The IBMA Foundation offers eight different college scholarships. Students interested in applying for the 2026-27 school year are invited to fill out and submit their applications at the following links:
Click HERE to apply for the Rick Lang Music Songwriter Scholarship.
Click HERE to apply for the Mike Auldridge Memorial Scholarship, the Gloria Belle Memorial Scholarship, the J. D. Crowe Banjo Scholarship, the Katy Daley Broadcast Media/Sound Engineering Scholarship, the Sally Ann Forrester Scholarship, the IBMA Bluegrass College Scholarship, and/or the Planning Stages Scholarship for Live Music Production.
Applicants need to be accepted by a college, university, or training institution before a scholarship can be granted to them. Individuals may apply for more than one scholarship. Applicants must either be citizens of the United States or international students planning to go to college in the United States. Applicants for the Katy Daley Broadcast Media/ Sound Engineer Scholarship and the Rick Lang Music Songwriter Scholarship must be current members of IBMA (info: ibma.org and ask them about the college student discount). Students may apply for and/or receive scholarship support for more than one year, but they must reapply each year by June 1 for the following fall semester.
IBMA Foundation-hosted scholarships:
The Mike Auldridge Memorial Scholarship ($2,000) is awarded to an individual studying the resophonic guitar, steel guitar, or acoustic guitar on the college level, with a bluegrass or roots music focus. Founding funds for this scholarship were donated by Howard Parker.
The Gloria Belle Memorial Scholarship ($2,000) is awarded to assist with the expense of college or technical training for an individual studying behind-the-scenes subjects like sound engineering, broadcasting, instrument building, event production, photography, videography, publicity, marketing, or graphic design. Funds for the scholarship were raised primarily by award-winning bandleader and songwriter Becky Buller with a generous donation from Jim and Kathy Kortge, among others.
The J. D. Crowe Banjo Scholarship ($1,000) is awarded to an individual planning to study banjo at the college level or in a college-level bluegrass ensemble. Applicants must demonstrate a high level of performance skills on the five-string banjo and plan to become involved in the bluegrass music industry as a professional. Arthur Hancock IV, a touring bluegrass musician and former member of the IBMA Foundation board, set up this scholarship with his father, Arthur Hancock III. Crowe was a close friend of the Hancock family, of Kentucky.
The Katy Daley Broadcast Media/Sound Engineering Scholarship ($2,000) will be awarded to an individual planning to study broadcasting or sound engineering at college or in a continuing education program with a bluegrass music focus. There is no age limit for applicants. Eligible areas of study include radio, television, digital media, recorded sound engineering and mastering, live sound engineering, and related disciplines. Applicants must plan to become involved in the bluegrass music industry at a professional level and be current IBMA members. Initial and continued funds for the endowed scholarship were donated by Daley and her husband, Bill Brown.
The Sally Ann Forrester Scholarship ($2,000) will be awarded to a female bluegrass musician. Applicants are not required to have a declared major in bluegrass music, although women enrolled in a bluegrass university degree program are welcome to apply. Initial funds for this scholarship were donated by Murphy Hicks Henry, co-founder with her husband, Red Henry, of the Murphy Method instructional media company and author of Pretty Good for a Girl: Women in Bluegrass (University of Illinois Press). One of the primary supporters of this scholarship is Robert Forrester, son of Howdy and Sally Ann Forrester.
The IBMA Bluegrass College Scholarship ($1,000) is awarded each year to a student majoring in bluegrass or a bluegrass-related field of study at the undergraduate level. Bluegrass music–related studies include but are not limited to bluegrass performance, music education, folklore, sound engineering and recording, lutherie (building and repairing instruments), business, marketing, public relations, songwriting/publishing, or other academic study of bluegrass and related roots music. The successful candidate should have aspirations of professional involvement in the bluegrass music industry. IBMA (the International Bluegrass Music Association) is the nonprofit music association that connects, educates, and empowers bluegrass professionals and enthusiasts, honoring tradition and encouraging innovation in the bluegrass community worldwide.
The Rick Lang Music Songwriter Scholarship ($2,000) will be awarded to an individual planning to study songwriting at the college level. Applicants are not required to have a declared major in songwriting, but they must already have demonstrated skills as a songwriter and plan to further their study of the art. Initial funds for the endowed scholarship were donated by Rick Lang, a Grammy-nominated writer who is a past chair of the IBMA Songwriter Committee and volunteer with the IBMA Songwriter Mentor Program. Applicants for the Rick Lang Music scholarship must be current IBMA members to be considered. (See www.ibma.org.) The recipient of this scholarship is invited to co-write a song with Rick Lang. Note: Please submit two original songs (not co-writes) this year with your application.
The Planning Stages Scholarship for Live Music Production ($2,000) supports students pursuing college, community college, or vocational training in live music event production, talent buying, and related fields. The goal of the Planning Stages scholarship is to empower the next generation of professionals who make bluegrass music shine from behind the curtain. Scholarships may be applied toward tuition, internships, and educational expenses. For the purposes of this scholarship, “live music production” encompasses the planning, booking, technical, and creative work that supports live music performances across all types of venues. Students focused on sound engineering will be encouraged to apply for the Katy Daley Broadcast Media & Sound Engineering Scholarship or the Gloria Belle Memorial Scholarship. This scholarship was established by Claire Armbruster and Jeff Koontz, co-owners of Planning Stages, Inc. in Brevard, North Carolina.
For more information on IBMA Foundation-hosted scholarships, contact Cassie Wright at cassie@bluegrassfoundation.org.
RETURN to the April 1, 2026 issue of The Cornerstone.
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