Tyla’s music scholarship offers $5,000 awards—with an early application cutoff

Tyla and Epic Records are offering ten scholarships for students pursuing music and arts degrees, with the Institute of International Education administering the program. Each award is a one-time $5,000 contribution toward required tuition and mandatory fees, paid to the educational institution. It is not a full-cost scholarship.

Who meets the enrollment rules?

In the United States, applicants must be full-time undergraduates in a music- or art-related major at an accredited four-year college or university in or near New York, Washington, D.C., Atlanta, Tampa, Houston or Los Angeles during 2026–27. U.S. applicants must also document financial need with their financial-aid package.

South African applicants may study in any city. They must either be enrolled full time in an eligible degree during 2026 or be Grade 12 students entering an eligible full-time degree in 2027 at an accredited four-year university or equivalent institution. The age and academic rules also apply.

What applicants need to prepare

IIE requires an English-language online application, a personal statement of up to 3,000 characters, expected tuition and mandatory fees, the most recent transcript, and a self-introduction video no longer than 30 seconds. U.S. students also supply financial-aid information.

The administrator requires original work and prohibits AI-generated application content. Do not use an automated essay or synthetic introduction in place of your own voice and experience.

Check availability before investing time

The 50-application cutoff makes October 30 a latest possible deadline, not a guarantee that submissions remain available until then. Follow the official IIE application instructions and check the linked portal before preparing materials. IIE expects to notify applicants by the end of November. Selection is competitive and recipients must verify enrollment.