Lawson Scholarships and Financial Assistance

Students must be in 6th grade or older in order to audition.  Auditions are open to all students, even those not currently enrolled in the Lawson Academy. Most scholarships are for students who will be in 7th-12th grade at the time of enrollment, but there are a few scholarships specifically for adult students.  Some scholarships are restricted to residents of Spartanburg County.

Students who have held Lawson Academy Scholarships for two consecutive years are not eligible to audition for the subsequent year.  (Exception: Strings students may audition for the Gignilliat Scholarship regardless of previous Lawson Academy scholarship awards. The Gignilliat Scholarship may only be awarded once to any student.)

Scholarships at the Lawson Academy are available in voice and all instruments and are awarded by audition only. Awards will be given for the 2024-20245 academic year. Applicants must be in sixth grade or older at the time of application. Application is open to students who have not held Lawson Academy scholarships in the same discipline for the last two consecutive academic years.

Applications closed on April 7, 2025.

Students should prepare a 3-5 minute audition. The 5-minute maximum time will be enforced. Complete selections or excerpts are acceptable, as long as they fit within the time frame. Memorization is recommended. An accompanist is not required or provided but recommended where applicable.

Students who are awarded a scholarship will be notified soon after the audition date.  They will be asked to sign an agreement accepting the scholarship and its terms, agreeing to continue study for the entire school year, and acknowledging their obligation to pay all costs not covered by the scholarship.  They will also be asked to write a letter of thanks to the appropriate donor.

All scholarship recipients will perform a short selection for the Head of the Petrie School of Music in December as a condition of receiving the second half of their award.

Groups of 2-10 students may audition for this chamber music scholarship, which will go towards the tuition for coaching sessions with a Lawson Academy faculty member.

The Paula Sigler Morgan Student Assistance Fund is an endowed fund started by Paula Morgan, former Director of the Lawson Academy. Following her desire to pursue funding to provide need-based financial aid to our students, Paula worked with Converse College to create this Student Assistance Endowment which would become a sustainable source of funds to support Lawson Academy study for students through times of unexpected financial challenge.

Many individuals and organizations continue to support The Paula Sigler Morgan Student Assistance Fund. The Lawson Academy is grateful to everyone who has contributed and honored Paula’s passion for making the arts accessible to all.

Support the Paula Sigler Morgan Student Assistance Fund

As the Paula Sigler Morgan Student Assistance Fund continues to grow, we will be able to help more and more students. You may contribute to our fund online, or by contacting Janae O’Shields, Director of the Lawson Academy of the Arts.