SCHOLARSHIPS/FINANCIAL AID

Merit-Based Awards

Awards available through the School of Music, Theatre & Dance are made primarily on the basis of merit and are jointly administered through the Offices of the Associate Dean for Graduate Studies and the Associate Dean for Academic Affairs. They consist of graduate student assistantships and fellowships and are only offered to full-time students.  There are no fellowships available for summer study.

To be considered for a merit-based award, all application materials must be submitted by the deadline; in most cases this deadline is December 1. The audition/interview must be completed no later than February 22, 2008.  Students who meet all application and audition deadlines, and subsequently offered admission, will automatically be considered for School of Music, Theatre & Dance merit-based awards.

Notification of financial awards made through the School will be mailed in early April.

Official offers of assistantships and/or fellowships are made in writing by the Associate Deans; other discussions of possible assistance are not considered binding on the University.  Prospective students may not be required to respond to an offer for the upcoming fall term prior to April 15.

Please be assured that your application will be given every consideration. We regret very much, however, that because the requests for financial awards far exceed the funds available, the School is unable to assist many well-qualified and deserving students.

Graduate Student Fellowships

Fellowships typically range in size from $6,000 tuition grants to full tuition grants. A few awards in the academic areas provide stipends of up to $12,000. Approximately 40 to 45 percent of the graduate students enrolled typically receive some form of assistantship or fellowship, but almost all students find it necessary to seek need-based aid or to rely on savings or other sources of income.

Graduate Student Assistantships

Graduate Student Assistant (GSA) appointments vary widely in fractional size. A GSA with a 25% appointment, which requires 12.49 hours of work per week, receives a full tuition grant. He or she also receives a stipend of $3,800 per term (at 2007-8 rates). A GSA with a smaller appointment fraction receives a proportionally smaller stipend and tuition grant.

Special Notes

Each student in a master’s or specialist program in music who receives a fellowship through the School and elects performance lessons is required to perform in a major ensemble of the School unless waived (through petition) by the Associate Dean.

Financial awards are made for one year and are not renewed automatically. However, any award made at least 90 days prior to initial enrollment will be continued throughout the second year of master’s or specialist study or the third year of doctoral study subject to the conditions stated at the time of the award. Although financial awards made by the School are based primarily on merit, other considerations may include the need for balanced instrumentation, the competition in the student’s field from other institutions, and the availability of graduate student assistantships in the student’s department. When a student does not receive an award it is normally because insufficient funds are available and the students offered awards were judged to have greater merit. Graduate students who wish to appeal a decision concerning School of Music, Theatre & Dance awards should do so to the Associate Dean.

Questions concerning graduate merit-based awards should be directed to Ms. Karen Frye at 734/764-0590 (hoshi@umich.edu) or Ms. Marty Snyder at 734/764-2516 (martysny@umich.edu).

Need-Based Awards

Awards made on the basis of financial need are available through the Office of Financial Aid.  U.S. citizens and holders of permanent resident and immigrant visas enrolled full-time in graduate degree programs are eligible for the Federal College Work-Study (CWS) program, the Federal Perkins Loan program, and the Federal Direct Loan (both subsidized and unsubsidized) programs.

To apply, you must submit the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) as soon as possible after January 1 but no later than March 1 to be considered for all eligible aid programs. Be sure to use U-M's Federal School Code 002325.   There is no cost to submit the FAFSA.  The FAFSA is available on-line at www.fafsa.ed.gov.

The School of Music, Theatre & Dance strongly encourages all applicants to apply for need-based financial aid.

Questions concerning need-based awards should be directed to the Office of Financial Aid at 734/763-6600 or by email: financial.aid@umich.edu.

University of Michigan Office of Financial Aid
2011 Student Activities Building
Ann Arbor, Michigan 48109-1316
Phone: 734-763-6600
Email: financial.aid@umich.edu
Web: http://www.finaid.umich.edu/

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