<p>Anyone know if there's much institutional aid available? (Need-based? Merit-based?) From looking at the website it's hard to tell. They mention institutional aid, but heavily stress loan options. If institutional aid is going to be available, do they inform the students when they get their acceptances, or does that come later? Thanks for any insights!</p>
<p>I have absolutely no experience with Berklee other than a good friend of son’s was a Presidential Scholar there a few cycles back. But she was an incredible violinist, I surmise the very top of that audition pool, and there was substantial need and a low EFC to boot.</p>
<p>What I have heard is that Berklee is fairly tight with money, and tend to give the most to the candidates at the very top of the respective audition pools. NEC is like that as well. I believe any merit money is in the form of audition based talent awards only, and academics play no part.</p>
<p>I can pull links for the past scholarship threads if you want. I’d suggest pm’ing some of last year’s Berklee admits and this year’s as well and see if you can get a range of experience of offers. There were a number of admits last year, and I think only 1 or 2 choose to attend. Without significant grants or scholarships it seems to be out of financial reach for many.</p>
<p><a href=“http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/music-major/768494-conservatories-meet-100-financial-need.html?highlight=Berklee[/url]”>http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/music-major/768494-conservatories-meet-100-financial-need.html?highlight=Berklee</a></p>
<p>Berklee tends to give about $10K to a lot of kids (including those who are not at the top of the talent pool), which still leaves a sticker price of about $45K. In this respect, they are more generous than NEC, which often gives some kids nothing, and $10K is considered a decent merit award.</p>
<p>The really big awards (full tuition, full ride) are very few and far between and we could predict who would get them (and did), based on awards in other areas (Brubeck, Grammy, Vail, NFAA, etc). Every so often there is a superstar (who gets a full ride) who seems to come out of nowhere, but in jazz, at least, a lot of the up-and-comers are already known by senior year of high school. If you look on the Berklee website, they have profiles of kids who won the big awards (or they used to—don’t know if they still do).</p>
<p>I have no idea whatsoever how Berklee does with need-based aid; this is just for merit.</p>
<p>Thank you for the responses. I’m trying to help a student get a realistic idea of what she might expect and what her challenge will be in funding an education at Berklee. She’s gotten an acceptance, but I want her to be realistic about the finances without coming across as overly negative since I have no concrete experience with the school.</p>
<p>Thanks again.</p>
<p>I thought the merit money offer came with the offer of admission—that’s my memory at least. I could be wrong.</p>
<p>Merit money awards come via email a week or so after the email acceptance for Berklee (as well as notification that you’re not getting one) – at least that was true of early action. Need-based awards come later on.</p>