Theatre Accessibility Grants
Theatre Accessibility Grants at Stagebugz provide need-based financial assistance that covers a portion of tuition for families who otherwise would not be able to afford the cost of a program. Our top priority at Stagebugz is to make arts affordable and accessible to all, and these grants are in place to prevent finances from being a barrier to a student's ability to participate. Grants are offered for all of Stagebugz's tuition-based classes and camps, and applications are reviewed by our grant committee to assess financial need and benefit to the child. If cost is preventing you from participating, we strongly encourage you to apply or contact us at stagrbugztheatre@gmail.com- we will always work with you to ensure your child can join, no matter the circumstance! Please do not complete a grant application until you are ready to commit to registration upon approval.
Summer 2026 Grants
We are pleased to share that all priority applicants were awarded a grant for the summer season, and there are a small amount of funds remaining. Starting April 17th, applications will now reviewed on a rolling basis until all funds have been claimed. Applicants will be notified of a decision within five business days of submission.
Before applying, please take a moment to review the information on this page regarding our Theatre Accessibility Grant program, as incomplete or incorrect applications may affect eligibility. Additionally, please do not apply until you are ready to commit to registering if you are offered a scholarship. If you have any questions or need accommodations to complete the application, please contact us at stagebugztheatre@gmail.com.
Who should apply?
Anyone who needs it! If money is the only reason your child cannot join a camp or class, we encourage you to apply for a grant. While grants are need-based, we understand that there are many reasons finances may be an issue aside from just household income. Each individual circumstance will be carefully evaluated; please do not hesitate to apply if you feel your family requires financial aid to participate. However, scholarship funds are limited, so we ask that families who are able to afford tuition leave these resources for others and refrain from applying.
When can I apply?
Applications for summer 2026 were open from January 1st-March 27th, 2026. If additional funds become available, applications will re-open after April 17th.
Who will review my application?
Grant applications are reviewed by a volunteer review board which includes members of Colorado's non-profit and artistic communities, as well as certified accountants. This allows for all applications to receive equal consideration from an impartial third party outside of Stagebugz directors and instructors while ensuring applicant's information is kept safe and confidential.
How are grants determined?
Scholarship applications are considered holistically and evaluated on a rubric. Each member of the review committee gives the applicant a numerical score based on financial need, extenuating circumstances, percieved benefit to child, and level of demonstrated interest. While demonstrated need is the main factor considered, the review committee is looking for students who will benefit the most, which means we highly encourage you to be thoughtful and complete in your answers!
How much do scholarships cover?
Grant amounts range from 25% of program tuition to the equivalent of full tuition after the non-refundable deposit (approximately 50%). In order to serve as many students as possible, funds are currently limited to one class per child with a maximum of $350 per family for spring and $245/family for summer. Those with significant extenuating circumstances who would not be able to participate without an exception to this limit should submit a written petition to the scholarship review committee in addition to their application.
When will I be notified?
Applicants for Summer 2026 will be notified the week of April 6th-10th. Applications for Spring 2026 will be reviewed on a rolling basis and applicants will be notified of their status within 7 days of submission.
What if I don't receive a grant?
If you do not receive a grant, we highly encourage you to take advantage of Stagebugz's other financial assistance programs, including excellence scholarships, free workshops, sibling and military discounts, and pay-what-you-can classes. If you are still unable to access the resources you need to participate, please reach out to us directly. We never want cost to be the reason your child can't join us, and we would be happy to add you to a waitlist in case additional funds become available and work with you to set up a payment plan or other accommodations to help ease the financial burden of paying for a program.
I have been offered a grant. What next?
Grant recipients have 3 business days to accept their spot by registering for class. You will receive a scholarship code to apply at checkout on the registration site. Failure to register within the window will result in forfeit of your spot and the grant will be offered to another student. For extenuating circumstances/extension requests, families are expected to communicate with Stagebugz immediately. Declining a grant after it has been offered may affect your eligibility for scholarship funds in the future, so please be sure you are ready to commit to registering before you apply!