Purpose: to award scholarships that help students further their music learning and skill development, and in special cases, help a student with limited resources get started with a private teacher

Scholarship applicants must be students of current HMTA members, or in the case of a collegiate level student, that student must be a former student of an HMTA member. HMTA will review individual cases when a member proposes a specific plan of action (such as, securing an instrument) when it comes to helping a needy student not yet taking lessons. If such a student receives funds without an official application completed, the teacher will still submit the student’s name for HMTA records. The teacher may also be asked for followup information regarding said student in the coming months.

Award Process: Qualified adjudicators from out of town will use a point system to judge applicants’ musical performances on submitted video recordings. HMTA Scholarship Committee members will consider performance points and additional criteria submitted on the application form to make a final decision as to scholarship awards given. Scholarship funds will be given at the time funds are needed. Funds go directly to providers of the service/benefit (the music camp, college, teacher providing instruction, instrument repair technician and so on).

Music Camp is defined as any organized music camp for youth through grade 12, the purpose of which is to provide musical education, whether in or out of Helena or Montana. In the case of music camp scholarships, awards must not exceed the cost of the camp’s tuition.

The Margie Fowler Scholarship Fund is used for awards to eligible students at the collegiate level who are pursuing a major or a minor in music in the specific fields of Music Education, Piano or Vocal Performance, or Pedagogy. One scholarship per applicant of no more than $1,000 is awarded. Two letters of recommendation are required: one by a college music professor and one by the former HMTA teacher who must be a member of HMTA as of the date of the application. These letters of recommendation are to be submitted along with the completed application form and the video audition recording link as provided on the application.

The HMTA Teacher Memorial Scholarship: This scholarship fund is used for any need deemed appropriate by the scholarship committee. It is the primary funding pool for applicants through grade 12. Additionally, it may be used for scholarships to collegiate students pursuing a major or minor in disciplines other than those specified in the Margie Fowler Scholarship Fund explained above. Examples of those fields would include, but not be limited to, music therapy, music technology, and church music. In such cases, the committee resolves to put the matter before the vote of either the HMTA Board or the membership, whichever is most expedient.

HMTA Scholarship Committee: In general, the responsibilities of the HMTA member scholarship committee are as follows. More specifics are detailed in the Scholarship Program Manual.

• Secure qualified non-HMTA adjudicators;
• Be the decision-making body in awarding scholarships;
• Announce the award recipients by early May;
• Submit notice of the awards' recipients to the newspaper.

Funds raised by means of fundraiser events for the specific purpose of scholarships will be distributed equally between the two current scholarship funds - the Teacher Memorial, and Fowler scholarship funds - unless specifically designated otherwise by a donor. Any exceptions need a vote by the HMTA membership.