It can be really difficult to find a funding source, such as a grant, to use for music therapy. While a quick Google search may bring up some hopeful leads, as you dig in you quickly find that many sources are strictly regional or are grants that expired years ago.

Music therapy can be a powerful tool for parents looking to support their children’s development and well-being. However, the cost of music therapy can be a barrier for many families. While difficult to find, fortunately, there are several funding sources available that can help parents afford music therapy for their children.

In Utah there are very few funding sources directly associated with providing music therapy; however, there are more general grant sources that could be used to pay for music therapy services.

None of these sources are what I would call ‘easy money.’ Grants and scholarships can take hours of your time researching and filling out applications, and you are never guaranteed that you’ll be accepted. Although as a parent, that’s a risk worth taking if it means having the ability to help your child grow and progress.

In an effort to help you navigate this confusing and complicated world of scholarships and grants we’ve complied the following details to hopefully help you save some time and frustration. While we would love if you chose to use some of the funds for music therapy, our greatest hope is that you find the services that best fit your child or family member.

If you’ve seen how your child lights up when they hear a song or play with an instrument, you can take our free quiz ‘Will Music Therapy Benefit My Child?‘ and explore if music therapy may be the thing that helps make a big difference.

Funding Music Therapy Services

Before we get to grants and scholarships, we’ll cover options that provide quicker access to services.

Using Insurance to Cover Music Therapy

One of the first questions we get about the cost of music therapy services is whether or not we take insurance.  Unfortunately, music therapy is relatively unknown in the insurance world and as a result it is almost always considered an out of network service. There are a few isolated instances with insurance companies where music therapy has been reimbursed as an in-network service, however in the vast majority of cases, it is considered out of network.

While ‘coverage’ ultimately depends on your particular policy, you also have to determine if it will be cost effective given your policy’s requirements. While for most people this avenue is a dead end, we do have a guide on music therapy and insurance to help those for which this may make sense.

Using HSA Funds to Pay for Music Therapy

Health Savings Accounts (HSAs) are designed to save money on medical costs, including physical and mental health care expenses, such as music therapy. While HSA’s are generally only available to people who have a high-deductible health insurance plan, the benefit is when you put money into an HSA, you don’t have to pay taxes on it. So, the savings come from reduced taxes on the money you put into your HSA account. The nice thing is you also don’t have to use the money in your HSA right away; it can be saved for future medical expenses.

Can You Use HSA for Music Therapy?

Yes, usually HSA funds can be used to pay for in-person or online therapy if it’s medically necessary for your physical or mental health. The rules state that: “Medical or mental health therapy is eligible for reimbursement with a flexible spending account (FSA), health savings account (HSA), and health reimbursement account (HRA)”.

However, the situation gets a little murkier when it comes to using your HSA for therapy and other mental health care services, as some expenses are covered and others are not. If a medical doctor (and that includes a psychiatrist) deems your therapy to be a medically necessary health care expense, then you may use your HSA funds. Thus, it would be worthwhile to consult with a tax or medical professional to confirm the use for your particular situation. Although from what we’ve found, according to the IRS, “you can include in medical expenses amounts you pay for therapy received as medical treatment”.

Using Personal Funds for Music Therapy

Many of our clients end up using their personal finances to pay for therapy services. Before beginning regular services it’s important to have a good understanding of what the investment will look like for your finances. The cost for music therapy depends on a few different factors, such as session length, therapist travel, or type of service (i.e. group vs. individual). We continually strive to provide our clients with fair session rates while also providing the best trained professionals we can. And while not seen by many of our clients, we also work diligently on the backend to find funding sources, partnerships, and other resources that can increase access to music therapy for additional clients and families.

While considering the cost for music therapy, make sure to budget whether you are going to do weekly services (which is usually recommended) or sessions every other week. In order to see the best results you’ll want to plan on doing services for at least several months. Although we do offer a trial session to private clients interested in music therapy. This way you to see for yourself what music therapy looks like, how it will impact your child or family member, and make sure it’s a good fit before you commit to something more long-term. Trial sessions are billed at our regular rate, and there is no obligation to continue.

