Fountain Performing Arts Undergraduate Scholarship

What you will need

• ✓ A complete online application to Dalhousie University, including all transcripts (Music: by the Fountain School's scholarship deadline; Acting: by February 15)
• ✓ Music and Acting: an audition by the final scholarship audition date, in person or by video
• ✓ Costume Studies: a PDF portfolio of no more than 16 pages, emailed to performingarts@dal.ca by March 1

About this award

You get $24,000 in total, paid as $6,000 per year for four years. This is a scholarship, not a loan, so you do not have to pay it back. This is for you if you are coming straight from high school into a Music major program, or into the Acting or Costume Studies program in Theatre, at Dalhousie University. Deadlines depend on your program, and Dalhousie's pages give different dates, so check the Fountain School of Performing Arts page for your program before you plan around one. For Music, your Dalhousie application had to be complete by January 31 for the 2026 intake, with scholarship auditions on set dates up to March 13. For Acting, your application and all materials must be received by February 15, and video auditions by February 28. For Costume Studies, email your portfolio to performingarts@dal.ca by March 1. Music and Acting scholarships are based on your audition, and Costume Studies on your portfolio. Ask the Fountain School how many students usually compete so you can judge your odds. Ask Dalhousie University how the money will reach you — some awards pay students directly, others apply funds to tuition. Confirm this so you can plan your cash flow. To keep the scholarship, you must take 24 credit hours over two academic terms each year and keep an annual GPA of 3.3 after year one, 3.5 after year two and 3.7 after year three.

Who qualifies

You must be entering Dalhousie University directly from high school into a Music major program (BMus, BA in Music or BA Combined Honours) or into the Acting or Costume Studies program in Theatre. You need a minimum 87% high school admission average, calculated on the five required courses for your program, or at least 29 predicted or anticipated IB Diploma points. Music and Acting applicants must audition; Costume Studies applicants must submit a portfolio.

This is what the award's official page said when we last checked. Rules change, so confirm on the award's official page before you apply.

• ✓ Canadian citizen, permanent resident or international student
• ✓ Open to high school students
• ✓ Studying Music or Theatre

How to apply

1. 1

   Read the award's official page

   Check you meet every requirement, and note each document they ask for.

2. 2

   Order your transcript1–2 weeks

   Your school's registrar can take a week or two.

3. 3

   Check this year's deadline

   We don't have a confirmed date for this round. The award's official page will have it.

Tips for applying

• Audition or portfolioAvoid treating it as an afterthought. Instead, prepare it as the core of your application, because Music and Acting scholarships are based on the audition and Costume Studies on the portfolio. Follow the Fountain School's repertoire or portfolio guidelines exactly.
• TimingAvoid a late audition date. Instead, if you are in Music, book one of the earlier scholarship audition dates — for the 2026 intake, auditions on the first two dates were prioritized for scholarship consideration.
• GradesAvoid letting your marks slip in your final year. Instead, keep your admission average at 87% or higher, since that is the minimum to qualify.
• RealismAvoid counting on all four years without a plan. Instead, note that renewal needs a rising GPA — 3.3 after year one, 3.5 after year two and 3.7 after year three — and apply for other awards too.

Questions students ask

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