Residency Requirements – Black Hawk College Music Achievement Awards are open to any students, both music majors and non-music majors. Priority, however, will be given to those students who are music majors and who are entering BHC for the first time as freshman.
Award Limits – Awards are given in Full-tuition, Three-Quarter-tuition, Half-tuition, or Quarter-tuition Waivers for between 12-19 credit hours a semester. This award only applies toward tuition costs and cannot be applied toward auxiliary lab fees or books.
Admission – In addition to first meeting the admission requirements of the college, all Music Achievement Award recipients must possess academic abilities which give strong evidence to support their successful achievement in a collegiate level academic program. In addition, award recipients, where applicable, must meet any requirements imposed by an outside agency having control, i.e. NJCA, Arrowhead Conference, etc.
Use of Other Financial Aid – To facilitate good fiscal management of college resources, all achievement award recipients must first apply for financial aid from other available sources, i.e. PELL, ISSC, etc., OR recipients must receive a Verification of No-need from the Financial Aid Office prior to their planned enrollment.
Renewal – All recipients of a Music Achievement Award must continue to meet the requirements for renewal as stated below for each semester that the award is given. Generally, an award is renewable up to 3 additional, continuous semesters including summers. On rare occasions, an exception is made to extend an award beyond that timeframe.
Audition Requirements – One written recommendation from your high school music teacher, private lesson teacher, or school counselor is required. Also, an in-person audition before the BHC full-time music faculty is required. In an audition you are expected to perform 2 contrasting selections of about 5-6 minutes total duration. An accompanist is not provided, so you are required to make those arrangements if needed. We can also ask you to perform scales, arpeggios, or other technical exercises at our discretion. Sight reading examples may also be included in the audition. In rare instances and upon approval by the music faculty, a student may provide a CD or taped performance if he or she lives a great distance from the college.
Renewal of Achievement Award Criteria – This achievement award is given for 1 semester and may be renewed for up to 3 additional, continuous semesters presuming the student continues to meet all the renewal requirements below:
- All recipients must enroll in and complete a minimum of 12 semester hours of credit per semester.
- All recipients must have and maintain an overall GPA of 2.4 in all their combined coursework and maintain an overall GPA of 3.0 in all music-related coursework.
- Continuous enrollment is required for continuation of the award. If a student takes off a semester or more, that student will need to reapply for an achievement award upon reentering BHC.
- Illinois State Scholarships and Illinois Monetary Awards are to be applied to admission and fee charges before monetary value of the achievement award is determined.
- The recipient is required to assist with music department activities as directed by the faculty. A major component of this responsibility is to work as a monitor in the Music MIDI Lab for between 1 and 4 hours per week based upon your award level. Missing an assigned lab hour or being chronically late without coverage is grounds for dismissal of this award.
- Recipients are to follow all BHC rules regarding trips off campus for music-related activities, especially noting the no drinking, no illicit drugs policy.
- Attendance is mandatory at BHC music classes, concerts, and recitals.
- All recipients must enroll in at least 2 music ensembles each semester that the award is active [MUSC 101, 102, 103, 107, 109].
Probation – If an award recipient narrowly fails to meet the minimum requirements for renewal of the award, upon discretion of the music faculty, that student may be placed on probation for a semester’s time while still receiving the award. If the student’s situation does not improve to minimum levels, then the award will be withdrawn at the end of that semester. However, if the student again meets the minimum requirements during that semester’s work, he or she will be reinstated in good standing and be eligible for continuation of the award.
For any further details regarding this award and its criteria, please contact either Jon Palomaki at 309-796-5478 or Edgar Crockett at 309-796-5479. All final decisions regarding these awards rest with the full-time music faculty of Black Hawk College.
