$36,000 in awards for high school seniors and college freshmen. Instrumental first place is $10,000. Open to all instruments — guitar qualifies. Competition held in Clarinda, Iowa (June 11). Application submitted!
| Prize | Amount | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 1st Place Instrumental | $10,000 | Top prize — compete in Clarinda, Iowa June 11 |
| 2nd Place Instrumental | $5,000 | |
| 3rd Place Instrumental | $3,000 |
All finalists receive festival passes for the full weekend. The competition selects 10 instrumental semi-finalists nationally — highly competitive but worth submitting.
Four scholarships from Sallie Mae's Scholly platform — all close April 30. One quick application covers all of them via the Scholly Easy Apply system. No essays required. Total potential: $5,000. Apply at sallie.com/scholarships/scholly/easy-apply.
Note: Tracker shows Community Champions as $1,000 but the Sallie site lists it at $2,000 — total potential is $6,000 if the higher amount is correct. Apply regardless. This is the lowest-effort application group in the entire tracker.
Paying the tuition deposit holds Nolan's spot at Berklee AND locks in his $10,000/yr merit scholarship. Missing this date means losing the spot and the award. This is the single most important action item on the entire tracker. 9 days away.
Note: The housing application deadline is May 5 — immediately after the deposit. Complete both in the same sitting if possible. Missing either one risks Nolan's spot and on-campus housing for Fall 2026.
On-campus housing is strongly encouraged for Berklee freshmen. Includes a full meal plan at an estimated cost of $21,300/yr. The housing application is completed through the Berklee Compass portal immediately after submitting the tuition deposit. 13 days away — do this the same day as the deposit.
Note: Freshmen are strongly encouraged to live on campus. If on-campus housing is unavailable, Berklee's off-campus housing board lists nearby options in the Back Bay and Fenway neighborhoods. Apply by May 5 to maximize options.
$5,000 for graduating high school seniors pursuing music. Any instrument qualifies — including guitar. 9 days away. Must join NFMC first.
$10,000 over 4 years ($2,500/yr) for high school seniors aspiring to careers as songwriters, musicians, or vocalists. Founded by Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller ("Hound Dog," "Jailhouse Rock," "Stand By Me"). The song Nolan submits must be fully written by him — lyrics and music. 29 days away.
Note: This requires Nolan to be a songwriter. If he has written original material (lyrics + music), this is a strong fit. If he writes purely instrumental compositions, confirm whether the lyric requirement is mandatory before applying.
$2,500 for music students pursuing degrees in performance, education, therapy, or conducting. 30 recipients selected nationally. Administered via grantinterface.com. Important flag: applicants must be enrolled in a qualifying music program — Nolan enrolls fall 2026, so confirm whether incoming freshmen are eligible before applying. 39 days away.
$150,000 total awarded in 2026. Since 2020 MPTF has awarded 550+ scholarships worth over $700,000. Strong track record. Confirm freshman eligibility first, then apply.
Up to $1,000 (three $1,000 awards: World, Undergraduate, Graduate). Designed for designers, animators, artists, photographers, and creatives pursuing higher education. Apply at wesupportcreativity.org/scholarship. 9 days away.
Low barrier to entry — no GPA requirement, any medium accepted for the creative piece. Priority action: confirm Indiana/music eligibility at wesupportcreativity.org first. If eligible, the essay component makes this a strong personal story fit for Nolan.
$1,000 one-time scholarship. Open to students pursuing higher education. Added from your scholarship tracking sheet — 7 days away. Verify the source platform where this was found (Bold.org, Going Merry, Niche, or similar) to access the full application.
Low competition, $1,000 award. Quick application turnaround. Nolan's Berklee acceptance is a compelling story hook for any general-audience scholarship prompt about goals and determination.
$2,000 one-time scholarship. Open to students pursuing higher education. Added from your scholarship tracking sheet — 7 days away. Verify the source platform to access the full application and essay prompt.
At $2,000 this is the highest-value April 30 opportunity. Treat it as a priority this week alongside the May 1 deposit.
$1,000 one-time scholarship. Added from your scholarship tracking sheet — 7 days away. Likely asks applicants to describe a vision, goal, or idea they want to pursue through higher education.
Quick win at $1,000 — essay angle practically writes itself for Nolan. Apply alongside the other April 30 scholarships in a single sitting to save time.
$1,000 one-time scholarship. Added from your scholarship tracking sheet — 7 days away. Likely focused on community service, leadership, or positive local impact. Nolan's band work, school performances, and community involvement are strong fits for this framing.
Four April 30 scholarships total $5,000 in potential awards. Block 2–3 hours on April 28–29 and knock them all out in one session. Each essay can be adapted from a core Berklee/musician/community story.
| # | Opportunity | Category | Amount | Who | Due Date | Status |
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