Professional Development Scholarship

CTFD’s Professional Development Scholarship supports current and former dancers in pursuit of a certification or licensure program. Scholarships of up to $1,000 will be awarded to eligible applicants to help cover the cost of their certification. 

2026 Eligibility Requirements

To be eligible, applicants must meet the following criteria: 

• Have a dance performance career spanning a minimum of five years within the last 15 years. Years need not be consecutive. Teaching experience does not apply.
• Demonstrate 70 weeks or more of paid dance employment. For non‐citizens, please provide 70 weeks of work in the U.S.
• Document total minimum gross earnings of $40,000.
• Submit a completed application with the required documentation. 

Application Process

To apply for CTFD’s Professional Development Scholarship, please set aside enough dedicated time to go through the full application process below: 

• Step 1: Attend an Orientation by the 1st of the month
  • A CTFD Orientation is offered on the first Wednesday of each month and is designed to share more detailed information about career counseling and scholarships specifically for dancers.
  • If you are unable to attend the CTFD Orientation, you may alternatively attend The Career Center Orientation, offered on Mondays and Wednesdays throughout the month.
• Step 2: Complete a Career Counselor Consultation by the 6th of the month
  • Schedule a career counselor consultation to discuss your career and education goals. A consultation must be completed prior to submitting your application and the required documentation for it to be considered.
• Step 3: Submit your completed scholarship application with all required documentation by the 12th of the month.
• Only after your Career Counselor Consultation, submit your complete scholarship application with all required documentation by the application deadline.

Application Deadline 

The 12th of every month

Required Documentation

• Proof of dance performance work is required to ensure a complete application. Submit all documents needed to verify five years of dance performance experience and demonstrate $40,000 in gross earnings/70 weeks of employment. Acceptable forms of documentation are:
  • W-2/1099 forms
  • Copies of contracts
  • Union pension statements
  • A statement on employer’s letterhead verifying years of employment, number of weeks worked and average compensation per week or year
• Submit your most recent performance resume
• Upload program information and tuition costs
• Submit the first page of your most recent checking and savings bank statements, including balance totals (cover account numbers)

Scholarship Processing Timeline

• Application Acceptance Window: Monthly before the 12th
• Award Announcements: Notifications go out 4–5 weeks after the application deadline
• Scholarship Checks: Mailed once required verification of mailing address is complete
• Payment to School: Must be provided by scholarship recipient within 60 days from the check processing date

Awardees will be notified no later than 4–5 weeks after the application deadline. Scholarships will be mailed to the awardee in the form of a check made payable to the training institution. Please verify that your school can accept a third-party check from the Entertainment Community Fund. It is the recipient’s responsibility to present the award to the school for deposit by the check’s expiration date—60 days from the processing date. 

To learn more, attend the monthly CTFD Orientation or a weekly Career Center Orientation.

Get in touch: 

No matter where you live in the U.S., we’re here to help. Get in touch with your nearest regional office at:

Eastern Region 
212.221.7300 ext. 259 
careercentereast@entertainmentcommunity.org 

Central Region 
312.880.1536 
careercentercentral@entertainmentcommunity.org 

Western Region 
323.933.9244 ext. 450 
careercenterwest@entertainmentcommunity.org