The Ella Fitzgerald Charitable Foundation is a private foundation created and funded in 1993 by Ella Fitzgerald, the First Lady of Song, to support music education, children's opportunities, and disadvantaged communities. The Foundation funds scholarships and endowments at universities across the United States and Canada, including USC, Indiana University Jacobs School of Music, NCCU, and York University. Awards range from partial to full four-year scholarships for jazz vocalists, instrumentalists, and musical theatre students with financial need.
How the Ella Fitzgerald Foundation Scholarships Work
The Foundation does not accept unsolicited applications. It operates as a small, private grantmaking foundation that partners directly with universities and institutions. The Board of Directors selects partner schools and funds endowments that provide multi-year scholarship support to individual students.
Partner Institutions and Programs
- Indiana University Jacobs School of Music: Established in 2023, the Ella Fitzgerald Scholarship provides support for an in-state student. The Jacobs School is one of the top conservatories in the US, and this was the Foundation's first partnership with a major public university music program.
- North Carolina Central University (NCCU): Four jazz studies majors, known as Ella Fitzgerald Scholars, receive partial four-year scholarships. NCCU is an HBCU in Durham, North Carolina, and was chosen by the Foundation for the high level of distinction demonstrated by its vocalists and instrumentalists.
- USC School of Dramatic Arts: A $100,000 gift from the Foundation established the first endowed scholarship in USC's Musical Theatre BFA program. The scholarship offers four-year support to incoming students with financial need and supports the School's commitment to training more BIPOC students. Two Ella Fitzgerald Scholars are enrolled at any given time.
- York University (AMPD): The Foundation renewed its endowment with an additional $20,000, bringing the total to support 20 AMPD students to date. The scholarship is open to students who demonstrate exceptional academic achievement, creativity, and financial need.
- Purchase College, SUNY: Past Ella Fitzgerald Scholars have included jazz voice majors at Purchase College in New York.
Foundation's Four Areas of Grantmaking
- Creating educational and other opportunities for children
- Fostering a love and knowledge of music, including assistance to students of music
- Providing health care, food, shelter, and counseling to those in need
- Specific areas of medical care and research, with an emphasis on diabetes, vision problems, and heart disease
Real-World Example
A high school senior accepted into USC's BFA in Musical Theatre program with demonstrated financial need could be selected as an Ella Fitzgerald Scholar. The scholarship provides four-year support, meaning the student receives funding each year of their undergraduate program. With two scholars enrolled at all times, the scholarship creates a continuous pipeline of support for musical theatre students from underrepresented backgrounds.
At NCCU, a jazz studies major selected as an Ella Fitzgerald Scholar receives a partial four-year scholarship. Past recipients have included vocalists like Samara Joy McLendon (who later won a Grammy for Best Jazz Vocal Album) and Brandon Seaforth, both of whom studied jazz voice at NCCU with support from the Foundation.
At York University, a student demonstrating exceptional academic achievement and financial need could receive the Ella Fitzgerald Scholarship. Natasha Roldan, a 2017 recipient, used the award to cover education expenses and later released a self-produced album blending Latin American folk and jazz influences.
Past Recipients
The Ella Fitzgerald Charitable Foundation publishes a list of Memorial Scholars on its official website. Here are confirmed recipients by year and institution.
2021 Recipients (Fall Semester)
- Jimmy Hernandez (Purchase College, SUNY)
- Christian Anderson (Purchase College, SUNY)
2020 Recipients (Fall Semester)
- Samara Joy McLendon (Purchase College, SUNY): Jazz voice major. Later won a Grammy Award for Best Jazz Vocal Album in 2023.
- Yancy Garcia (Purchase College, SUNY): Jazz voice major.
- Brandon Seaforth (NCCU): Jazz studies major. One of the first two NCCU Ella Fitzgerald Scholars.
- Jawan Davidson (NCCU): Jazz studies major. One of the first two NCCU Ella Fitzgerald Scholars.
- Jane Chun (El Nido Family Centers, Greater Los Angeles)
- Krystal Elena (El Nido Family Centers, Greater Los Angeles)
- Jermaine Paul (institution not specified)
- J. Hunter Lamar (institution not specified)
Additional Confirmed Recipients
- Sinclair Powell (NCCU, 2025): Awarded the Ella Fitzgerald Foundation Scholarship to attend NCCU. Also invited into the University Honors Program. Began her music studies with classical piano at age seven.
- Dejeria Briggmon (University of the District of Columbia, 2023-2024): Junior jazz studies major. First Ella Fitzgerald Memorial Scholar at UDC.
- Julia (NCCU, 2024): Transferred from Cuyahoga Community College to NCCU in August 2024. Ella Fitzgerald scholar in the Jazz program pursuing a Bachelor's degree in Jazz Music. Dean's List student and member of the NCCU Jazz Ensemble.
- Natasha Roldan (York University AMPD, 2017): Used the award to cover education expenses. Later released a self-produced album blending Latin American folk and jazz influences.
The Foundation has funded over 30 scholarships since its establishment in 1993. The USC scholarship was the 30th and the first in musical theatre.
This clip from the official Ella Fitzgerald YouTube channel shows her performing "A-Tisket, A-Tasket" in the 1942 film Ride 'Em Cowboy. The song was her first major hit with the Chick Webb Orchestra in 1938 and became one of her signature performances. The Foundation's scholarship program reflects her commitment to supporting the next generation of jazz vocalists and instrumentalists.
Why It Matters for Independent Artists
The Ella Fitzgerald Foundation scholarships are not something you can apply for directly. The Foundation partners with specific universities and lets those institutions select recipients. This means your path to an Ella Fitzgerald Scholarship is through admission to one of the partner schools.
If you are a jazz vocalist, jazz instrumentalist, or musical theatre performer with financial need, consider applying to NCCU, USC, Indiana University Jacobs School of Music, or York University. Each school manages its own selection process based on audition results and financial need documentation.
The Foundation's focus on jazz and musical theatre reflects Ella Fitzgerald's own career. She started as a popular singer, interpreted the Great American Songbook, and could sing a Broadway tune as well as any jazz standard. The USC scholarship was the Foundation's 30th funded scholarship and its first in musical theatre, expanding opportunities beyond pure jazz performance.
For students at HBCUs, the NCCU partnership is particularly significant. The Foundation specifically cited the maturity of NCCU's vocalists and instrumentalists as a reason for the partnership, and the four-year scholarship structure provides stability throughout a student's undergraduate education.
Related Opportunities
- ASCAP Foundation Scholarships for songwriters and composers
- From the Top for young classical musicians with financial need
- Music Scholarships Directory for the full list of funding opportunities
- Music Schools Directory to find jazz and musical theatre programs
- Visit the Ella Fitzgerald Foundation page for more information
