Scholarships, fellowships, and assistantships are available to outstanding graduate applicants on the basis of merit.  No special application is necessary, as all new and continuing students are automatically considered for merit-based assistance.  Although new students may enter in the fall, spring, or summer semesters, most scholarships and assistantships are awarded on an academic-year basis (beginning in the fall)

Applicants should note that primary consideration for College of Music scholarships, assistantships, and other merit-based awards is given to students who have completed applications and auditions prior to March 1.  Graduate voice applicants should note an earlier deadline--all application materials including a pre-audition screening recording must be postmarked by or before December 1.  Applications for musicology majors must be complete by January 15 for scholarship/assistantship eligibility.

Beyond March 1, scholarship consideration in most areas is given only as funds become available.  While there is no specific cutoff date for domestic applications, many of our programs have limited capacity for entering students, and quotas may be filled after March 1. 

Graduate assistantships, valued at approximately $22,230 for the academic year for non-resident students, represent one of the most prestigious awards offered to entering students. The assistantship package includes an academic-year stipend of $6,672, six credits of free tuition per semester, and 70% of the most popular health-care premium.  Each year, approximately 70 assistantships are awarded to new and continuing graduate students.  Recipients of the assistantships are assigned ten hours of work per week within the College of Music.  Scholarships and fellowships are awarded in grants up to $12,000 for the academic year--an amount sufficient to cover tuition for minimum full-time enrollment for a first-year, non-resident student. 

Approximately two-thirds of students entering the College of Music are offered some level of merit-based scholarship assistance.  Assuming that students demonstrate adequate progress toward their degrees and satisfactory fulfillment of assigned duties (as stipulated in award contracts), master's students may plan on continued funding for a total of two years, and doctoral students, three.  Voice students must compete annually for renewal of scholarships by participating in the graduate voice scholarship auditions.  As domestic students may expect to achieve resident tuition status after one year, renewal amounts are adjusted to cover approximately the same amount of tuition in the second and subsequent years.

Award and Acceptance
Offers of scholarships and assistantships are made by or before March 31; students are allowed until May 1 to accept or decline the awards, in keeping with rules of ethics governing all NASM affiliated institutions.  After May 1, there are occasionally secondary offers of scholarships made, as some scholarship money may become available.

Need-Based Financial Aid
We strongly advise you to fill out a Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA), which is the application for need-based financial aid (work-study opportunities, subsidized loans, grants, etc.) whether or not you think you may qualify for Federal aid.  Having a high percentage of students apply for federal aid is an advantage to the University; furthermore, there is always a possibility that you may be granted a need-based fellowship or that you may experience a temporary “cash-flow problem” and need to apply for a short-term loan--for which a FAFSA must be on file.  Once you have completed the FAFSA, send it to the address supplied with the form.  The ideal period for filing extends from January 1 to March 1; processing takes approximately 4 to 6 weeks at which time the University of Colorado Financial Aid Office will receive an assessment of your financial need.  Applications received after March 1 will be processed on a rolling basis according to the availability of University of Colorado funds.  You may obtain the form from any high school, college or university financial aid office or on line at www.fafsa.ed.gov.  Additionally, you may request the application from our Office of Financial Aid, UCB 77, Boulder, CO  80309-0077; phone:  (303) 492-5091.  Please note that the above described, need-based aid is separate from College of Music assistantships and awards, which are entirely merit-based.