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Endowed Music Scholarships 

Endowed scholarships are special one-time awards that require additional application or materials. They may be available for undergraduate through graduate students. Go to Tiger Scholarship Manager and search for the name of the scholarship you want to apply for, then follow the instructions from there.

2021-2022 Academic Year

Lily Afshar Guitar Scholarship

The Lily Afshar Guitar Scholarship is available for students enrolled at the University of Memphis. Students must be a full-time student (undergraduate or graduate) enrolled in the guitar program within the Rudi E. Scheidt School of Music. Non-Tennessee residents and foreign students may be eligible for this scholarship. The recipient must maintain a cumulative GPA of at least 3.0 and be a talented guitarist with excellent practice habits, high quality of performance, and demonstrate extreme financial need.

Joe D'Gerolamo Memorial Scholarship

The Joe D'Gerolamo Memorial Scholarship Fund is awarded to a student studying jazz in the College of Communication and Fine Arts at the University of Memphis. Candidates must demonstrate financial need as well as academic merit.

Elba Gandy Memorial Scholarship

The Elba Gandy Memorial Music Scholarship Fund was created to provide assistance for students studying music at the University of Memphis. This is an annual scholarship.

James and Christopher Gholson Scholarship 

The James and Christopher Gholson Scholarship Fund is available for undergraduate and graduate students majoring in Commercial Music or Woodwinds (music education or music performance). The award recipient must meet the following criteria: must have evidence of financial need, must have evidence of musical talent and potential success, and must visit the Tutoring Office and select a self-tutor, online or office guided program that best fits their general needs and select a means of documenting reading improvement that occurred from the beginning to the end of the school year in which the scholarship was awarded. Award recipients may reapply for additional awards in subsequent years provided they are in good academic standing, having a minimum GPA of 2.5, and meet the above criteria.  Applicants must write a three page essay that addresses the following:

  • The applicant's affinity for the needs of under-represented or under-served communities.
  • The importance of reading speed and comprehension and its relationship to music and academic success.
  • The applicant's commitment to enhancing their reading speed and comprehension.

Herbert Herman Memorial Scholarship

The Herbert Hermann Scholarship Fund is available for incoming freshmen and current students of the University of Memphis. Current students must possess a 3.0 grade point average and incoming freshman must have received a 20 on his/her ACT score. Financial need may be considered.

John G. Hughes Music Scholarship

The John G. Hughes Scholarship is available for students enrolled at the University of Memphis. Applicants must be a full or part time freshman, sophomore, junior, or senior of the Rudi E. Scheidt School of Music. Preference will be given to students studying organ. Recipients must maintain a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.0.  A need for financial assistance is not required and this scholarship is renewable to the recipient for a maximum of four years.

Robert Kelley Memorial Scholarship

The Robert Kelley Memorial Scholarship award is given to an enrolled student at the Music Business Division of the Scheidt School of Music at the University of Memphis. The recipients must have been in the top 20% of their graduating class or have a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.0 and be pursuing a degree in the music business. This scholarship may be renewed for a total of four years if all criteria continue to be met or at the discretion of the selection committee.

Douglas C. Lemmon Memorial Scholarship

The Douglas C. Lemmon Scholarship is available to a full-time student enrolled at the University of Memphis and a study of trombone within the Department of Music. The recipient must be in academic good standing and may receive this award for a maximum of four years if eligibility requirements are met.

Jerry Lee Lewis Endowed Scholarship

The Jerry Lee Lewis Endowed Scholarship Fund is available for students enrolled at the University of Memphis and pursuing a Bachelor of Music degree within the College of Communication and Fine Arts and be in good academic standing.

Lubriani Clarinet Award

Established in memory of Frederic Lubrani, professor of clarinet at the University of Memphis, this award honors an outstanding clarinetist or clarinetists.

Dr. Barbara D. Mashburn Choral Scholarship

The Dr. Barbara D. Mashburn Choral Music Education Scholarship is available to an undergraduate student enrolled at the University of Memphis and the Music Education Choral Degree program of the Rudi E. Scheidt School of Music. In addition, the recipients must demonstrate commitment to utilizing his/her talents and training as a music educator.

Ethel T. Maxwell Voice Scholarship

The Ethel Taylor Maxwell Voice Scholarship is available for incoming freshmen and current students of the University of Memphis. Incoming freshmen shall have been in the upper quarter of their high school class and have demonstrated voice talent.  Emphasis will be placed on voice talent.

Dr. Sidney J. McKay Award

The Dr. Sidney J. McKay Fellowship is awarded to a full-time graduate student pursuing a degree with a focus in wind conducting or music education with the intent to become an instrumental music educator. Candidates must have a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.25 at the time of graduation. Local, out of state, and foreign students are eligible for this award. Preference will be given to a student who demonstrates financial need.

Berl Olswanger Scholarship

The Memphis Gridiron Show, Inc. honors the late Berl Olswanger by rewarding an undergraduate student with a scholarship in the fall semester and selection is made in the spring.  To be eligible for the award, students must be an undergraduate in the College of Communication and Fine Arts with interest in music and have a minimum GPA of 2.5.  Preference is given to a music major.

Sam Phillips Scholarship

The Sam Phillips Endowed Scholarship Fund is awarded to a student studying music or music engineering in the College of Communication and Fine Arts at the University of Memphis. Candidates shall have demonstrated financial need as well as exceptional talent.

Elvis Presley Endowed Scholarship

The Elvis Presley Endowed Scholarship Fund is available to a student in the College of Communication and Fine Arts at the University of Memphis. Applicants shall demonstrate financial need and academic merit.

Presser Foundation Scholarship

The Presser Scholarship is available for students enrolled at the University of Memphis. The award will be made to an outstanding music major, at or after the end of the student's junior year. Recipients of this award are known as a Presser Scholar.

Charlie Rich Scholarship

The Charlie Rich Endowed Scholarship is available to a student studying music in the College of Communication and Fine Arts at the University of Memphis. Candidates for this scholarship shall have demonstrated financial need as well as academic merit.

Smit Music Composition Award

This award is given in memory of Johannes Smit, professor of composition at the University of Memphis. It recognizes an outstanding composition student.

Sun Trust Scholarship Fund 

The SunTrust Scholars Program is given to enrolled full-time undergraduate and graduate students at the University of Memphis.

  • Undergraduate requirements: Must be a resident of Shelby County, Tennessee or reside within 30 miles of Shelby County, Tennessee, must declare Music major, must be enrolled as a full-time student and must have a 25 or higher on ACT and a 3.0 GPA.
  • Graduate requirements: Master's candidates enrolled in the Rudi E. Scheidt School of Music having graduated in high standing with an undergraduate degree, full-time students must maintain at least 12 graduate credit hours, and renewal of the SunTrust Graduate Music Scholarship requires maintaining a cumulative 3.5 GPA and carrying a minimum of 12 credit hours for full time students.