Rock School Scholarship Fund

The Rock School Scholarship Fund (RSSF) is the first and only 501c3 public charity to provide and administer scholarship funds for children and youth ages 7 to 17, to attend any rock music school in the United States.  RSSF currently offers tuition assistance to qualifying students in more than 120 schools in 28 states nationwide. 

The schools with which RSSF works are ones that offer interactive rock music courses that include private lessons, performance programs that get students playing live on stage, and curriculum that teaches classic rock music.  Typically four months in duration, the courses culminate in a group show at a profession venue.  We have a database of more than 350 such schools in the U.S.  If a student applies to us to attend a school we are not actively involved with, we are able to sign that school up.

The independent non-profit organization was co-founded in 2010 by RSSF’s Executive Director Wendy Winks and musician Carl Restivo, who had previously collaborated on running a rock music school in Hollywood, CA. They saw how great the need was for financial aid for kids who wanted to play rock music, but whose parents couldn’t afford the programs.

RSSF is grateful for significant support from the music community.  In January 2015, we were chosen by the Foo Fighters as one of three charities to receive donations from ticket sales for their surprise benefit concert—and all-star birthday celebration for Dave Grohl—at the Los Angeles Forum. 

RSSF has also held benefit concerts featuring artists including Jackson Browne, Robby Krieger, Orianthi, and Alice Cooper, and received donated items for Charity Buzz online auctions from Billy Gibbons, Melissa Etheridge, Daisy Rock Girl Guitars, Carlene Carter and The Greek Theatre, among other artists and companies.  Others who have supported RSSF and its work include Dave Matthews, Melissa Etheridge, Vicki Peterson, Tom Morello, and Carnegie Hall’s Musical Exchange program.  Currently, RSSF is working to develop a series of Legacy Scholarships in the names of artists who donate.

We are committed to growing and expanding our reach, and to helping more kids rock!