarships@berklee.edu. Applications can be found on the Scholarships section of the Berklee website.

For editorial information or digital photos, the media may contact:

Nick Balkin
Office of Public Information
(617) 747-2247
nbalkin@berklee.edu