Scholarships + Awards
In addition to scholarships offered by the university and the College of Architecture, Arts, and Design, we offer program-specific scholarships in performing arts.

Eugene V Fife Endowed Scholarship
Scholarships to students enrolled in the Department of Music. Preference shall be given to students based on financial need, academic achievement, extracurricular leadership and community service. Recipients selected by the Scholarship Awards Committee of the Dept. of Music. Priority given to incoming music education majors.
Marin D. Weeks Endowed Scholarship
Priority given to academic achievement and demonstrated or potential contribution to the Music Program.
James B. West Scholarship
Given to students enrolled in the Virginia music program. Preference shall be given to students whose insights in the field of music will serve in the future by providing a better understanding of the positive values of music to others. The Donors do not desire that this scholarship be restricted to students who want to pursue professional careers in the field of music. Consideration may be given to academic achievement, extra-curricular leadership and community service.
Paul A. Breske Memorial Scholarship
Awarded to students active in vocal/instrumental ensembles. Financial need should not be considered when making award. Recipient must maintain membership in a university performing ensemble during the year scholarship is awarded.
Blacksburg Music Club Scholarship
Awarded to distinguished junior or senior in music.
Ed Pittard Memorial Scholarship
Awarded to Students din New Virginians who maintains satisfactory GPA. Recipients selected on the basis of good character academic aptitude and desire to complete the requirements for a degree.
Arts Scholarship - Music
For individual prospective entering students. Possibility for renewal.
Kathleen and Paul Zweifel Music Scholarship
Scholarship support for a student in any music performance major. First preference will be given for a vocal performance major, Second preference for a percussion performance major, Third preference for a trumpet or trombone major, and then any other instrument. Preference will also be given to a student who demonstrates a desire to make music performance their profession.
James Sochinski Sirit of Tech Award
Presented by The Marching Virginian's Alumni Association. This is a financial award given to a band member who exemplifies the true SPIRIT of TECH by demonstrating outstanding citizenship and dedication during their career as a member of The Marching Virginians. Candidates for this non-renewable, one-time-only award must have participated in The Marching Virginians for at least four seasons. The director and assistant director of The Marching Virginians will submit finalist to the Marching
Allen Bachelder Trumpet Scholarship
Awarded to member(s) of the trumpet studio.
The Arts Scholarships in theatre & cinema are given annually to rising sophomore, junior, and senior theatre & cinema students who have demonstrated exceptional ability in one or more areas of theatre or cinema, have made outstanding contributions to the production program and activities of the program, and carry a GPA of at least 3.2 at Virginia Tech.
Incoming first year students may also apply for an arts scholarship When a student makes application to Virginia Tech as a theatre & cineme major, they will be contacted about the arts scholarship opportunity. Instructions and requirements will be sent to each applicant.
To receive application materials and/or make an appointment for an interview/audition please contact:
John Ambrosone
Faculty Chair, Theatre & Cinema
Other Scholarships Awarded by Theatre & Cinema
The Caitlin Rose Merryman Endowed Theatre Scholarship
The Caitlin Rose Merryman Endowed Theatre Scholarship is given in memory of Caitlin Rose Merryman by her grandparents, Frank and Carolyn Rose. Caitlin was a Virginia Tech theatre arts graduate of 2011 who went on to have a successful career as a Disney imagineer and project manager for Carnival Cruises. This scholarship is awarded to an undergraduate theatre major whose focus is in theatre design and technology and who has made significant contributions in the area of stage management.
Box/Buxton Scholarship
This scholarship is awarded to a rising junior or senior student, in good academic standing, who has made significant contribution to the non-performance area of the program’s production activities.
The Margaret L. Driscoll Expressive Movement Scholarship
This scholarship is given by Margaret L. Driscoll, an esteemed Virginia Tech emeritus professor and the first woman appointed as assistant dean of the College of Education. It is intended for a rising senior, whose GPA is 3.2 or above, and who has been active in the program’s dance, combat, or expressive movement courses and/or has pursued active involvement in expressive movement performance or choreography in productions.
The Samuel Robert Cox Memorial Scholarship
The Samuel Robert Cox Memorial Scholarship is given in memory of Samuel Robert Cox, a Virginia Tech theatre arts graduate of 1973. It is awarded to an undergraduate who has made significant contributions in multiple areas of theatre, has a GPA of 3.0 or above, and is a Virginia resident.
Tom Haggerty Award
Given in memory of Tom Haggerty by his parents, this award is presented to the member of the freshman class or first year transfer student who, during the current year, has made an outstanding contribution to the theatre and cinema production programs.
Assistantships & Tuition Waiver:
Each student accepted into the program receives a full tuition scholarship and out-of-state fee waiver. Each student accepted also receives an assistantship of approximately $18,700 for the first academic year, with increasing amounts in the second and third years. To maintain assistantship support, students must be enrolled in at least 12 credit hours each semester. No separate application required. Generally, all accepted students receive an assistantship and full tuition waiver.
The Assistantship Work:
Students in the program will be assigned to work in specific production shops - the scene shop, the costume shop, or the management office. Students in the Arts Leadership program may be assigned to work at the Center for the Arts (typically in the second year of the program), and students in the Applied Theatre and Public Dialogue program and the Stage Management program may be assigned to teach the Intro to Acting for non-majors or the Stage Management course to undergraduate majors, under the guidance of an experienced faculty member.