Gustavus Adolphus College

The Björling Scholarship Program was established in 1995 in order to strengthen the pool of fine student musicians at Gustavus.

Scholarships are available to incoming first-year students who demonstrate outstanding achievement and potential for success: awards are made to students regardless of their plans for a major field of study and are renewable each semester throughout the student's four-year enrollment. The goal for each individual is for continued personal growth at the college level—this is accomplished by means of applied lessons and ensemble experiences as a collaborative musician.

There are two levels of award available: those students who are granted a Gustavus Music Award are able to continue their private study without paying the Applied Music Fee, an benefit worth $560.00 each year; those who are awarded a full Björling Scholarship receive between $1,000 to $4000 each year in addition to the waiver of Applied Music Fees. Further information on these two awards is presented below.

Please contact the Admission Office for an application, or download one here. Don't forget to download the recommendation forms, too.

• Björling Scholarship expectations
• Gustavus Music Award (GMA) expectations
• In the case of multiple area awards
• Loss of a music scholarship

Björling Scholarship expectations

• Registration for .500 in lessons every semester in residence.
• Participation in the ensembles which are deemed appropriate for the student at the time of the fall auditions- .250 ensembles are the norm for students after the first year.
• Students must begin with two years of lessons in the area in which the award was granted.
• Ensemble performance in at least one "conducted ensemble" is the expectation for all first-year students, including pianists—after the first year, pianists may be allowed to accomplish the ensemble requirement via accompanying.
• Students are expected to complete a public performance in the sophomore, junior and senior years—this may consist of a Monday Night Recital appearance, a Christ Chapel performance (when deemed appropriate by the Area Coordinator), or in a chamber music recital performance.
• Students are re-approved in their performance area each semester by successful completion of Area End-of-Semester Evaluation Procedures; verification of successful ensemble participation is also required.
• All exceptions to the above practice must be negotiated with the appropriate Area Coordinator/s.
• One set of lessons is appropriate (and is provided) for each student each semester—double lesson registrations are exceedingly rare and require the approval of the Chair of the Department (in consultation with the appropriate Area Coordinators).

Gustavus Music Award (GMA) expectations

• Registration for .500 in lessons every semester in residence.
• Participation in the ensemble which is deemed appropriate for the student at the time of the fall auditions.
• Students must begin with one year of lessons in the area in which the award was granted.
• Ensemble performance in a "conducted ensemble" is the expectation for all first-year students, including pianists; after the first year, pianists may be allowed to accomplish the ensemble requirement via accompanying.
• Students are re-approved in their performance area each semester by successful completion of area end-of-semester evaluation procedures; verification of successful ensemble participation is also required.
• All exceptions to the above practice must be negotiated with the appropriate Area Coordinator/s.
• One set of lessons is appropriate (and is provided) for each student each semester—double lesson registrations are exceedingly rare and require the approval of the Chair of the Department (in consultation with the appropriate Area Coordinators).

In the case of multiple area awards

A student may apply for a Björling Music Scholarship in more than one area.

In the event that he or she is named a winner by two or more screening committees, the student shall choose the area in which to receive the scholarship by registering for lessons in the chosen performance area. All Björling Scholarship expectations (as outlined above) will then apply. Duplicate Gustavus Music Awards will be handled the same way, subject to the expectations for GMA winners as outlined above.

Off-campus concerns

• A student who goes abroad for one semester maintains the Björling Award amount for that semester.
• A student who goes abroad for a full year maintains the Björling Award amount for one semester and is granted a Leave-of-Absence for the second semester.
• A student may receive the lesson fee waiver while abroad if he/she registers for applied music as part of the course-of-study.
• A student who takes a Leave-of-Absence from Gustavus for any reason can put a one-year hold on his/her music scholarship by requesting it.

Loss of a music scholarship

• A student will forfeit the scholarship and/or lesson award at any time by not registering for lessons in a given semester and/or by failing to participate in the ensemble to which he/she is assigned—this will result in the immediate loss of the financial advantage of the award.
• The student who does not receive a grade of B or better in lessons is automatically on probation and has one semester in which to improve the quality of work—a second semester of inferior work is considered grounds for forfeiture of the award.
• The student who does not receive a grade of B or better (P if registered for .000 credit) in ensemble is automatically on probation and has one semester in which to improve the quality of work—a second semester of inferior work is considered grounds for forfeiture of the award.
• The student who does not satisfactorily complete a semester of study in either lessons or ensemble will be asked to attend a meeting including private teacher, the Area Coordinator, the ensemble director and the Chair of the Department. Appropriate outcomes may include the loss of the scholarship or probation.