Honestly, I think one line in this article sums it up pretty well:

Seneca College is the first Canadian post-secondary institution to take part in a first-of-its-kind initiative in Canada to highlight independent music and get it heard by the public in a revolutionary way.

Now, I'm not saying that you should completely uproot yourself and move to Canada (if you don't live there already), but this program (and similar ones in the U.S.) could be something to consider. Check it out and see for yourself! And if any of you have gone through such programs, let us know how they worked out for you. You can post comments here.