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Where the most Inspired Musicians
become the most Inspiring Music Teachers

Support VanderCook

Great Teachers Scholarship Fund

Every year, hundreds of high school students who aspire to become music teachers inquire about attending VanderCook. Too often, the best and brightest among these young adults are disappointed to discover that they cannot afford the cost of attending VanderCook. In fact, about 80% of the students who decline our offer of admission do so because they cannot afford the cost of attendance. 

We must help these students. With the annual support of hundreds of generous donors, 100% of the students enrolled in VanderCook’s undergraduate programs receive financial aid from the College.

At present, 88% of our students have Expected Family Contributions (a federal calculation based on family income and mitigating circumstances) so low that it will not cover the cost of their education, 17% of those students come from homes with ZERO capacity to help. 

VanderCook students need your help to make it possible to receive a VanderCook education. 

One hundred percent of your gift towards a scholarship will be awarded to one or more incoming students who are ready to take the next step on their path to becoming a great teacher. In particular, we look to invest your money in a talented  student who needs support and exhibits traits such as the following:

  • A love of music, learning and teaching.
  • A desire to work with children and young adults.
  • A collaborative spirit and great work ethic. 
  • A creative vision for the next generation of future adults.

Three Ways to Support Scholarships

Endowed Scholarships

An endowed, named  scholarship can be established with a gift of $50,000 or more. This principal amount will be conservatively invested with 80% of the interest used to support a student each year, and 20% reinvested into the fund.

Please contact [email protected] if you are interested in creating an endowed scholarship. We are happy to discuss this with you anytime.

Named Scholarship

A named scholarship can be established with a gift of $1,000 or more. It will be awarded to a student at the point of admission to the College or according to other criteria established by the donor.  If awarded at the time of admission, it will be apportioned over the semesters required to earn a degree. For the typical student, this will be over four years. As an example, with a gift of $10,000, a student would receive $2500 per year in their freshman, sophomore, junior and senior years.

General Gift

Other gifts will be added to the general VanderCook College of Music Great Teachers Scholarship Fund and pooled together with other donations.  Academic Excellence, Talent Awards and need-based awards are then made to individual students based upon their musicianship, academic record, and potential to become a teacher.. Upon request, they may be awarded in the name of a particular individual.

Adopt-a-Student

With this new program, we will work with you to identify a particular student in need who possesses the right combination of musicianship, grit and potential. They may be a VanderScholar or someone struggling but who has a spark about them that lets you know that they will succeed if they try. You will commit to paying their college tuition and they will commit to you to focus, stay on track, graduate and enter the profession. We won’t take this commitment lightly. You will become, if you choose, a mentor to this student over the next four years. Please, let us know if you have any questions. Just drop us a line at [email protected]

To give now, go to 

To learn more about the scholarships we offer to our students, visit our Financial Aid pages.

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3140 South Federal Street
Chicago, IL 60616-3731
(312) 225-6288

The mission of VanderCook College of Music is to enrich the lives of present and future generations by developing uniquely skilled music teachers who exhibit strong character, professionalism, and a commitment to excellence.

© 2024 VanderCook College of Music. All Rights Reserved.
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