A Hidden Avenue to College Funding
In high schools across the country, the steady beat of snares, the flash of flags, and the swell of brass are the unmistakable signs of a dedicated marching band. For many students, this commitment isn’t just seasonal—it spans fall, spring, and even summer, often amounting to a full academic year of effort by the time they graduate.
But after all that hard work, one question naturally arises:
The answer is a resounding yes. Scholarships, stipends, and financial perks are widely available at colleges and universities for students who choose to continue their marching band journey—even for those who don’t major in music.
Contrary to popular belief, you do not have to be a music major to qualify for a marching band scholarship. College bands welcome:
Collegiate marching bands often serve as the “public face” of the university, performing at sporting events, community parades, and high-profile competitions. Because of this visibility, many schools offer funding to recruit committed, skilled students for these roles.
The source of a college marching band’s budget directly affects what kind of scholarships are available. Here’s how it typically breaks down:
| Director’s Role | Primary Funding Source | Band Size | Typical Audience |
|---|---|---|---|
| Music Faculty Only | Music Department | 25–175 members | 300–2,000 |
| Music Faculty + PR or Athletic Support | Shared Budgets | 75–250 members | 2,000–7,000 |
| Full-Time Athletic Band Director | Athletic Department | 250–600+ members | 10,000–30,000+ |
Smaller schools often tie marching band leadership to the music department. Larger schools, where marching band plays a bigger role in athletics and public visibility, tend to fund bands through the athletic department—often with larger scholarship budgets.
Scholarships aren’t one-size-fits-all. They're often awarded based on your instrument, leadership role, and years of service. Here's a breakdown of average annual awards:
| Role/Status | Avg. Weekly Pay | Home Games (est. 7) | Annual Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| Standard Music Dept. Member | N/A | N/A | $250 |
| Music Faculty + PR or Athletics | $65 | 7 | $455–$500 |
| Standard Member (Athletic Dept. Funded) | $40 | 7 | $280–$300 |
| Leadership/Auxiliary Role | $85 | 7 | $595–$600 |
| Senior (3+ Years Experience) | $125 | 7 | $875 |
| 4-Year Total (Estimate) | — | — | $1,715–$2,150 |
🎯 Note: Scholarship amounts are typically finalized after summer band camp.
Beyond scholarship checks, marching band membership comes with another major financial perk: free admission to all home games, away games, and playoffs.
| Event Type | Average Ticket Price | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Regular Home Game | $175 | 7 home games = $1,225 total |
| Student Ticket (Lottery) | $130 | Not guaranteed; limited supply |
| Playoff Game Ticket | $875 | Fan seats often exceed $1,700 |
Only a small percentage of students win access to games through lottery systems. Band members, however, are guaranteed admission—saving over $1,200/year in tickets alone.
To take full advantage of scholarship opportunities, early and strategic communication is key:
The college experience can be quite different from what you’re used to in high school:
| High School Band | College Band |
|---|---|
| Performs a single competitive show | May perform 4–5 shows per season |
| Participates in competitions | Performs at athletic events |
| Students pay fees or fundraise | Most expenses are covered by the school |
| Focus on precision and judging | Focus on entertainment and school spirit |
Marching band in college is more than halftime performances—it’s a life-enriching opportunity that can help you:
Whether you're planning to major in music or simply want to keep playing while pursuing another degree, marching band offers a powerful blend of fun, growth, and financial support.
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ARTICLE GLOSSARY
Athletic Band Director: A band director employed and funded by a college or university's athletic department, typically responsible for bands that perform at sports events.
Auxiliary Performers: Non-instrumental members of the marching band who add visual elements, such as flag spinners, dancers, or baton twirlers.
Audition: A tryout where students demonstrate their musical or performance skills to be selected for the marching band (or a specific role within it).
Band Camp: A multi-day training period held before the school year begins where marching band members learn music, drill (movement), and team-building skills.
Baton Twirlers: Performers who twirl batons (metal sticks) in choreographed routines, often part of the auxiliary or feature team in a marching band.
Color Guard: A group that performs choreographed flag, rifle, or sabre routines to enhance the visual impact of the marching band performance.
Community Parades: Public events where marching bands perform while walking along a parade route, often for holidays or civic celebrations.
Drum Major: The student leader of the marching band, responsible for conducting the band during performances and leading practices or parades.
Financial Perks: Benefits that reduce the cost of college participation, such as free game admission, travel, or meals, even if not part of a direct scholarship.
Home Games: Football games played on the college or university's own campus stadium.
Instrumentalists: Musicians who play band instruments like trumpet, clarinet, flute, saxophone, or percussion in the marching band.