Funding for Children with Disabilities in Utah

There are several funding sources available for children with disabilities in Utah:

• Children with Special Health Care Needs (CSHCN): The mission of CSHCN is to improve the health and quality of life for children with special health care needs, and their families, through early screening and detection, data integration, care coordination, education, intervention, and life transitions.
• Special Needs Scholarship Grants: The Utah State Board of Education (USBE) currently oversees two scholarship grant programs that provide funding to eligible students wishing to attend private schools to meet their unique learning needs.
• Supplemental Security Income and Medicaid: Parents caring for children with special needs often find that these two foundational government benefit programs offer essential financial assistance. While as of this posting, music therapy isn’t covered by Medicaid in Utah, our state organization and us personally, are working to extend those benefits. However, this may be a good source of other services you need.
• Caregiver Compensation: This program provides financial assistance to caregivers of individuals with disabilities. However, the availability of funds can vary.

Remember to reach out to these organizations directly for the most accurate and up-to-date information.

 

Grants and Scholarships for Music Therapy

If you qualify for a grant or scholarship, it can be a wonder gift to give you access to additional services you wouldn’t have otherwise. Although, remember to plan on a significant amount of time applying and waiting to see if you’re accepted. With the limited resources available, remember there are also many other parents and families looking for similar services.

By no means are the options below an exhausted list meant to show you your ‘only’ sources of funding. While we have spent many hours searching for resources that would be helpful for parents and family members, there are always new or other sources that we come across each time we ‘dig in’ to look. So if one of these don’t fit your situation, just be patient and keep looking and asking people around you.

Carson Smith Scholarship Program

The Carson Smith Special Needs Scholarship Program (CSS) is a parent choice model for Utah residents that provides tuition assistance for eligible special needs students enrolled in eligible private schools. The scholarship is for students who would qualify for special education and related services in public schools, preschool through 12th grade (3‐21 years of age), whose parents choose an eligible private school.

Step Up for Students

Step Up for Students enables families to personalize the education of their students by directing funds to where they’re needed most. The funds can be used for a combination of programs and approved expenses including therapists, specialists, curriculum, private school, a college savings account and more. Their Family Empowerment Scholarship is meant for students from age 3 through grade 12 or age 22, whichever comes first.

Autism Care Today

Autism Care Today grants are designed to provide access to individuals and families affected by Autism Spectrum Disorders. Grant payments are made directly to pre-approved treatment providers, assessors or materials vendors. If accepted, they can help your family with a grant up to $5,000.

United Healthcare Children’s Foundation

United Healthcare Children’s Foundation provides financial relief for families whose health insurance does not cover, or fully cover, their child’s medical needs. The Foundation aims to fill the gap between what medical services or items your child needs and what your commercial health benefit plan will pay for. (16 and under). In the past they would not cover music therapy specifically, but they would cover other services like Speech.

The Administration for Children and Families (ACF)

The Administration for Children and Families (ACF), a division of the Department of Health and Human Services, issues federal financial assistance awards like grants and cooperative agreements to promote the economic and social well-being of children, families, and communities. As mentioned above, these family grants are not specifically designed for music therapy but can potentially be used to fund music therapy services.

Here are the steps to apply for grants through The Administration for Children and Families (ACF):

1. Register on Grants.gov: To apply for a grant, you must complete the Grants.gov registration process.
2. Find Funding Opportunities: Potential applicants can access ACF Notices of Funding Opportunities (NOFOs) and Forecasts/Synopses, apply for funding, and search for archived NOFOs at Grants.gov.
3. Understand the Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO): Before you begin, be sure you have read the NOFO completely and carefully.
4. Check Eligibility: Ensure your organization is eligible to apply, based on the eligibility criteria described in Section III.1 Eligible Applicants of the NOFO.
5. Adhere to Formatting Instructions: Make sure you can meet the NOFO deadline and adhere to all the formatting instructions as specified in Section IV.2. Content and Form of Application Submission.
6. Assess Organizational Capacity: Confirm that your organization has the technical expertise, the personnel, and the financial capacity to successfully implement the project goals and expectations described in the NOFO.
7. Write a Strong Application: This includes detailing how your organization is prepared to do what it takes to successfully implement the project within the budget you’re proposing.
8. Submit Application on Grants.gov: After writing a strong application, submit it on Grants.gov.

