State scholarships: How Interlochen welcomes young artists from Michigan
From city-specific scholarships to partnerships with organizations across the state, Interlochen is dedicated to helping the Great Lakes State’s best young artists achieve their potential.
Two Arts Camp students share a smile before the summer 2023 performance of "Les Préludes."
If you’re a gifted young artist from Michigan, there’s a good chance you’ve heard about Interlochen. There’s also a chance you’ve seen the audition requirements or cost of attendance and thought, “Interlochen isn’t for someone like me.”
If that’s you, don’t worry—Interlochen is here for you. Every year, we welcome more students from Michigan than from any other U.S. state to both our Camp and Academy. Thanks to partnerships with artistic organizations across the state and dedicated scholarships for Michigan students, Interlochen is committed to making world-class arts education accessible to talented young artists right here in the Great Lakes State.
Regional scholarships
Like their college or university counterparts, many of Interlochen’s scholarships are prioritized to students who meet certain criteria—such as a particular major or geographic region. We have more than a dozen Camp and Academy scholarships that are designated for students from Michigan, including both statewide and city- or county-specific scholarships.
The Detroit Opportunity Scholars Program, which was formalized in 2020, has awarded more than $650,000 in scholarships to students who reside in the metro Detroit area or are affiliated with Detroit-based youth arts education organizations—enabling more than 150 young artists to attend Interlochen Arts Camp to date.
Region-specific scholarships are also available for students from Grand Haven, Grand Rapids, Berrien County, and the greater Grand Traverse region. Interlochen is currently working to establish a Northwest Lower Michigan Camp Opportunity Scholarship Fund to enable more students who live in Traverse City and the surrounding area to attend Camp.
Artistic partnerships
Throughout our history, Interlochen has partnered with artistic and educational organizations to create rich educational opportunities for Michigan students. Today, we work with youth development programs across the state to identify students who would excel at Interlochen and to provide them with the scholarship support they need to make an Interlochen education possible.
Recent partners include:
- Detroit
- Boll Family YMCA
- Detroit Can Film Festival
- Detroit Children’s Choir
- Detroit Public Schools Community District
- Detroit Opera Youth Chorus
- Detroit Symphony Orchestra Civic Youth Ensembles
- InsideOut Literary Arts
- Grand Rapids
- Cook Arts Center
- The Diatribe
- Grand Rapids Children’s Choir
- Grand Rapids Public Schools
- Grand Rapids Symphony - Mosaic Scholars
- Mosaic Film Festival
- New City Kids
The bottom line
Beyond regional scholarships, Interlochen offers many other types of financial assistance for which you may be eligible, including need-based aid and merit scholarships. Don’t let concerns about affording Interlochen hold you back: We encourage you to apply today to begin conversations about scholarships and financial aid.
Interlochen is proud to be part of Michigan’s artistic ecosystem, and we’re dedicated to helping Michigan artists reach their full potential. Apply today and take advantage of world-class artistic opportunities—right in your own state.
