Curb College Receives Scholarship Endowment

Two new endowed scholarships honoring country music powerhouses Buddy Lee and Erv Woolsey, worth $50,000 each, are expanding opportunities for Curb College students. 

The scholarships, funded by the International Entertainment Buyers Association, will help Curb College continue supporting students financially. 

“One of the things that I'm definitely motivated by is these people that want to care about others and leave a legacy for somebody else but also pay it forward in a big way for students,” Senior Director of Development for the Curb College Phil Shay said. 

IEBA is an organization that provides resources for industry professionals in live entertainment. 

“We're doing a lot more with IEBA to encourage the connectivity, you know, networking within the people that are a part of IEBA,” Shay said. 

These scholarships are for students who are not performance based but instead aim to work behind the scenes in the music industry. 

“What they want to do with these scholarships primarily is to encourage students who are moving toward the live entertainment industry, whatever that looks like.” Shay said. 

IEBA is also an education driven organization that helps provide for students and highlight the lives of industry professionals as well. 

“Supporting education has always been at the heart of IEBA’s mission,” said Todd Boltin, president of the IEBA Educational Outreach Fund Board. “These new endowments honor industry legends who not only built careers for artists but also paved the way for the next generation of live entertainment professionals.” 

To celebrate that mission in action, Curb College hosted a scholarship presentation that some say was a great success. 

“It was just great,” said Sarita Stewart, the senior associate dean of Curb College. “And just to see their heart for students and to want to help the next generation.” 

Students can apply for scholarships until Dec. 1. 

Beyond simply meeting deadlines, the organization stresses the long-term impact these scholarships are designed to have. 

“The scholarships these endowments create will open doors for aspiring professionals and ensure that IEBA’s educational mission thrives for generations to come,” IEBA Executive Director, Brian Wagner said. 

This article was written by Ava Burns