Arts and Culture Funding

The arts thrive on risk-taking, collaboration, and bold experimentation. Find undergraduate funding to support your next creative endeavor as an individual or as part of a student org.

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Undergraduate Arts and Culture Funding Music Funding Ceramics Funding

Undergraduate Arts & Culture Funding

Learn about OFA funding opportunities, project grants, and art fellowships for undergraduates below.

Project Grants

Each year, the OFA funds approximately 100 arts projects, supporting creative work by over 2,500 undergraduates. Given across artistic disciplines, these grants foster a broad and rich community of artmaking and are open to students of all backgrounds and levels of artistic accomplishment. These grants are awarded once a semester.

Express Grants

Express Grants are small, flexible awards offered between Project Grant cycles to support strong projects that missed the main deadline, with priority given to projects that foreground innovation, civic engagement, and new or deepening collaborations and partnerships.

Artist Development Fellowships

Each year, the OFA awards 10-15 Artist Development Fellowships to student artists and creators who have an unusual opportunity for artistic growth and transformation. These could include apprenticeships, research, creating new work, or living and working in an environment that will foster the applicant’s creative development.

Student Arts Prizes

Each year, faculty, administrators, and staff nominate students for the Annual Arts Prize. These awards, presented to more than 230 undergraduates over the past 43 years, recognize outstanding accomplishments in the arts undertaken during a student’s time at Harvard.

Music Funding

The OFA provides dedicated programs and funding to support student musicians. 

Music Lesson Subsidy Program
The Music Lesson Subsidy Program provides funding to support private instrument and vocal instruction for Harvard College undergraduates currently receiving financial aid.
man playing cello

The Holden Voice Program

Students in the Harvard Choruses receive individual, subsidized voice lessons from Holden Voice Program instructors, all master artist-teachers within the field. Financial assistance for lessons is generously provided by Harvard Choruses alumni.

Woman singing while holding sheet music

Harvard Choruses New Music Initiative

The Harvard Choruses New Music Initiative (HCNMI) is a bold and innovative program dedicated to fostering the creation of new choral works by undergraduate student composers.

Two students discuss a piece of music with their instructor

Skills for Singing

Skills for Singing is a co-curricular, non-credit, no-cost course designed to elevate students’ vocal ability and can aid in preparation for auditions for student vocal groups and the Harvard Choruses.  

two students discussing sheet music with their instructor

Instrument Rental Fund
The Office for the Arts (OFA) offers funding to help cover the cost of renting an instrument for participation in one of the College’s music ensembles or other active engagements within the Harvard Music Community.
person playing horn instrument

Boston Symphony Orchestra Tickets

Tickets for Boston Symphony Orchestra (BSO) performances are frequently available to undergraduate students. Tickets may be picked up at the front desk, Office of the Arts, 74 Mt. Auburn St., Cambridge. Tickets are available first come, first served.

Students playing classical music

Student & Public Scholarships for Ceramics

The OFA Ceramics Program offers the Ceramics Program Scholarship which provides financial support to students and the greater public who wish to enroll in a ceramics course. The Ceramics programs also provides a free summer class for Allston-Brighton Residents.

hands throwing clay on potter's wheel

Ceramics Program Scholarship

The Ceramics Program Scholarship provides financial assistance for adults (18+) enrolling in Ceramics Program classes. The focus of this scholarship will be to provide access to the Ceramics Program to those in financial need.

Student throwing a pot at the pottery wheel

Clay with Neighbors

Clay with Neighbors is a free summer course for Allston-Brighton Residents. This introductory ceramics class introduces students to our studio, the technique of coil building to create vessels in addition to using the potter's wheel and glazing work. Any Allston-Brighton resident age 18+ is eligible to apply. No previous ceramics experience is required.

Student Events Fund

Administered by the OFA Harvard Box Office and funded by the Financial Aid Office, the Student Event Fund provides free and subsidized tickets for select events across campus for eligible students. 

Student Events Fund website
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