In the coming months, college students will bid farewell to another school year as they get set for long summer days filled with nearly 500 hours of part time work; a chance for them to earn cash for school expenses. Participants of Drum Corps International's performing groups, on the other hand, will leave home at the end of May devoting hundreds of hours of rehearsal for the opportunity to travel and perform in front of thousands of fans across the United States … a far cry from the "average" lifestyle of a typical undergraduate.



Approximately 70 percent of current drum corps members are full-time students at higher educational institutions. Understanding the value of drum corps experience for students and the challenges faced with textbook and tuition increases, members of the Friends of DCI continue to support the performers of DCI's elite groups with scholarship opportunities.



From the contributions of current Friends of DCI members and other drum corps fans, this year's Friends of DCI Scholarship Program will award up to two $2,000 scholarships for students to use toward academic tuition and fees.



High school seniors or college students enrolled for courses in the fall of 2010 who are current members in good standing of an Open or World Class corps competing in the 2010 DCI Tour may apply. The deadline for the application is Monday, May 3, 2010. Recipients will be recognized this August at the DCI World Championships in Indianapolis.

About the Friends of DCI

Founded in 1981, the Friends of DCI (FDCI) program began with a dedicated group of some 30 passionate drum corps fans who came together and decided to donate a few dollars more than the value of their tickets, with the hope of contributing to future generations of Drum Corps International and its corps. Each year, FDCI members manage two special programs including the "Friends of DCI Scholarship," awarded to corps members who excel on the field and in the classroom, and the annual "Volunteer of the Year Awards," which acknowledges the unsung heroes who are the lifeblood of each participating corps.