Visual and Performing Arts Scholarships

Merit-Based Financial Aid

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Salve conducts an arts scholarship competition for first-year students and transfer students for majors in dance, music, theater or studio art. Arts scholarships are valued at $2,000 per year in addition to any academic grants you may be awarded based on your application for admission. Arts scholarships are based on auditions or portfolio reviews.

Submit Your Audition or Portfolio

Once your application to Salve has been submitted, you will receive a login for your student status page, where you can upload your materials. 

Your supporting materials should be submitted in accordance with the following timeline:

  • Early decision and early action I: Nov. 1 application deadline, Nov. 15 supporting materials deadline, Dec. 15 notification
  • Early action II: Jan. 5 application deadline, Jan. 15 supporting materials deadline, Feb. 15 notification
  • Regular decision: Feb. 1 application deadline, Feb. 15 supporting materials deadline, April 1 notification

Please note:

  • Transfer students will be reviewed and notified on a rolling basis. Students who complete this process will be considered for the arts scholarship without any further action.
  • Although students must be admitted for consideration, it is not recommended a student wait to receive their admissions decision before applying for this scholarship.
  • Recipients must major in dance, music, theatre arts or studio art and remain in good academic standing to renew the award each year of your undergraduate education.
  • Recipients will be notified of their awards upon admission.

Submission Requirements

Applicants should submit a 2-1/2 to 3 minute video in jazz, contemporary, tap, hip hop or African diasporic style emphasizing rhythm, musicality and personal style. Please ensure that your link is shareable (YouTube, Vimeo or Google Drive are all good options) and security settings allow your video link to open immediately. At the beginning of the video, please introduce yourself and credit the composer/music artist and choreographer. After submitting your video, a date and time will be coordinated for a live, virtual interview.

An audition is required for acceptance to this major. The same audition will be used for scholarship consideration. View the dance audition page for detailed information. 

Applicants should record two monologues, each one minute in length. One monologue should be from a classical work (written/published before 1875), and the second should be from a modern work (written/published after 1900). Actors who are interested in musical theater may perform the modern monologue and up to 24 bars of music. Students may also provide a link to video recordings of performances as supplemental material.

Students interested in design/technical theater should provide a portfolio with pictures and/or samples of production work, or work that demonstrates ability as an artist, technician or manager.

Detailed information, along with options to accommodate students at all stages of their theatrical training, is available here. After submission of your video or portfolio, a date and time will be coordinated for a live, virtual interview.

Applicants must have 5-12 pieces in their portfolios, which may contain various media. In regard to three-dimensional work, students should include quality photographs showing multiple views of the piece. A document that numbers and provides information for each work in a portfolio should be included and must indicate title, size, date and medium (or media).

Portfolios should be submitted through your student status page. They will also be accepted by emailing admissions@salve.edu and providing a web link, or in rare cases, by mail to Salve Regina University, Office of Admissions, 100 Ochre Point Ave., Newport, RI 02840.

A portfolio review is required for acceptance to this major. The same portfolio pieces (and any additional a student would like to submit) will be used for scholarship consideration.