Berklee World Tour Scholarships

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Berklee College of Music

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Berklee World Tour Scholarships are merit-based awards for international students who audition at Berklee's 40+ regional audition sites worldwide or online, ranging from partial tuition to full-ride Presidential Scholarships covering tuition, housing, meals, and fees for four years.

Award Amount

Partial to Full Tuition + Room and Board USD

Scholarship Type

merit-based

Eligibility Criteria

international-students
audition-based
undergraduate

Instruments

multipleall-instruments

Berklee World Tour Scholarships are merit-based awards for international students applying to Berklee College of Music. Berklee sends faculty and staff to over 40 locations worldwide to conduct in-person auditions and interviews, with awards ranging from partial tuition to full-ride Presidential Scholarships covering tuition, housing, meals, and fees for four years. Berklee awards more than $115 million annually in institutional scholarships and grants across all its programs.

How the World Tour Works

All entering undergraduate and graduate students are automatically considered for merit-based scholarships as part of the admissions process. There is no separate scholarship application. Students who audition and interview successfully are evaluated for both admission and scholarship funding simultaneously.

Audition Options

Students can choose from three audition formats:

Boston campus: Audition in person at Berklee's Boston campus
Regional sites: Faculty and staff travel to over 40 locations across the US and Canada, Europe, Latin America, and Asia. In 2026, confirmed locations include Seoul, South Korea (October 2026), with additional dates throughout the year
Online auditions: For students unable to travel to Boston or a regional site. Online auditions carry equal weight for admission and scholarship consideration

Scholarship Tiers

Presidential Scholarship: The highest award, covering full tuition, on-campus housing, meal plan, laptop, software, and the comprehensive fee for eight semesters. Awarded to a very limited number of top entering musicians based on audition and financial need.
Full-Tuition Scholarships: Cover full tuition for eight semesters. Awarded to exceptionally qualified applicants based on audition and interview strength.
Partial-Tuition Scholarships: The majority of awards. Amounts vary based on audition performance.

All undergraduate scholarships are renewed each semester for up to eight total semesters, provided students meet the terms and conditions of their scholarship.

Eligibility

Open to all international and domestic applicants
Undergraduate or graduate admission to Berklee College of Music
All instruments and disciplines eligible
No separate application required (considered automatically through the admissions process)

Real-World Example

A guitarist from Istanbul could audition at a regional site when Berklee visits Turkey. At one such event, Berklee held auditions at Modern Muzik Akademisi (MMA) in Istanbul over five days, including clinics, lectures, and a jam session. Students who performed well received scholarship offers based on their audition. Since 1990, approximately 100 Turkish students have enrolled at Berklee through similar regional audition events.

In 2025, Berklee awarded $4.3 million in scholarships to students who auditioned at a single regional event. A student receiving a partial-tuition scholarship of $15,000 per year would save $60,000 over four years. A Presidential Scholarship recipient would receive over $280,000 in total coverage.

Why It Matters for Independent Artists

The World Tour is one of the most accessible pathways to a Berklee education for international students. You do not need to travel to Boston or submit a separate scholarship application. If Berklee visits your country, you can audition locally and be considered for the same awards as students who audition on campus.

Check the Berklee audition dates page for the 2026 schedule. If your city is not listed, select the online audition option. Online auditions are weighted equally for scholarship consideration.

Berklee's tuition exceeds $50,000 per year. Even a partial scholarship of 50% reduces your annual cost by $25,000. Prepare your audition repertoire carefully, as scholarship amounts are determined entirely by your audition and interview performance.

Eligibility Criteria

The World Tour Scholarships are open to a broad range of applicants. Here are the requirements in plain terms.

Who can apply: Any applicant to Berklee College of Music's undergraduate or graduate programs. International and domestic students are equally eligible.
What instruments: All instruments and disciplines are eligible. This includes voice, guitar, piano, drums, bass, strings, winds, brass, composition, film scoring, music production, and more.
Audition requirement: All Bachelor of Music and Bachelor of Arts in Black Music and Culture applicants must complete a live audition and interview. Bachelor of Arts in Music Industry Leadership and Innovation applicants complete an online interview only (no audition required).
No separate scholarship application: All applicants who audition and interview are automatically considered for merit-based scholarships. There is no separate form to fill out.
Financial need: The Presidential Scholarship considers both audition performance and financial need. Full-Tuition and Partial-Tuition Scholarships are based on audition and interview strength alone.

Deadlines

Berklee operates on three admission timelines for fall entry (classes start in September).

