Bands from the UA community audition for the opportunity to perform live in front of a large audience at Gallettes on November 14, 2026. Selected finalists compete on stage, attendees vote, and the winning band takes home a paid gig.
Submit the official 2026 interest form to be considered for the lineup. Finalists will be contacted directly by the organizing committee.
Submit Interest Form →Every dollar raised at Battle of the Bands goes directly toward supporting University of Alabama students navigating unexpected financial hardship. This event welcomes the entire UA community and greater Tuscaloosa area — students, student organizations, and local businesses, to come together for a cause that makes a real difference.
The Joe Espy SGA Scholarship Fund is a need-based emergency scholarship administered by the University of Alabama's Student Government Association. It was created to provide timely financial relief to students facing sudden, unexpected hardship that often arrives without warning.
Unlike traditional merit-based scholarships, the Espy Fund is utility-based. That means it helps students cover real, immediate needs: rent, car repairs, utility bills, and other essentials that fall outside of standard financial aid. Applications are reviewed individually, and assistance is provided as quickly as possible.
The fund is open to all enrolled UA students — full-time and part-time, throughout the academic term.
Any enrolled UA student facing a documented financial emergency is eligible to apply. Qualifying circumstances include sudden loss of household income, unexpected medical costs, housing or food insecurity, natural disasters, the death of an immediate family member, or any other unforeseen crisis that places a student in financial distress.
Every application is reviewed on a case-by-case basis by the SGA committee, with the goal of connecting students with the support they need without delay.
A first-generation student maintained a 3.9 GPA while commuting an hour each way and working 30 hours a week. When their car broke down, they had to purchase another vehicle entirely on their own — adding a heavy monthly payment to an already tight budget. The assistance provided helped this student cross the graduation stage.
When a father unexpectedly suffered a severe stroke, a student's world shifted from classroom notes to caregiving schedules. As the family worked tirelessly to cover tuition and living costs, the days grew physically and emotionally exhausting. Financial assistance was essential for this student to return to UA and continue their education.
A second-semester student was thriving academically when their father, the family's primary provider, unexpectedly lost his job. With the family's income suddenly paused, a remaining balance on the student's spring tuition threatened their enrollment. Despite the financial storm, this student stayed committed to their studies. The assistance provided allowed for a successful completion of the semester.
Behind every dollar raised at Battle of the Bands is a student who simply needed a bridge. Not a handout. A bridge. Something to carry them from an unexpected moment back to the path they were already on.
When you sponsor this event, you are directly investing in the academic futures of University of Alabama students and affirming that financial hardship alone should never determine who gets to finish their degree.
Your support, at any level, is what makes that possible.
Sponsoring Battle of the Bands is an opportunity for your organization to engage members in a high-energy campus event, support a meaningful philanthropic initiative, and gain visibility across campus — while directly funding the Joe Espy SGA Scholarship.
Choose your sponsorship package, then donate that amount through our GiveButter page. Any additional contribution is always welcome. Every dollar goes directly to the Joe Espy SGA Scholarship Fund.
View Packages →