Scholarships

RMS Scholarships

The Reunion Music Society manages several full-year scholarship funds, including the Lafayette Jackson Memorial Scholarship and the Herbert Smith-Richard White Scholarship, that provide several scholarships annually to Northern Virginia students pursuing post-secondary school education.

Scholarship winners must enroll in MUS 148 or 248 on the NOVA Alexandria campus in the Fall and Spring semesters and play in the NOVA Symphony Orchestra for both semesters. They will receive reimbursement for tuition fees for those classes plus a stipend of $500 for the year.

RMS Tuition Assistance

In addition to scholarships, the Reunion Music Society offers tuition assistance to a limited number of selected applicants who are enrolled or will enroll in MUS 148 or 248 on the NOVA Alexandria campus. The assistance will be in the form of reimbursement only for the tuition paid by the student for the current semester.

The RMS Tuition Assistance program will accept applications from community members, part-time NOVA students, and full-time NOVA students.

Deadline to apply is generally the week that classes start.

Which should I apply for?

  Scholarship Tuition Assistance
Instrument String (Lafayette Jackson Memorial)
Woodwind (Herbert Smith-Richard White)
Any orchestral instrument
Play in NOVA Symphony Orchestra 2 semesters (Fall and following Spring). MUS 148 or 248 only. Paid upon submission of tuition receipt for each semester. 1 semester. MUS 148 or 248 only. Paid upon submission of tuition receipt for the semester.
Tuition reimbursement 2 semesters (Fall and following Spring). MUS 148 or 248 only. Paid upon submission of tuition receipt for each semester. 1 semester. MUS 148 or 248 only. Paid upon submission of tuition receipt for the semester
Audition recording Required Not req.
Application deadline June 15th First week of classes
Audition May be required Not req.
Notification Mid- to late-August  1 week after application
Cash award $500 None
Period One academic year, Fall-Spring Any one semester (Fall, Spring, Summer)
Application requirements

Applicants for scholarships must:

  1. Play an orchestral instrument at a level sufficient to participate in the NOVA Symphony Orchestra.
  2. Submit an online application form.
  3. Submit an audition recording of the applicant’s performance of two pieces of music of different styles/tempos, each piece being less than 3 minutes in length. The applicant must identify the instrument and the music selections (including sheet music edition) being played.  The sound files should be in mp3 format and emailed to reunionmusicsociety@gmail.com.

Applicants for tuition assistance must:

  1. Commit to playing all rehearsals and concerts in the semester
  2. Be enrolled in MUS 148 or 248, or commit to enrolling if approved.
  3. Submit an online application form.
Approval process
  1. Deadline for application submission is June 15th. Please take care in preparing your application packages. Incomplete packages may not be accepted.
  2. Follow-up audition may be required at the discretion of the RMS evaluation committee.
  3. Notification of decisions: Mid- to late August 
  1. Submit application form.
  2. If approved, submit tuition receipt for re-imbursement.