SCHOLARSHIPS & FINANCIAL AID

The School of Music, Theatre & Dance and the University of Michigan are committed to educating talented performing artists and scholars.  We strive to make it possible for all admitted students to attend the school, regardless of their individual or family's financial situation. 

We believe that a student should choose a school that offers the best educational fit in the combination of faculty, curriculum, student peers, and environment for their individual goals.  We recommend you develop a ranked evaluation of college options purely on the educational merits.  Then, weigh in financial considerations.  Try hard to avoid choosing a school based solely on the amount of money offered.  Rather, attend the school that will best enable you to achieve your long-term educational goals.     

Consideration for financial assistance begins after a student has completed the applications for admission and financial aid, the audition/interview process, and has been accepted.

Michigan's admission policies and decisions are independent of financial aid decisions.  Applying for financial aid will have no impact on your application for admission.

School Scholarships  (Merit-Based, Need-Informed)

School scholarships are “merit-based, need-informed.”  This means that while encouraging and rewarding artistic and academic excellence is our top priority, we also consider the extent of the student's access to additional financial resources. 

The School of Music, Theatre & Dance commits over three million dollars annually in scholarships for undergraduates.  You will be considered for School scholarships if you submit all the application for admission materials by the deadline for your program (typically December 1), submit the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) and CSS Profile, complete the audition/interview no later than March 12, 2010, and are subsequently offered admission.

Scholarship decisions are based on a combination of the student’s artistic and academic merits in combination with the financial need of the student as indicated by the 2010 FAFSA and CSS Profile.  Currently, we are unable to award scholarships to all who apply, yet we make every effort to assist as many students as possible to attend the School.

The Department of Theatre and Drama and the Department of Dance administer their scholarship programs. Questions regarding scholarships in these areas should be directed to the department.

Scholarships for the Department of Musical Theatre and all the music departments of the School are administered by the Associate Dean for Academic Affairs, Betty Anne Younker.  Questions regarding scholarships in these areas should be directed to her office.   Results will be distributed and mailed in early April.

University Awards, Work-Study and Loans  (Need-Based, Merit-Informed)

Financial aid administered and awarded by the University's Office of Financial Aid includes grant funds, college work-study, a variety of loan programs, and some scholarships.

It is a fundamental principle in college financial aid that every student and his or her family should contribute to their education as they are able.

1)  Entering freshmen:  complete the College Scholarship Service (CSS) Financial Aid PROFILE.  Be sure to list U-M's CSS Code 1839.  The PROFILE costs $9 (application fee) plus $16 for each university to which you want your information sent.

2)  Entering freshmen & transfers:  complete and submit a 2010 Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) to the federal processor between January 1 and (approximately) February 15.  Be sure to use U-M's Federal School Code 002325.  There is no cost to complete the FAFSA. 

• The FAFSA should be filed after January 1 but before the end of February, in order to have the results to Michigan by March 15.
• Late filing of the FAFSA will delay the notification and availability of federal, institutional, and School financial aid.

We also recognize that the information provided on the FAFSA does not always tell the whole story. We encourage families to provide us with whatever supplemental information they feel is important to give us a clearer picture of their financial circumstances.

The Office of Financial Aid provides additional details on the process, costs, award types, and notification on their web site.  We encourage you to read the information and gain as much insight as you can.

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/

Estimated Student Budgets:  What does it cost?