Leadership Role: A position of responsibility within the band, such as drum major, section leader, or head of a performance group (e.g., color guard captain).
Lottery (Ticket Lottery): A system where limited tickets (especially discounted student tickets) are randomly distributed to students who enter a drawing or waitlist.
Marching Band: A group of student musicians who perform music while marching in formation, typically at football games and community events.
Music Department: The division of a college or university responsible for music education and faculty, often overseeing music majors, ensembles, and recitals.
Playoff Game: A high-stakes postseason football game, where marching bands may perform at more prestigious and crowded events.
PR (Public Relations) Department: A division of a college that manages the school's image and outreach, sometimes sharing funding responsibilities for bands due to their public presence.
Scholarship: A financial award given to students to help pay for college, often based on talent, need, or participation in programs like marching band.
Section Leader: A student responsible for leading a specific section of the band (e.g., trumpets, percussion) in rehearsals and performances.
Senior Band Day: A special event where high school seniors are invited to visit a college campus, rehearse with the marching band, and explore scholarship opportunities.
Shared Budgets: Funding for the marching band that comes from more than one college department, such as music, athletics, or public relations.
Stipend: A small, regular payment given to band members to offset expenses—often weekly during performance seasons.
Student Ticket: A discounted football game ticket available to enrolled college students, usually limited in number and offered through a lottery.
Visibility: The level of public exposure or attention a marching band receives, often used to justify larger scholarships in high-profile programs.
Objective: Examine the structure and culture of collegiate marching bands by evaluating their audition processes, weekly rehearsal commitments, annual performance schedules, and scholarship opportunities. Compare these elements to the high school marching band experience to understand the progression in expectations, responsibilities, and benefits at the collegiate level.
Assignment:
Using the provided chart as an example, research and complete a profile for three collegiate marching band programs. A list of approved programs to choose from has been supplied below, and all necessary information should be available through each institution’s official website. You may recreate or customize the chart format as needed to organize your findings clearly.
For each selected school, provide the following information:
Be thorough and accurate in your research. This assignment is designed to deepen your understanding of how collegiate marching band programs vary in structure, expectations, and financial support.
Conclude your assignment by stating whether or not you would choose to join this particular marching band program and support your decision with three clear and well-reasoned justifications.
Example:
| Name of School | Band Director Works for | Audition Format | Requirements | Band Camp Timing | Scholarship | Stipend | Volunteer |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Approved Schools List:
One of the quiet joys of this job is hearing from former students. I keep a special folder of their emails, thinking that someday—maybe when I retire—I’ll sit down and read them all. That day is still far off, but recently, while reading an article on Accoladi.com titled “Marching Band Scholarships: A Hidden Avenue to College Funding,” I was reminded of one message in particular. I pulled it out and read it again, and it gave me pause. With his permission, I’d like to share it with you.
Mr. Blevins,
I’m starting my senior year of college now. You probably remember—I wasn’t the strongest player, and my family couldn’t afford private lessons or a personal instrument. If I wanted to be in band, I had to play whatever the school had. My middle school band director once told me, “If you want to always have a place in band, play the tuba or euphonium.” I was just over five feet tall and about 110 pounds in sixth grade, so euphonium it was.
You knew I was never All-State material. But I loved band. Especially marching band. It taught me how to be part of something bigger than myself. I learned how to work hard, to support my section, and to move in step—literally and figuratively—with people from all walks of life.
College was always my goal. I wanted to be the first in my family to go. I was good at math and dreamed of becoming an engineer. But the schools I had my heart set on were financially out of reach. You encouraged me to audition for the marching band. The college I most wanted to attend had eight euphonium slots. I earned one of them.
They loaned me a school euphonium and awarded me a modest marching band scholarship. But more than that, I found my people. You had prepared me well.
And here’s the part that still surprises me: I’m now the drum major of my university’s marching band. That role comes with a scholarship covering ¾ of my tuition, plus room and board. I never imagined I’d be leading a band like this, let alone on scholarship.
I’m developing leadership skills I didn’t know I had—and I hope I can become the kind of leader you were to us. None of this would have happened without your encouragement to audition. I hope you’ll come to a game this fall. Walk into the stadium beside me—I’d be honored.
Just wanted to say thank you.
Sometimes, it’s not a massive scholarship that makes college possible—it’s a modest one. Sometimes, it’s a suggestion, a nudge, or a belief in a student’s potential. As our band takes the field this Friday night—and again on Saturday—I hope the experiences our students are having in high school will carry them forward. And maybe, just maybe, open a door to a scholarship… and a future they didn’t think was possible.
See You Friday Night,
_____________________________________________
Marching Band Director
_________________________________________________________
School Name
