Scholarships

Berklee City Music offers two scholarships to attend Berklee programs. The City Music Summer Scholarship is a tuition scholarship to attend Berklee’s Aspire: Five-Week Music Performance Intensive. The City Music College Scholarship, available to eligible high-school seniors, is a partial- or full-tuition scholarship to Berklee College of Music; it's a highly competitive merit- and need-based scholarship.

Since its inception, Berklee City Music has awarded scholarships to more than 1,900 students to attend the Five-Week program as well as hundreds of full- and partial-tuition Berklee College of Music scholarships.

City Music Summer Scholarship

Students in City Music have the opportunity to receive a full-tuition scholarship to Five-Week. This program allows students to immerse themselves in their chosen style and study with world-class faculty in a college setting.

Five-Week is the largest, most comprehensive summer music program available anywhere. With its variety of study and performance options, world-class Berklee faculty, visiting artists, and state-of-the-art facilities, Five-Week has become the premiere contemporary summer music program for aspiring musicians. Students study performance, theory, musicianship, and ensemble playing, which is highlighted in an end-of-program blowout concert. Five-Week scholarships are awarded in the spring based on availability, an online application with supplemental forms, and an audition.

Eligibility Requirements

To be eligible for the City Music Summer Scholarship, a student must:

be at least 15 years of age by the start of the program;
be in good academic standing;
be nominated by a City Music Network full-member site, or meet the eligibility requirements to join City Music Boston programming;
have at least one year of playing experience; and
own or have regular access to their instrument.

Timeline

Network nominations are submitted by full-member sites in early November. The City Music Summer Scholarship application is emailed to candidates in December and is due by mid-February. Decisions are announced in April.

Apply

The scholarship application opens each December; all eligible applicants will receive an email invitation to apply.

If you are from Boston or the Greater Boston area, you may request a scholarship application from December 1 through February 1.

The deadline to request an application is February 1; the deadline to apply is February 10 each year.

City Music College Scholarship

Berklee City Music students also have an opportunity to receive a full scholarship to attend Berklee College of Music via the City Music College Scholarship (CMCS), which is a partial- or full-tuition scholarship award to attend Berklee. The scholarship allows students to pursue their dreams of excelling in music as a career.

Consideration for the CMCS is a three-part process. The CMCS is available to eligible high school seniors who:

apply and are accepted to Berklee College of Music for the upcoming year,
apply for financial aid by completing the CSS/Financial Aid Profile, the FAFSA, and any additional forms requested, and
apply and are accepted to Five-Week via the City Music Summer Scholarship (see above).

Students must complete each of the above applications and submit any supplemental materials by each application deadline. Additional requirements may vary from year to year.

Please contact us if you have questions about City Music scholarship opportunities.