From Talent to Tuition: Funding Pathways for Arts Students

While funding in arts education is often centered on programs and institutions, many creative students lack access to clear, structured pathways to fund their postsecondary goals. This interactive workshop focuses on student-level funding and equips participants with a practical framework to help arts students access scholarships and financial opportunities beyond traditional talent-based awards.

Participants will engage in guided exploration of real or sample student profiles to learn how to identify funding opportunities aligned with students’ identities, interests, and goals. The session will introduce key strategies for expanding scholarship searches beyond portfolios and auditions, as well as tools that streamline the process of matching students to relevant opportunities.

LaTonya Adams

LaTonya Adams is a college funding strategist with over 20 years of experience supporting students and families across K–12 education. She brings a deep, behind-the-scenes understanding of how academic decisions, activities, and positioning impact scholarship opportunities.

Throughout her career, Adams recognized a consistent pattern: families were doing what they were told—earning good grades and staying involved—yet still facing overwhelming college costs. She defines this disconnect as the scholarship gap.

Through Scholar Dollars, Adams helps families close that gap with early planning, clear guidance, and proven strategy. Her work emphasizes that scholarship success is not about luck or last-minute effort, but about intentional decisions made over time, even as early as middle school.