The Positive Impact of Scholarships 

You make an immediate and lasting impact in the lives of School of Music students by establishing and supporting School of Music scholarships. Below are some key benefits of supporting these scholarships.

1. Allows students to focus on their education: Scholarships reduce the financial burden on students, enabling them to focus more on their studies and musical development. By relieving them of the need for multiple jobs, scholarships provide students with more time to dedicate to their education, both in the classroom and in practice.
2. Recruit and retain top talent: Scholarships enable the USC School of Music to attract talented musicians from across the state, country and world, increasing its competitiveness at regional, national and international levels. Additionally, scholarships and assistantships can help out-of-state students qualify for near in-state tuition, broadening the school's recruitment reach.
3. Reduce financial burden: Scholarships provide equal educational opportunities for students regardless of their economic background. With financial support, students can rely less on student loans, reducing their long-term financial burden. This support extends beyond graduation, helping music students establish themselves as professionals and leaders in their field.
4. Increase diversity, equity and inclusion: Scholarships can contribute to a more diverse and inclusive learning environment by offering opportunities to students from different backgrounds. This diversity can enrich the educational experience for all students and create a more inclusive atmosphere.
5. Boost confidence: Receiving a scholarship can boost a student's confidence and validate their hard work and dedication. Merit-based scholarships also encourage students to strive for excellence and excel in their studies and performances.
6. Develop professional skills: Graduate assistantships kick-start a student’s professional career by giving them teaching, directing, ensemble management and arts administration experience while they complete their degree. The skills they develop through their assistantships can substantially increase their professional marketability upon graduation.

 Your support makes a significant difference in the lives of music students at the USC School of Music.

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How to Support

Give to the Friends of the School of Music Scholarship Fund 

A gift to Friends of the School of Music Scholarship Fund supports student scholarships and impacts students in every discipline throughout the School of Music.

Establish a Scholarship

Give a Scholarship for Immediate Use. Designate a gift of $500 or more to provide a one-time scholarship to a School of Music student. Doing so at this level or above ensures out-of-state students receive near in-state tuition rates. To designate a scholarship gift, contact Audra Vaz, Assistant Dean for Advancement, at vaza@mailbox.sc.edu or 803-777-9732.

Endowments

An endowment is an investment in the future of the School of Music. Endowed funds are held in perpetuity within the School of Music and are usually created as a namesake legacy of a donor, family member or colleague. Endowments leave an indelible mark on the future of the School of Music while honoring someone’s life forever. An endowment may be established with donations of cash, marketable securities, liquid assets, or through estate planning. The invested principal of an endowment provides the spendable portion used for scholarships or other donor-directed uses. The current return is presently 4.25% after six quarters of investment.

At the University of South Carolina, an endowment may be established with a minimum gift of $25,000. Named endowments may be establish a scholarship fund, a specific academic discipline, or program within the School of Music with the criteria set by the donor in consultation with the School. Endowments may be funded over an extended timeframe through a multi-year pledge.

Establish a Planned Gift

Planned gifts, such as bequests, life-insurance gifts, gifts of real estate, annuities and irrevocable trusts enable you to support the ensemble or program of your choice through your estate plan. These gifts help ensure a future for the School of Music and grant you recognition into the Carolina Guardian Society.

Join the Carolina Guardian Society

The Carolina Guardian Society recognizes donors of planned gifts. To qualify for membership, donors must make a commitment, confirmed in writing and subject to certain restrictions, that includes one of the following:

• A bequest in a will or revocable trust
•  A life income gift that names the University of South Carolina, the School of Music, or one of its affiliated foundations as a remainder beneficiary, such as a charitable remainder trust or a charitable gift annuity
•  A charitable lead trust that provides income to the University of South Carolina, the School of Music, or one of its affiliated foundations for your lifetime or a term of years
•   A gift or assignment of qualified retirement plan assets, such as an IRA, 401(k) or 403(b)
•  A gift of life insurance

Contact Audra Vaz, Assistant Dean for Advancement at vaza@mailbox.sc.edu or call 803-777-9732.