Remember, applying for a grant is a formidable task that can take many hours.

 

Other Grant Sources

The Outreach Autism Services Network (OASN) compiled a list of organizations that have provided scholarships and grants to families. Unfortunately, this list is not kept up-to-date, but it may be helpful in connecting you to some organizations you weren’t aware of previously.

In addition to researching grants for the particular diagnosis that your child or family member has, such as ‘Autism Grants’ or ‘Down syndrome Scholarships’, you can also look for grants based on a particular service you are looking for. Such as we’ve been discussing here with music therapy grants.

 

Organizations Providing Services for Children with Disabilities in Utah

We felt it was also helpful to provide details about other great organizations in the community that provide services for children and individuals with special needs. Often these organizations provide services that you may already be looking for. For example, we’ve worked with several clients through DSPD and we have on-going sessions with Utah Head Start Programs and Utah Schools for the Deaf and Blind.

• Division of Services for People with Disabilities (DSPD): DSPD provides services for people with disabilities to lead self-determined lives by overseeing home and community-based services for more than 5,000 people who have disabilities. Support includes community living, day services, supported employment services, and much more.
• Utah Head Start Programs: The Utah Head Start Association provides comprehensive education, health, nutrition, and family services to poverty-level children and their families. The program was launched in 1965 and has proven to be one of the nation’s most successful social and educational investments. Local grantees receive federal funding for Head Start (HS), Migrant/Seasonal Head Start (MSHS), and Early Head Start (EHS) programs. You can find a program in your county or grantee through their website.
• Utah Schools for the Deaf and Blind (USDB): USDB is a state education agency of Utah that educates blind and deaf children. It includes a day school in Ogden, which houses the USDB headquarters, and sites in Salt Lake City and Springville. USDB students rank #1 in the United States for high school completion. They offer services for blind/visually impaired and deaf-blind children and students throughout the state of Utah. All of their services incorporate a strong emphasis on the Expanded Core Curriculum (ECC).
• Utah Education Fits All: This is a universal school choice scholarship program that was signed into law in 20231. It’s for every child, in every zip code, from every financial background, and every learning style1. All K-12 students who are residents of Utah qualify to receive the full amount of $8000 whether they currently attend public, private, homeschool, or are just starting kindergarten. The program provides up to $8,000 to about 5,000 Utah K-12 students through an education savings account (ESA). Scholarship accounts may be used for education expenses and services, including private school tuition and fees, tutoring services, testing fees, materials and curriculum costs, contracted services, and more.
• Utah Parent Center: The Utah Parent Center is a great resource for parents of children with disabilities. They provide information about specific disabilities and disorders and the disability categories in our nation’s special education law (IDEA) that qualify a child for special education services.
• Children with Special Health Care Needs (CSHCN): CSHCN is a program that improves the health and quality of life for children with special health care needs, and their families, through early screening and detection, data integration, care coordination, education, intervention, and life transitions.
• Utah State Board of Education: The Utah State Board of Education provides special education services to support students with disabilities.

Remember to reach out to these organizations directly for the most accurate and up-to-date information.

Conclusion

According to The New England Board of Education, it is especially crucial to introduce children to music at a young age. In addition to physical and mental health benefits, music can be a useful tool when it comes to education. The New England Board of Education summarizes music’s impact on a child’s education as having six main benefits. These include:

1. Enhanced language capabilities
2. Improved memory
3. Strengthened hand-eye coordination
4. Good study habits
5. Teamwork skills
6. A heightened sense of Mental processing & problem-solving

While the cost of music therapy can be a barrier for many families, the funding sources we’ve noted above can help make it more accessible. Parents interested in music therapy for their children should explore these options and reach out to these organizations for more information. Remember that every child is unique, and what works best will depend on their individual needs. With the right support and resources, music therapy can be a beneficial addition to your child’s care plan.