ICSF Scholarship
The Iowa City Songwriters Festival will offer up to 20 scholarships this year to musicians eager to expand their craft. ICSF Scholars will receive free access to all festival events, exclusive artist engagements, meals, and hotel accommodations during the festival.
The ICSF Scholarship is kindly sponsored by Doug & Sarah Goettsch and Big Grove for Good Foundation! If you or your organization would also like to support our scholars this year, please reach out to development@englert.org.
Scholarship applications for ICSF 2025 are now open until May 30! Learn more about our scholarships down below, and apply today.
About the Scholarship
The Iowa City Songwriters Festival will offer up to 20 scholarships this year to musicians eager to expand their craft. ICSF Scholars will receive free access to all festival events, exclusive artist engagements, meals, and hotel accommodations during the festival. The scholarship is an opportunity for musicians to experience a 3-day master course in songwriting, and participants will leave enlightened, inspired, and equipped with fresh ideas and techniques to better hone their craft.
Scholarships are open to residents from anywhere! Local Iowa City residents are also eligible and highly encouraged to apply.
Scholars must be available for the whole duration of the festival from Thursday, September 4 to Saturday, September 6. Scholarships will be awarded based on this simple application that includes a brief statement (500 words or less) on how the scholarship would benefit the applicant. Scholars will be chosen by a small panel of Englert employees.
Applications are open until Friday, May 30 @ 11:59 PM CST. Scholars will be selected and notified by June 27.
Applicants must be at least 18 years of age at the time of the festival (September 4-6, 2025).
Residents from anywhere are encouraged to apply! Please note that transportation to and from Iowa City is NOT included in the scholarship, so out-of-town scholars will be responsible for their travel to and from the festival.
No, professional experience is not required from applicants. We encourage songwriters of all levels to apply.
All scholars will receive an All-Access pass to the festival, access to exclusive songwriter talks and engagements, a room at The Graduate Hotel in Iowa City on September 4, 5, and 6 (for non-local recipients), as well as group meals and gift cards to local restaurants to cover meals for the duration of the festival.
The festival will only cover the hotel rooms on the nights of September 4, 5, and 6. However, if you’d wish to stay longer, we can offer a discounted rate on any additional days.
The application process is brief, requiring one brief written statement (500 words or less) on how the scholarship would benefit the applicant, why they are interested in the scholarship, and what they hope to get out of the experience.
Applications will be reviewed by a panel of Englert employees, and scholarship recipients will be selected and notified by June 27.
The festival is not genre-specific, but there will be emphasis on lyrical songwriting rather than music composition or production. All the performances at the festival will be either solo or duo acts, so scholars can expect to experience and interact with a lot of music that is stripped back and intimate.
If you purchase a festival pass or ticket and later get selected for a scholarship, your purchase will be refunded back to you.
Follow the official Songwriters Festival social media pages and The Englert’s newsletter to be the first to hear any news that drops!
Thank you to our incredible sponsors for making ICSF possible! If you or your organization would like to support the festival, please contact us at development@englert.org!
CHORUS SPONSORS
BRIDGE SPONSORS
MEDIA SPONSOR
2ND VERSE SPONSOR
2ND VERSE SPONSOR
GRANT SUPPORTER
