Underrepresented communities include those applicants who have experienced

• Growing up in a single parent household
• Being the first generation in his or her family to attend college
• Having educational and/or socioeconomic disadvantage or disability
• Residing in a rural or inner-city area
• Attending a high school with a high proportion of students eligible for free or reduced lunch benefits
• Having grown up on a home where English is not the first language
• Being a member of a racial or ethnic minority group that is underrepresented in the country music industry
• Having experienced living or working in diverse environments
• Demonstrating experience with and a commitment to serving or working with historically underserved or underprivileged populations
• Exhibiting outstanding leadership abilities and high potential to benefit from the fellowship program