Berklee Africa Scholars Program

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Berklee College of Music

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The Berklee Africa Scholars Program is a need-based and merit-based scholarship initiative by Berklee College of Music that provides partial to full tuition (plus room and board for the top recipient) for talented African musicians, with auditions held in African cities including Accra, Durban, and Nairobi.

Award Amount

Partial to Full Tuition + Room and Board USD

Scholarship Type

both

Eligibility Criteria

african-students
audition-based
undergraduate
financial-need

Instruments

multipleall-instruments

The Berklee Africa Scholars Program is a scholarship initiative by Berklee College of Music that provides exceptional African musicians with the opportunity to study at Berklee. The program awards partial to full tuition scholarships, with the top recipient receiving a four-year full-ride scholarship covering tuition, room, and board. Berklee has awarded over $2.3 million in scholarships through this program since its inception in 2008, with auditions held in African cities including Accra (Ghana), Durban (South Africa), and Nairobi (Kenya).

How the Africa Scholars Program Works

The program was instituted by Berklee president Roger H. Brown to provide opportunities for African musicians who lack the financial means to study at Berklee. Berklee sends admissions teams to African cities to conduct in-person auditions and interviews. Applicants perform, interview with faculty, and are evaluated for both admission and scholarship consideration.

Scholarship Tiers

Full-ride scholarship: Covers full tuition, on-campus housing, meal plan, laptop, software, and the comprehensive fee for four years (eight semesters). Awarded annually to one exceptional musician.
Full-tuition scholarships: Cover full tuition for four years of study at Berklee.
Partial-tuition scholarships: Cover a portion of tuition, varying by applicant.
Five-Week Summer Performance Program scholarships: Full-tuition awards for Berklee's summer program.

Eligibility

African citizenship or residency
Demonstrated musical talent through audition
Financial need (for need-based components)
Undergraduate admission to Berklee College of Music
All instruments and disciplines eligible

Audition Locations

Past audition events have been held in:

Accra, Ghana
Durban, South Africa
Nairobi, Kenya

Real-World Example

Victor "Blue" Dogah, a traditional Ewe drummer from Ghana, was named the first Africa Scholar in 2009. He was selected from over 65 musicians who auditioned in Accra and Durban. His four-year full-ride scholarship covered tuition, room, and board. At the time, Berklee awarded a total of $1.4 million in scholarships to 26 African musicians, including six full-tuition awards.

In 2012, Berklee held auditions in Nairobi and awarded 11 scholarships. Among the recipients were Tonia Mitaru from Kenya, who entered Berklee on a full scholarship, and Kabelo Witness Matlou, a jazz pianist from South Africa who also received a full scholarship. By 2012, the program had awarded $2.3 million total and had eight students attending Berklee through the Africa Scholars Program.

Past Recipients and Notable Scholars

The Africa Scholars Program has supported dozens of African musicians since 2008. Berklee publishes recipient names and award details in its news announcements. Here are documented recipients:

Victor "Blue" Dogah (Ghana, 2009): The first Africa Scholar. A traditional Ewe drummer selected from over 65 musicians who auditioned in Accra and Durban. Received a four-year full-ride scholarship covering tuition, room, and board. Performed with Berklee's West African Drum and Dance Ensemble and was featured on PRI's The World radio program.
Albino Mbie (Mozambique, 2009): Received a full-tuition scholarship. Built his first guitar at age 15 from a five-liter oil can, scrap wood, and electrical cords. Graduated from Berklee in 2013 with a dual major in music production and engineering and guitar performance. Won First Place in the International Songwriting Competition (World Music category) and was nominated by Radio France International for best upcoming African Artist in 2014. Now a Berklee professor.
Wambura Mitaru (Kenya, 2011): Received a full scholarship. A vocalist and music education major who previously earned a communications degree at Daystar University in Kenya. Led the Wambura Mitaru Synergy band, which fused Kenyan, South African, and Egyptian musical influences. Served as music director of the Berklee African Club.
Kabelo Witness Matlou (South Africa, 2010): Received a full scholarship. A jazz pianist from Tembisa township who took music lessons at a community center because his family could not afford a keyboard. Majored in jazz composition and was accepted into the Berklee Global Jazz Institute. His trio performed internationally, including dates in Costa Rica and Russia.
Other documented scholars: Matthew Field (South Africa), Kayode Ajayi (Nigeria), Moses Agada (Nigeria), Michael Oloyede (Nigeria), Victor Dey (Ghana, full-tuition), Jaydine Baron (South Africa, Five-Week Summer Program), and Irvine Mukwere (Zimbabwe, Five-Week Summer Program).

The video below features Wambura Mitaru Synergy performing "Work in Progress" atop Berklee's 160 Massachusetts Avenue tower during its construction. Mitaru led this group of Berklee students, all with deep African roots.

Wambura Mitaru Synergy Performs Work in Progress Atop Berklee Tower

2026 Application Timeline and Status

As of 2026, the Africa Scholars Program remains active. Berklee conducts auditions when its admissions team visits African cities, and the schedule varies by year. There is no fixed annual deadline. Instead, audition dates are posted on the Berklee admissions page as trips are scheduled. If no in-person audition is planned in your country, you can submit a recorded audition online through Berklee's standard application portal.

Berklee's tuition for the 2025 to 2026 academic year is approximately $51,000, with total cost of attendance (including housing, meals, and fees) around $73,000 per year. A full-ride Africa Scholarship is therefore worth approximately $292,000 over four years.

Why It Matters for Independent Artists

If you are an African musician, the Africa Scholars Program offers one of the most generous scholarship packages available at any music college. The full-ride scholarship covers not just tuition but housing, meals, and equipment, meaning you can attend Berklee with zero out-of-pocket cost for four years.

Berklee's annual tuition exceeds $50,000, and total cost of attendance (including housing and meals) can exceed $70,000 per year. A full-ride Africa Scholarship is worth over $280,000 over four years.

To apply, you do not submit a separate Africa Scholars application. You apply for regular admission to Berklee and attend an audition when Berklee visits your region. Check the Berklee admissions page for audition dates and locations. If no in-person audition is scheduled in your country, you can audition online.

Prepare audition repertoire that showcases your unique musical background. Previous scholars were selected partly for bringing distinctive African musical traditions to the Berklee community.