The John and Mable Ringling Museum of Art Bus Scholarship Program
Thank you for your interest in The Ringling’s bus scholarship program! We do not have any additional bus scholarship funds to award for this school year. This school year, The Ringling provided free transportation for over 1,200 students through the bus scholarship program! If you have already submitted a bus scholarship and received an email confirmation from our Education Department, your bus scholarship has been processed. New bus scholarships cannot be submitted for this year. Our 2024-2025 school year bus scholarship window will open on August 1, 2024.
We are proud to offer support to schools through our Bus Scholarship Program to offset the cost of bus transportation for their visit to The John and Mable Ringling Museum of Art. Teachers should follow the guidelines below to apply for bus funding. Incomplete applications cannot be processed, and all materials must be received at least 6 weeks before your trip.
General Information
- Schools may apply for a Ringling Bus Scholarship limited to one scholarship per classroom per year.
- Groups may receive up to $600 in scholarship funds. Award amounts are determined by the number of students attending and location of the school.
- Ringling Bus Scholarships only apply to K-12 schools, and cannot be used to cover transportation for camp groups.
- Bus Scholarships are used to reimburse schools for their bus trip to the museum. It is not used to pay the bus company directly.
- Schools are responsible for arranging and paying for bus transportation with their school district, and must send in an invoice 30 days after the conclusion of the trip.
- Funding is prioritized for Title 1 schools.
Application Step-by-Step Guide
Prior to Visit:
- Book your school visit by completing The Ringling’s On-Site School Visit Request Form
- Obtain a letter of support from your school principal on school letterhead
- Obtain a copy of the school/school districts W-9
- Arrange bus transportation and receive a quote
- Complete the Bus Scholarship Application
- Email completed application, letter of support, and W9 to [email protected]
- Schools will be notified by email of Bus Scholarship decision. In busy tour season this can sometimes take 1-2 weeks.
After School Visit:
- Submit invoice via email to The Ringling at [email protected].
- The invoice must be on school letterhead and cannot come from the bus company. The invoiced amount must not be over the approved amount the school was awarded.
- Invoices must be sent 30 days after the conclusion of the school trip. Invoices sent after 30 days will not be processed.
Funding for this project is generously provided by The Frank E. Duckwall Foundation, Inc. Endowment.
