Cannon Music Camp Scholarships
SCHOLARSHIP PROCESS SUMMARY
Apply for a camp scholarship.
Read on for several ways that you can apply for a scholarship for Cannon Music Camp!
New for 2025: You can also apply for an INCREASE to your current scholarship offer based on financial need and/or musical skill!
Apply to Cannon Music Camp.
Your scholarship offer is not guaranteed nor applied to your account until you have registered for camp, paid your deposit, completed all of the application forms, and been accepted to camp. After that, it may take 2 weeks for you to see a discount reflected in your account.
Apply early!
The final scholarship deadline is March 15, or when all of our scholarship money has been given away - whichever comes first! (Some scholarships have earlier deadlines - see your offer letter for details.) Be sure to complete both your scholarship application AND your entire camp application as soon as you can. Some instrument areas fill several weeks before the scholarship deadline.
Scholarships from Cannon don’t add together - they replace each other.
You can apply for an increase to your scholarship, but it's not possible to add different offers from Cannon Music Camp together. In the camp registration form, enter the highest single scholarship offer you have received and we will use that for you!
District, Region, and All-State Scholarships
- Audition in person for a camp representative at certain District Band, Regional Orchestra, or All-State instrumental audition sites in North Carolina.
- Receive a scholarship offer based on your District/Region/All-State placement (band, choir, or orchestra).
See complete information about District/Region/All-State Auditions and Scholarships!
Scholarship Application Form
Our Scholarship Application Form allows you to apply for a scholarship - or an INCREASE to your scholarship - by submitting a video audition and/or information about your financial need and motivation. Interested students may submit this form once per camp year. Begin the Scholarship Application Form here.
Please see additional information below. Instructions on how to submit a video will be available in the form.
How to Apply for a Scholarship Increase
NEW for 2025: If the scholarship offer you received based on your performance, placement, or previous camp attendance does not make it possible for you to attend camp, you can apply for a higher scholarship offer!
To do this, submit the Scholarship Application Form and include information about your financial need and the reasons you are requesting a camp scholarship.
You can apply for a scholarship (or an increase to your scholarship) either before or after applying to camp.
Including a video is recommended if you are interested in further consideration for your musical skills.
Anyone can submit a video audition through the Scholarship Application Form, whether or not you would like to address financial need in your scholarship application.
A scholarship or increase to your scholarship is not guaranteed.
Please only submit the Scholarship Application Form form once per year of camp, being sure to include all of the relevant information the first time. Submitting it more than once will not result in further scholarships/increases.
If we are able to offer a higher scholarship, you may also have a shortened deadline to accept the scholarship.
Key things to remember
If you receive more than one scholarship letter from us: Music students who are active in District/Region/All-State competitions - especially returning campers - may find themselves receiving multiple offers from Cannon Music Camp, often of the same or similar amounts. These offers cannot be combined, but students should inform the camp office of the highest single amount received, and we will apply that amount.
For returning campers: If the scholarship you received in your 2025 invitation is less than what you received as your final camp scholarship in 2024 - even though you know you were positive and engaged with camp - this is normal! Many donor-supported scholarships do not become available for us to formally offer until February or later. You are encouraged to submit the Scholarship Application Form if you would like to be considered for an increase to your scholarship.
A teacher or administrator’s recommendation (submitted in Step 3 of the camp application process) may help support consideration for a scholarship.
A change to your main instrument (for example, switching from bassoon to clarinet, or from bass to violin) may affect your scholarship, even if already claimed. Please audition for camp on the instrument that you would like to be your "major" at camp. We are happy to discuss options if you are thinking about changing your primary instrument.
Receiving a scholarship offer DOES NOT SECURE a place for you at camp. You will need to complete the application process at cannon.appstate.edu/apply to secure a space in your performance area for camp. We honor registrations in the order that they are completed (with a deposit). If your instrument area fills before you complete registration, or if other students claim all the available scholarship funding for the year, it will not be possible to use your scholarship. Some instrument areas fill up several weeks before the March 15 scholarship deadline.
Typical scholarship amounts
- The total cost of the camp is $2950.
A typical range for a merit-based scholarship from Cannon Music Camp (based on musical skill/ability) is $150-$450.
For scholarships based on merit/musical ability, an individual student will generally receive a similar amount whether they auditioned online or in person.
Scholarships or scholarship increases due to financial need will vary based on the student’s circumstances.
Scholarships covering most or all of the camp cost are rare and are typically supported by donors local to the student's area, or from awards won the previous year at camp, rather than from the camp's regular scholarship audition award process. Nevertheless, we strongly encourage students in need to apply for a scholarship in case we can match them with an opportunity.
Other Scholarships and Funding Opportunities
Cannon Music Camp scholarships can be combined with scholarships from other organizations! You may find opportunities through local music clubs and ensembles, school music boosters, places of worship, community groups, charities, and more.
Some students have helped to fund their own camp attendance by giving recitals, playing gigs, fundraising, and other creative endeavors.
Visit this page for more scholarship and funding ideas!
How to Claim Your Cannon Scholarship
- Complete the camp application process shown at cannon.appstate.edu/apply. Begin with Step 1 (registration and $150 deposit), which is most important in securing your spot. All the forms in Steps 2 and 3 must also be completed to be accepted to camp and receive your scholarship.
- Enter the highest single scholarship offer in the registration form where requested.
- The scholarship will not be deducted automatically. It may take two weeks after your completed application to see the discount reflected in your account.
- Scholarships cannot be used for the $150 deposit.First the student/family will complete the application and deposit, and within 2 weeks after the entire application process is completed, the scholarship will be applied.
- If the student has been offered a full scholarship from a donor, please contact the camp office for details before registering.
- If you received a scholarship offer but are not sure if you can fund your full camp attendance, you can still register and make your deposit to claim your space and scholarship. All but $50 of your payment can be refunded by April 1 if you decide not to attend for any reason. See complete cancellation and refund information at cannon.appstate.edu/apply.
How We Award Scholarships
Student Factors
You can apply for a scholarship from Cannon Music Camp on the basis of three factors: MERIT, NEED, and MOTIVATION.
MERIT represents your musical abilities. We assess these based on your placement in an honors ensemble, your previous camp attendance, a live audition, or a video audition (submitted through the Scholarship Application Form).
NEED is your financial need and ability to pay for the camp. You and your family will need to submit the Scholarship Application Form in order for us to assess your financial need.
MOTIVATION is why you are interested in Cannon Music Camp and how you expect the camp to help you pursue your musical goals and interests. In the Scholarship Application Form, you can explain why attending Cannon Music Camp is important to you.
For the best results, apply for a scholarship - and apply to camp! - as soon as you are able. Scholarship availability ends March 15 or when all of our scholarship funds are given away, whichever comes first. Even if you are an excellent student, if we have already awarded our scholarship funds, we will not be able to offer you a scholarship.
Camp Factors
When awarding scholarships, the camp also considers two other factors that are outside of the applicant’s control:
BALANCE - The camp sometimes offers a higher scholarship for less common instruments or voice parts. We need certain parts to balance the ensembles and create an exciting camp experience for all students.
DONOR PREFERENCE - Some supporters of music education offer scholarships tied to a specific area, school, instrument, etc. If you submit a Scholarship Application Form and happen to be a match for one of these scholarships, we will consider you for it.