Established in the memory of David E. Ballard, with the support of Inherit the Music, this $10,000
scholarship supports youth who have experienced homelessness and/or been part of the foster care
system pursuing a career in live entertainment. Field of study may include but is not limited to live event
operations, production, music engineering, music business management, customer service, hospitality
and/or other related fields.
Eligibility and Guidelines:
- Applicant must be a full-time undergraduate student with a declared major and enrolled at an
accredited college or university at the time of award in the fall semester.
- Applicant must be pursuing a career in live entertainment. Field of study may include but is not
limited to: live event operations, production, music engineering, music business management,
customer service, hospitality and/or other related fields.
- Applicants who have experienced homelessness within the last four years, and/or been part of
the foster care system any time after the age of sixteen, are eligible to apply.
- Applicant must be permanently residing in the U.S.
- Applicant must have a cumulative GPA of 2.75 or higher.
- This award will be paid directly to a qualified educational institution in two equal payments of
$5000, distributed across at least two academic semesters.
Application Guidelines:
- Complete the Scholarship Application Form.
- Provide a student copy of their college transcript to confirm GPA.
- Submit a resume or CV.
- Provide proof of enrollment from the educational institution.
- Provide two (2) letters of recommendation from industry professionals and/or instructor(s).
- Provide either a proof of dependency letter or an Independent Student Status Form completed
by one of the following: school liaison, caseworker, social services provider, or campus financial
aid administrator.
- Write an essay on how your experiences with homelessness and/or foster care have shaped
your goals related to pursuing a career in live entertainment. The essay should not exceed 500
words and should include the student’s long-term professional goals within the entertainment
industry.
- In addition to the application essay, the scholarship recipient will be required to write a final
impact essay at the end of the school year updating Music Forward on how the funds supported
their scholastic journey and progress towards their long-term career goals.
