Students Find Success Crowdfunding Tuition
The road to LSM can be a journey for students. Many seek financial support from their communities for their tuition through church groups, local civic organizations, school music boosters, or by performing for a church event or benefit recital.
A growing number of students are finding newfound success in earning their tuition through crowdfunding—that is, raising small amounts of money from a large number of people. LSM creates an online fundraising page for the student, and the student shares the link within their community, inviting individuals to contribute toward their LSM attendance.
One first-time student received 13 different donations from friends and extended family through their page and raised the needed financial assistance in only one week. Another student performed a benefit recital at his church, and shared a link to his page in the recital program. Another student sweetened the deal, offering to bake a dozen cookies for any person who contributed.
“It is so inspiring to see the effort that students are making to attend LSM, by committing their time, arranging complicated cross-country travel, and through fundraising efforts, too,” says Dean and Director of Admissions MaryLynn Mennicke. “When I also see students supported by people who cheer them on, that’s really special. It is so heartening to see communities rally to support their youth!”
Above and beyond their financial gift, supporters often share messages with their donations, encouraging each student on their path to LSM. Two anonymous crowdfunding donors recently wrote: “Never stop reaching for your dreams to come true, no matter the obstacles. You will succeed because you want to. Enjoy this opportunity and remember to always have fun,” and “Dreams don't work unless you do. With that said, sometimes it takes a little money as well, and so our hope is that our contribution is enough to help make it all happen! Good luck!”
LSM has matched tuition contributions from churches, clubs, and other organizations for many years to incentivize this tuition assistance. LSM will now also match contributions from individuals through these LSM-created crowdfunding webpages. This makes it easier than ever for families to take advantage of the LSM Match Grant incentive.
While fundraising has been a successful way for many students to afford the LSM experience, it is not a viable option for all students. Mennicke shared, “Not all students are able to take advantage of the opportunity to fundraise. Some of our students simply do not have a community of extended family or friends they can draw on for support, or their church and social circles don’t have the financial means to assist. That’s where our scholarship budget is so important. But if fundraising is a good solution for a family, that helps everyone, as it allows us to direct larger scholarship funds to those who need it the most.”
Through scholarship support, and incentivized fundraising, Lutheran Music Program strives to provide multiple solutions to ensure all accepted students are able to take part in the transformational LSM experience. If you are interested in financially supporting LSM 2023 students, you can give at: lsmacademy.org/support