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.
Each candidate for admission to the University as a music major is required to perform an audition. In the 2022-2023 academic year, we will accept video auditions from all applicants.
Only audition videos submitted before February 1, 2023 will be considered for a scholarship. Audition results after February 1, 2023 will not be included in these decisions.
Arts Scholarship Program
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 Moss Arts Center (typically in the second year of the program), and students in the Directing 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.