Timeline	Application Due	Auditions/Interviews	Decisions Issued	Deposit Due
Early Action (nonbinding)	November 1	August to mid-January	January 31	May 1
Regular Action	January 15	August to March	March 31	May 1
Summer Programs Participants	July 21 (prior year)	July 26 and August 2 (prior year)	October 15	May 1

Spring entry (classes start in January) has a separate timeline: application due July 1, auditions March to August, decisions by September 15, deposit due October 15.

Apply by November 1 to receive 50% off the application fee. Regular Action applicants have until January 15.

2026 to 2027 Audition Locations

Berklee visits over 40 locations worldwide. Confirmed regional audition sites for the 2026 to 2027 cycle include:

Boston, MA: Multiple dates from July 2026 through January 2027
Seoul, South Korea: October 27 to 28 and November 1 to 2, 2026
Bogota, Colombia: November 6 to 7, 2026
New York, NY: November 18 to 19 and 21, 2026
Los Angeles, CA: November 18 to 19 and 21, 2026
Quito, Ecuador: November 21, 2026
Tokyo, Japan: January 8 to 9, 2027
Singapore: January 12 to 13, 2027
New Delhi, India: January 22, 2027
Atlanta, GA: January 30 to 31, 2027
Houston, TX: January 30 to 31, 2027
Vancouver, BC: January 31, 2027
Online: Multiple dates throughout the cycle (including Asian Region specific dates)

Check the Berklee audition dates page for the full schedule and additional locations as they are added.

Award Amounts

Berklee's 2026 to 2027 tuition and fees are $55,620 for undergraduate degree programs. On-campus housing with the full meal program is $21,300. Total annual cost for tuition, housing, and meals is approximately $76,920.

Scholarship Tier	Coverage	Annual Value	4-Year Total
Presidential Scholarship	Tuition, housing, meals, laptop, software, major bundles, comprehensive fee	~$78,000	~$312,000
Full-Tuition Scholarship	Tuition only (8 semesters)	$55,620	$222,480
Partial-Tuition Scholarship	Varies based on audition performance	Varies	Varies

The Presidential Scholarship does not cover off-campus housing. It is renewed each year for up to 8 total semesters, provided students meet scholarship terms and conditions.

Berklee awards more than $115 million annually in institutional scholarships and grants across all programs. In 2025, Berklee awarded $4.3 million in scholarships at a single regional audition event.

The CJ Cultural Foundation has partnered with Berklee since 2019 to fund the CJ-Berklee Presidential Full Scholarship. The 2026 recipient, Lee Min-young (saxophone, South Korea), receives approximately $78,000 per year for up to four years.

Past Recipients

Berklee publishes Presidential Scholarship recipient lists annually. Each year, approximately 7 to 8 students receive the Presidential Scholarship.

2010 Presidential Scholars: Anna Lee (vocalist, New Jersey), Dusan Vukmirovic, Naseem Alatrash, Edmar Gierbolini, Clifton Williams, Judy Shin, John Egizi

2011 Presidential Scholars: Kama Bell, Chaeree Kaang (Seoul, South Korea), Paul Francisco Sanchez Pacheco (Quito, Ecuador), Erena Terakubo, Nick Frenay, Hayden Hamilton, Davis Whitfield

2012 Presidential Scholars: Samuel Batista, Helen De La Rosa, Tabari Lake, Christian Marrero, Sumaia Martins, David Milazzo

2016 to 2017 Presidential Scholars: Serena Harnack, Armir Lee, Max Holm, Soojung Lee, Ethan Santos, Domitille Degalle, Kyu Hyun "Kevin" Kim

2026 CJ-Berklee Presidential Full Scholarship: Lee Min-young (saxophone, South Korea)

Since 1990, approximately 100 Turkish students have enrolled at Berklee through regional audition events. Similar patterns exist across Latin America, Asia, and Europe.

Application Process

Submit your application. Apply to Berklee College of Music by November 1 (Early Action) or January 15 (Regular Action). Apply by November 1 to receive 50% off the application fee.
Request an audition. Choose your preferred audition format: Boston campus, regional site, or online. Select your date and location through the applicant portal.
Prepare your audition. Review the audition guidelines on Berklee's website. Prepare a piece that demonstrates your musical strengths. Practice the required exercises (sight-reading, ear training, improvisation).
Prepare your interview. Be ready to discuss your musical background, goals, and why you want to attend Berklee. The interview assesses your aptitude and motivation.
Complete your audition and interview. Attend on your scheduled date. In-person and online auditions are weighted equally for admission and scholarship consideration.
Wait for decisions. Early Action decisions are issued by January 31. Regular Action decisions are issued by March 31. Presidential Scholarship recipients are notified individually before the deposit deadline.
Submit your deposit. If admitted, submit your deposit by May 1 to secure your spot.