Financial Aid

The Juilliard School is committed to educating talented performing artists and helping them achieve their highest potential. To that end, we wish to enable all admitted students to attend the school, regardless of their ability to pay. Juilliard’s admissions policies are need-blind, meaning that applying for financial aid will not hurt an applicant's chances of being admitted. In fact, approximately 90 percent of our students receive scholarship support through Juilliard.

A complete list of webforms, PDFs, brochures, and other documents is available on the Financial Aid space on MyJuilliard. (A Juilliard login and password are required to access MyJuilliard.)

For more information regarding financial aid programs, please download our booklet, Resources for Funding Your Juilliard Education: A Guide to Financial Aid.

Tina Gonzalez, Assistant Dean, Financial Aid 
Patrick Cannady, Assistant Director, Financial Aid
Dulce M. Capellan, Senior Financial Aid Advisor
Jason Chandler-Renfro, Student Employment Manager
Matthew Chao-Day, Associate Director, Financial Aid Technology & Data
Alexis Andrews, Financial Aid Coordinator

Room 233
(212) 799-5000, ext. 212
[email protected]

Financial aid may include Juilliard scholarships, federal and state grants, federal student and parent loans, and/or federal or Juilliard work-study. Please note that with few exceptions, Juilliard scholarship awards are based on a combination of financial need and merit. The exceptions are:

• Artist Diploma program (any major)
• Doctor of Musical Arts program (any major)
• Historical Performance program
• Kovner Fellowship program**
• Master of Fine Arts in Acting program

Applicants to all other programs must complete all application items to be considered for scholarship support.

​Students seeking only federal student aid need only to submit the FAFSA, although additional documents may be required after submission. The Juilliard School does not discriminate against applicants on the basis of race, color, religion, gender, age, sexual orientation, political beliefs, national origin, or disability.

Juilliard reserves the right to adjust financial aid packages based on new information, additional funds received by the student, changes to government regulations, or to correct errors.

**While the Kovner Fellowship program offers merit-based funding, only a small number of students will be selected; all applicants wishing to be considered for scholarships are strongly encouraged to apply through the financial aid process as described below.

The deadline to apply for financial aid and scholarships is March 1. Applicants will be able to view their individual requirements through their application portal. For most applicants this will include the following items:

• The FAFSA (U.S. Citizens and Permanent Residents only). You can find the online application at http://studentaid.gov/h/apply-for-aid/fafsa. Juilliard’s school code is 002742.
• The CSS Financial Aid Profile. Available at http://cssprofile.collegeboard.org. Juilliard’s school code is 2340.
• A signed copy of your and your parents' most recent tax return or income documentation.

Note to graduate students: We will waive the parent tax requirement only if you can prove that you were self‐supporting in the year prior to enrollment. Documentation may include your most recent tax return, or documentation of scholarships, loans or sponsor support. Scholarship decisions are based on a combination of financial need and merit combined. The financial strength of your family is an important consideration whether or not they will provide direct support to you during your graduate studies.

All continuing students must reapply for financial aid every year to receive Juilliard scholarships, grants, and loans. To do so, submit the following items by May 1:

• U.S. Citizens and Permanent Residents: complete the FAFSA.
  • Note to FAFSA filers: The 2024-25 FAFSA was made available in December 2023 with significant changes. To learn more about the FAFSA Simplification Act, visit studentaid.gov.
• International Students: complete the International Student Financial Aid Application.

Financial Aid Offer letters will be processed for students with complete files in June. Students will receive an email when the offer is available in their Cadence financial aid portal under the messages tab. (A Juilliard login and password are required.) Hard copies of offer letters are available upon request.

Please review your offer letter carefully and comply with any follow up items needed as soon as possible. Detailed information regarding financial aid programs and policies can be found in the brochure Resources for Funding Your Juilliard Education: A Guide to Financial Aid.

Scholarship amounts generally stay the same for each year you are enrolled in your program of study, although tuition will increase by 2-4% each year. Federal aid may change depending on your demonstrated need and grade level. If you have questions or concerns regarding your financial aid, please contact our office.

As a reminder, by logging onto Cadence, students can:

• Check status of financial aid requirements
• ​View financial aid offer letters
• Accept federal student loans
• Check account statements to ensure all aid has been credited (except Work-Study)
• Provide access to parents or other to view financial data

If you are a current or former Juilliard college student applying to a new program, you are generally considered a “new” applicant because you will need to reapply and reaudition. Your application and audition will be evaluated along with the other applicants to The Juilliard School, and you will be notified of the admission decision by April 1.

Because your financial aid application will be considered along with the other applicants to The Juilliard School, the deadline to apply is March 1.

The following items are required:

• U.S. Citizens and Permanent Residents: Complete the FAFSA.
  • Note to FAFSA filers: The 2024-25 FAFSA was made available in December 2023 with significant changes. To learn more about the FAFSA Simplification Act, visit studentaid.gov.
• International Students: Complete the International Student Financial Aid Application.

Graduate applicants are usually required to submit student and parent tax returns. However, we will waive that requirement for current Juilliard college students because we have prior year financial data on file. Please remember that you are always welcome to provide us with whatever additional information you feel would be helpful in demonstrating your financial need.

Keep in mind that your financial aid eligibility will change at the graduate level:

• Federal and state grants, such as Pell, FSEOG, and TAP are for undergraduates only; you will no longer be eligible at the graduate level.
• Graduate students are not eligible for Federal subsidized loans.
• Your parent can no longer apply for a Parent PLUS loan on your behalf; however, you may be eligible for a graduate PLUS loan in your own name.

Finally, and most importantly, regarding your current Juilliard scholarship: the amount you are receiving this year is for your current program of study only. When you reaudition for a new program, your scholarship decision is evaluated along with the other applicants that year, the same as your admission status will be. Any new scholarship offer may represent an increase or a decrease from prior years, depending on your financial need and merit compared to the rest of the admitted class, as well as availability of funding.

Accelerated BM/MM: Although you must apply and audition for this program, if admitted you are essentially considered a continuing student. Your deadline to reapply for financial aid is May 1, and you can expect the same amount of scholarship as you are currently receiving through your graduation from the Master’s program.

During the fifth year of the program, you are considered a graduate student. FAFSA filers will no longer need to provide parent data or signatures. Your eligibility for federal and state student aid will be the same as for other graduate students; you will no longer be eligible for federal or state grants.

Artist Diploma in Performance, MM or GD in Historical Performance or MFA in Acting: These programs offer full-tuition scholarships to all admitted students; no forms are required. However, U.S. citizens and permanent residents can complete a FAFSA to obtain federal student loans for additional educational fees and living expenses.

Artist Diploma in Jazz, Playwriting or String Quartet Studies: These programs do not charge tuition; no forms are required. However, U.S. citizens and permanent residents can complete a FAFSA to obtain federal student loans for additional educational fees and living expenses.

Artist Diploma in Opera Studies and all DMA programs: These programs offer full-tuition scholarships to all admitted students, as well as living expense stipends. Stipend amounts vary each year and will be announced during the prior spring. No forms are required. However, U.S. citizens and permanent residents can complete a FAFSA to obtain federal student loans for additional educational and living expenses.

We encourage all students considering a new program of study to contact us with any questions or concerns.