Global Brand, Local Focus: Inside Interlochen's New Northern Michigan Opportunity Scholarship

Interlochen Center for the Arts is launching a new scholarship to expand opportunities for local students to attend Interlochen Arts Camp. Dubbed the Northern Michigan Opportunity Scholarship, the program will distribute $100,000 annually to students from 15 northern Lower Michigan counties. The goal is to make Interlochen more accessible to students whose families might otherwise be unable to afford tuition.

Ken LaBate, executive dean of admissions, knows that much of Interlochen’s reputation revolves around its global brand. Last summer, Interlochen had 3,400 campers spanning 44 countries, all 50 states, and two additional U.S. territories. Even as Interlochen’s reach continues to grow, though – “Last year, if you look at our international numbers for the Academy, we saw increases with international enrollment across 29 different countries,” LaBate says – the institution is looking to focus more on its own backyard.

“Northern Michigan is core to our identity, and northern Michigan isn't just a bunch of beautiful lakes and pine trees,” LaBate tells The Ticker. “The people are an essential component of that, too. And so, while we continue to cultivate a vibrant global community here through the arts, I can tell you without a doubt that we believe it is essential that local students continue to be represented at Interlochen. We will never abandon our local community.”

LaBate says northern Michigan is always “well-represented” at Interlochen Arts Camp. In 2025, the institution received 574 camp applications from across the state, a fair few of them from students in and around the Grand Traverse region.

As the years have gone by, though, Interlochen’s tuition rates have gotten further out of reach for many local households. According to its website, a six-week summer session at Interlochen Arts Camp – the typical length for high school camp experiences – is $10,350.

Financial aid – both merit-based and need-based – helps defray those costs for many campers. According to LaBate, Interlochen awarded $5.1 million in camp scholarships last year – an average of $1,500 across the 3,400 campers – and 85 percent of applicants who applied for financial assistance received aid. Those scholarships are funded by a mix of donor support, long-term endowments, and ticket sales from Interlochen’s summer concert series.

LaBate says all prospective campers who apply by Interlochen’s “priority deadline” are automatically considered for merit-based scholarships, many of which cover the full cost of tuition. Until now, though, there was no scholarship category exclusively available to northern Michigan residents.

This summer will mark the first year of the Northern Michigan Opportunity Scholarship, made possible by a group of donors who recently “came forward to provide the funds for this endowment,” per Interlochen Director of Communications Maureen Oleson. Donors include the Towsley Foundation, the Jim and Diana Huckle Family Foundation, and two additional donors who have chosen to remain anonymous, Oleson says.

The endowment will ensure that this particular scholarship is offered “every year that we continue to have camps,” LaBate says. The $100,000 will be divided among eligible students from the 15 northernmost counties in Lower Michigan – Alcona, Alpena, Antrim, Benzie, Charlevoix, Cheboygan, Crawford, Emmet, Grand Traverse, Kalkaska, Leelanau, Montmorency, Oscoda, Otsego, and Presque Isle – with funds available for all age divisions of campers. Interlochen Arts Camp programs are available for students in grades 3-12.

Instead of taking a merit-based approach, the Northern Michigan Opportunity Scholarship represents “a commitment to address financial needs.”

“The idea here is to create more access in northern Michigan to arts and education, and to make it possible for more kids to have a transformational summer camp experience here at Interlochen,” LaBate says.

While the January 15 priority deadline for summer camp applications has passed, LaBate says Interlochen is always “happy to consider students on a rolling basis” until it reaches capacity. 

Application information can be found here.