What can I use the scholarship for?
The scholarship can be used for music lessons, the purchase, rental or repair of an instrument, or for a music camp. Other uses are occasionally considered.
Who can apply?
Students currently enrolled in BSD7 schools in band, orchestra, or choir with a passion for music and a financial need.
What if I know I want to use the scholarship for lessons but don’t yet know who my teacher will be?
Return your acceptance form by the deadline listed on the notification letter with a note explaining that you still need to determine to whom the check should be written. Once we know the instructor’s name, we will send a check to your address made out to your choice of instructor.
If we haven’t heard from you by May 30th, we will make ONE phone call to the parent number listed on the form to remind you of the scholarship and ask to whom we should make out the check. If you do not respond we will consider the scholarship forfeit and will offer it to an alternate.
What if I know I want to purchase an instrument but don’t yet know from where I will make the purchase?
Return your acceptance form by the deadline listed on your notification letter with a note explaining that you still need to determine to whom the check should be written. Once we know the seller’s name, we will send a check to your address made out to the name of the seller of the instrument.
If we haven’t heard from you by May 30th, we will make ONE phone call to the parent number listed on the form to remind you of the scholarship and ask to whom we should make out the check. If you do not respond we will consider the scholarship forfeit and will offer it to an alternate.
What if I have recently purchased an instrument or needed to use a credit card to order it online?
We will reimburse instrument purchases that were made no more than 30 days before the notification deadline. Return your acceptance form by the deadline listed on the notification letter with a copy of the receipt from the sale. We will then send a check to you as reimbursement for the purchase. You can also send the receipt in a separate mailing – just be certain the acceptance form arrives by the deadline.
How are the applications judged?
A committee of Bozeman Friends of Music board members and volunteers will read and judge applications. Applications are confidentially reviewed and scored by the judges.
The judges look at the strength of the answer the specificity of the request, the impact for the student, and the recommendation by the teacher to determine worthy recipients. Financial need is taken into consideration.
The number of scholarships distributed is determined by the amount of money raised during the year from memberships and a variety of events, most notably, Bozeman Night Live and the Musical Instrument Swap. The number available can vary from year to year. In recent years we have had between 15 and 30 scholarships to award. The judges also select two alternates to whom they can pass the awards should a recipient be unable to accept the scholarship. It is a competitive process with many more worthy students than available scholarships.
How exactly should I submit the material?
You will need to do two things:
- Fill out the Student Application Form.
- Ask your music teacher to fill out this Teacher Recommendation Form. You can cut and paste this link or ask them to fill it out directly from this website. Be sure to ask your teacher well before the April 1st deadline, and let them know how you want to use your scholarship.
What if these links aren’t working for me?
Email anika.stern@bfom.org
Please ensure it is received by April 1st.
Can I ask my private teacher to fill out the recommendation? Yes!
How many teacher recommendations should be submitted?
Please send only one recommendation. The teacher recommendation MUST BE FILLED OUT SEPARATELY BY THE TEACHER. If you fill out the teacher recommendation yourself, you will be disqualified.
Do you notify every applicant of their award status?
Yes. You will receive a letter via email and post letting you know whether you received a scholarship or not. If we were not able to award one to you, please do not be discouraged. We regularly receive more applications than available scholarships and many worthy students don’t receive an award. Please continue to try each year.
I received a scholarship and returned my acceptance form with full information on how I will use the scholarship. When can I expect to see my check?
If you provided the name of the person or entity to whom we should write the check, we will send the check to your address no later than June 15th.
If you are still determining to whom the check needs to be written, still return your acceptance form and let us know you are still searching for a teacher/instrument/etc.
If we don’t hear from you, we will make ONE phone call to the parent number listed on the form to remind you of the scholarship and ask to whom we should make out the check. If you do not respond or if you tell us, you still have not made a choice, we will consider the scholarship forfeit and will offer it to an alternate.
What if I send in my acceptance letter but something happens, and you don’t receive it?
If we haven’t received your acceptance letter by the deadline, we will call the PARENT PHONE NUMBER on the application to let you know we do not have the application and to determine if you do still want the award. We will make a good faith effort to connect with you and even resend the required form if necessary.
If after such efforts we still have not heard from you either by mail or by phone by June 1st, we will assume that you do not wish to accept the scholarship and will award the scholarship to an alternate.
How do we contact you?
Email questions to anika.stern@bfom.org.
Or you can also send a letter to BFOM, PO Box 536, Bozeman, MT 59771.
We want to ensure that this process is as smooth as possible, so please don’t hesitate to use these forms of communication if you have a question, concern, or idea.