STUDENT ENRICHMENT GRANT GUIDELINES 

MEIEA is proud to offer student enrichment grants to provide financial support for select and notable student activities intended to advance student education in the music and entertainment industries. Grants may be used to support a variety of activities that include, but are not limited to, workshops, guest speaker support, networking mixers, community service projects, and mentoring programs. Special consideration will be given to first-time applicants and/or projects with an emphasis on topics such as diversity and inclusion in the music industry.

Two levels of award funding are available:

• Level I Award: Institutional Member. Up to $1,000 is available to institutions that hold Institutional membership in MEIEA;
  
  
• Level II Award: Non-Institutional Member. Up to $500 is available to institutions that are not current Institutional members where the faculty sponsor is an individual member of MEIEA.

Eligibility: 

Applications must be submitted by faculty in good standing.  Applications may not be submitted by  a student.  If the applicant has received a MEIEA Student Enrichment Grant  at any time in the past and has not submitted documentation of the supported activity then they are ineligible for another grant until the previous grant is properly documented.

Procedure:

Applications will be accepted beginning January 1st of each year through June 15th at midnight U.S. Central Time.  Grant notifications will be made by email on or before July 1.   

The completed application must be received at grants@meiea by midnight on June 15 (extended to December 1, 2024 11:59pm CT). Applications and supporting documents (dean’s letter) must be sent as a PDF  and the file name(s) must include the applicant’s name and school (Smith.USC.pdf).

Application must be complete and include:

a. Executive summary (~150 to 250 words)

b. Letter of support from the applicant’s dean

c. Include a detailed description of the project to be supported

d. Outcomes         

i. Student involvement in the production of the project

ii.Student learning outcomes for the project.

iii. Who will be the beneficiaries of the event

1. Students

2. Community

3. Other (please specify)

e. Detailed Budget 

f. Anticipated date of completion

• For example, Production expenses, Advertising budget, catering, travel, honorariums, etc.
• Must include any other funding source and amount

Preference will be given to high profile projects that involve a large portion of the program students or impacts the student body and/or broader community or entertainment industry such as:

a. Recording projects

b. Production of public events

c. Educational field trips related to the music or entertainment industry. 

d. Travel to participate in one of the above

Grant funds may not be used for:

a. Honorariums of more than $500 for guest speakers

b. Paying any of the applicant’s salary or stipend

c. Paying other faculty a salary or stipend

d. Purchase of items that hold value beyond the life of the project (for example, equipment or electronics, subscriptions of more than one year or software)

e. Projects beyond the expertise or capabilities of the faculty and students

f. No more than 10% of the grant may be spent on advertising or promotion 

Upon completion of the event or project the following deliverables should be sent to grants@meiea.org.

a. Evidence of the completion of the project.  (Examples: Copy of the CD, photographs of the event, advertisements (print, social or audio).  

b. A reflection on whether the outcomes in the application were achieved

The 2024-2025 academic year Student Enrichment Grants deadline has been extended to December 1, 2024, 11:59pm CT.

Download the grant application: MEIEA_Student_Enrichment_Grant_Application.docx

PLEASE NOTE: Due to limited funding, grantees may be awarded a partial amount. 

2018 Awards

• Columbia College Chicago: ($1000)  Student Travel to the International Band and Business Camp – PopAkademie University – Mannheim, Germany
• University of Hartford: ($1000) Student Travel to the Thomas Edison Center and Metropolitan Presents, NJ
• Hofstra University: ($1000) The MEISA Music Industry Conference, NY
• Appalachian State University: ($1000) “Sounds of Boone” CD Compilation, NC
• Western Illinois University: ($1000) Student Travel to NAMM, CA
  

2017 Awards

• American University: ($1000) Student Travel to Music Business Networking Event in Los Angeles
• Belmont University: ($1000) Student Travel to Muscle Shoals and FAME Studios
• University of Texas at San Antonio: ($1000) Funding for Student Music Business Conference
• Western Illinois University: ($1000) Student Travel to NAMM
• William Patterson University: ($1000) Student Travel to Music Biz 

2016 Awards

• Western Illinois University ($1,000): Student travel to the 2017 Winter NAMM Show
• University of Texas San Antonio ($1,000): Music Biz Day at UTSA
• Indiana University ($1,000): Bloomington Music Summit
• Butler University ($1,000): Indy Jazz Fest/Jazz Kitchen event
• Appalachian State University ($1,000): Village Vision Music and Arts Festival

2015 Awards

• Indiana University ($1,000):  Partial funding of the Music Industry Conference for student organizations.  This funding allowed Indiana University to host another strong regional one-day conference.
• Appalachian State University ($1,000):  Partial funding for the “Live at the Uptown” project.  Split Rail Records, Appalachian State’s student label, was able to team up with a new local venue to promote and stage concerts by local artists.
• American University ($500):  Partial funding for a newly formed student group’s (Second District Records) CD replication.  This project, consisting of original work from DC area artists, will be released in January.

2014 Awards

• Butler University ($1,000):  Partial funding of mastering and manufacturing of student group’s (Indyblue Entertainment) single artist EP release (the Jai Baker Band, to be released in February 2015).  As part of a two semester capstone experience, students recorded and mixed the EP in fall of 2014 and will work to promote and market it in spring 2015.
• University of Miami ($1,000):  Partial funding of the Southeast Sound Music Law Conference, which featured feature 5 master classes and targeted music business students interested in music law. The event took place at the University of Miami on Nov. 8th, 2014, and was produced by students in the school’s Music Industry Association student organization with faculty oversight.

2013 Awards

• Appalachian State University ($1,000):  Costs related to mastering and replication of a student organizations’ (Split Rail Records) CD.  Kennedy Fitzsimmons Split Rail debut showcases not only her strong songwriting and performance skills, but also the Appalachian State students’ strong production and engineering abilities.
• Butler University ($1,000):  Costs related to mastering and manufacturing of the Butler Music Industry Association student group’s sampler CD.  All artists featured on the album were current Butler students performing original compositions.

2012 Awards

• Indiana University ($1,000):  Partial funding of the 2012 Midwest Regional MEISA Conference (“Music in the Digital Age”).  This successful conference featured major industry personnel as panelists and brought in students from Anderson University and Butler University as well those from the host institution.
• University of Miami ($1,000):  Partial funding of the 2012 Southeast Regional MEISA Conference.  This successful conference targeted students throughout the state of Florida and the southeast region.

2010 Awards

• Butler University ($840):  Partial funding of a VH1 Save the Music Foundation fundraising concert that took place in spring 2011.  The students gained hands-on experience with live music production, project and event planning, booking, sponsorship, grant writing, as well as networking.

2009 Awards

• Butler University ($500):  Partial funding of the 2009 MEISA Midwest Regional Conference.  The event was well attended by students from the University of Cincinnati, Anderson University, Indiana University, Milliken University, Valparaiso University.  The conference featured many local and regional industry panelists from the fields of law, concert promotion, audio engineering, and radio.
• Florida State University ($425):  Partial funding of venue rental, ads in local papers, catering and equipment transportation for a MEISA songwriting and home-recording workshop.
• Appalachian State University ($400):  Partial funding of sound equipment rental and ad expenses for a MEISA music festival.
• Ramapo College ($600):  Partial funding of live sound production and catering for a MEISA chapter Battle of the Bands competition.