Some scholarships are awarded by private foundations, such as the Jessica Karrat Dance Scholarship Fund. It is given each year in memory of Jessica Karrat, a 13-year-old dancer who was killed in a car accident. The scholarship is meant to motivate girls to stay involved in dance team activities while also helping them with education costs. The winner receives $500 each school year. Applicants may apply in May and June, and awards are distributed in August and September.
Some corporations offer scholarships for students who aim to join college dance teams.The Washington Post, for example, provides scholarships to students who will be part of college dance teams in the Washington, D.C., area. Students must apply in 11th grade and have at least a 2.5 grade-point average. A video of a dance performance and an essay by the student are required. Applicants sometimes must also perform a dance. The one-time scholarship is for $1,500. The committee that awards the scholarship is on hiatus through 2010, but requirements and application deadlines for future years are available on the company's website.
The American Harlequin dance scholarship is sponsored by the maker of dance floors. Applicants must be between 15 and 21 years old, and enrolled in a public or private dance school at the time of application. Applications are accepted in November and winners are selected in December. Unlike most dance scholarship programs, Harlequin selects the winners by a drawing rather than evaluating dancers' qualifications. The 20 dancers selected split $25,000.
Dance team scholarships also are available directly through universities. For example, Alma College in Alma, Michigan, awards scholarships worth up to $1,500 a year. The school reevaluates scholarship winners each year based on their contributions to the dance team and other accomplishments while attending the school. George Mason University, in Virginia near Washington, D.C., offers dance scholarships ranging from $1,000 to $20,000 a year for up to four years.