<p>AlwaysAMom, thanks for that informative explanation. It makes sense in light of what I know and have in our hands. </p>
<p>My D is a recipient of a Trustee's Scholarship from NYU/Tisch and it is for $20,000. I had assumed some merit went into this and I guess that IS the case but also financial need must have also gone into that award. I now see how this must be true because this scholarship was PART of the financial need package my D received (other parts were Perkins Loan, Stafford Loan and Work Study). This differs from the other schools where she got scholarships because in many of those instances, there was a separate letter about the scholarship (usually also with a name to it) and it either mentioned academic and/or talent as merit for this award and THEN she ALSO got a financial aid package on top of that merit award under separate cover some times. For NYU, it was all under ONE cover and so like your letter indicates, merit AND need went into the NYU scholarship. </p>
<p>To be selected as a University Scholar at Tisch (totally UNrelated to a Trustee Scholarship), this indeed came under separate cover and my D is also one of these. This had nothing to do with financial need, nor is there money involved (though to be honest, they pay full fare for two wonderful trips while a student at NYU in the Scholars Program). They indicated both in writing and at the luncheon for Scholars recently, that this selection was based on academics, talent, leadership and community service. We had no idea this even existed at Tisch. As we sat and listened to how and why they selected these fifteen kids, it was apparent to both our child and us that her resume, essays, and recs all spoke to the criteria they were looking for and she had no idea about any of this when she was writing the essays or putting her package together. It all just fit it by coincidence. They mentioned they were looking for kids with drive and intitiative for the Scholars Program and so if you have done anything along these lines, share it in some way in what you submit to the college. I'm sharing this so that others know this exists and might want to demonstrate these attributes in their app package. </p>
<p>I also shared about the Trustee Scholarship because unbeknownst to us, there really ARE merit scholarships (even if SOME like NYU are tied to need too) at all these programs. The scholarships from NYU, Ithaca, Syracuse, and BOCO were quite substantial in fact (and then some schools need based aid like CMU and Emerson included substantial grants as well) and I want families to know this exists in these BFA programs because we had NO idea. We had read how getting grants from NYU was near impossible and maybe it is but hey, it happened and in fact, another boy on here says he got it too. I hope families do not hesitate to apply to these programs based on the tuition because sometimes, there really ARE scholarships that bring the total sum down (though admittedly it is still way too high to afford and we will be paying for it the rest of our lives, I think!). </p>
<p>AS I said I recieved a tisch scholar scholarsip as well as an award for talent. This is truly what occurred . I am a national merit scholar as well as being very active in my school, leadership ASB, cheer, Ncl etc. I have many professional credits as well. I know that its very hard to believe but I to can copy you in too to my response from NYU.I am grateful to nyu for acknowledging me in this way. I never applied or filled out farsa. So Im going to drop it since I know the truth.</p>
<p>My son received a letter around April 15 informing him that he has been awarded a Tisch/Trustees Scholarship (albeit a small one). We, too, did not fill out the FAFSA/apply for financial aid. So it appears that Tisch does give some money for merit alone, and we are so pleased that our son has been honored in this way.</p>
<p>Cadget and Lyricasta, I had thought the Trustee Scholarship was on merit too until I read what was posted here. Certainly if you did not fill out FAFSA, then it appears it was only merit based. We also get a financial aid package. At other schools, my D got a merit scholarship and it was named and not necessarily part of the financial aid package and came under separate cover. I had assumed this was similar but now have no idea. </p>
<p>Cadget, are you a University Scholar? That program is all merit based for sure. Were you at the luncheon for Tisch Scholars? Perhaps we saw you.
Susan</p>
<p>I read about these scholarships at NYU's website and copy that information here:</p>
<p>Tisch School of the Arts</p>
<p>University Scholars Program
These scholarships are awarded to entering freshmen. Students are considered for the program based on academic achievement, extracurricular activities, and an artistic review. This select group of students attend special events and travel internationally. The program particularly focuses on helping students explore the vast art and cultural resources of New York City. </p>
<p>Trustees Scholarships
Trustees Scholarships are awarded to entering freshmen and transfer students of exceptional promise. Their course work is augmented with activities that introduce them to the intellectual and cultural life of the University and New York City. </p>
<p>We know that for many students, financial aid is an important consideration in deciding where to go to college. Financial aid packages at NYU take into account both financial need and academic merit and are awarded when a student is offered admission. This year, freshmen will receive $32 million in the form of scholarships. Over 400 merit awards and scholarships, ranging from $1,000 to $25,000, were awarded to the entering class this year.
NYU offers several general scholarship programs in which all seven of our undergraduate schools participate. In addition, most of our schools offer their own school-based scholarships and/or scholars programs. ... Please note that no special applications are required for NYU Scholarships. All qualified applicants are automatically considered."</p>
<p>What I take it to mean is that a financial aid package will take merit and need into account. However, ALSO merit awards/scholarships are given to some entering students and many of these are "school based" or in this case, based at Tisch. None of the applicants had to apply for these scholarships, or even apply for financial aid to get these Tisch (merit based) Scholarships....either the Trustee Scholarship OR the University Scholars (in my child's case, she got both. While we did submit a FAFSA, not everyone who got these merit awards did and it appears these were merit based awards. If a financial aid (need based) package was ALSO given, however, then the merit scholarship was figured into the total aid package, as other schools ALSO did when they put the package together....the merit award was listed as one of the line items in the need based package).</p>
<p>I don't know if that makes it clearer but that is what the website states.
Susan</p>
<p>soozievt and others: We re-read the Tisch scholarship information you posted when our son was notified of his Trustees Scholarship last week, trying to figure out what it meant. We were somewhat surprised that he was awarded a scholarship, since the notification came well after NYU had received our deposit and his acceptance of admission offer. What I mean is, NYU did not need to offer him money as an incentive to attend Tisch; they already knew he was attending and they knew we had not demonstrated financial need. </p>
<p>As I mentioned previously, we did not fill out the FAFSA/apply for financial aid (not because we are rich, but because 1. we have deligently saved for our son's college education since his birth, 2. we expect him to take ownership in his education by working and taking out loans in his own name, 3. I will return to work to pay his tuition so my husband can retire before he is ancient, and 4. we truly feel financial aid should go to students who would not otherwise be able to attend college.)</p>
<p>My point in saying all this is to share our conclusion that Tisch DOES give some scholarships based on merit alone, if for no other reason than to recognize a student's hard work and "exceptional promise" (their words, not ours). Also, the Trustees Scholarship description states that recipients' "course work is augmented with activities that introduce them to the intellectual and cultural life of the University and New York City." We're glad to know that Tisch does not limit those enrichment activities to students with financial need.</p>
<p>The main thing I can say about our son's being named a Trustees Scholar is not the relatively small amount of money it entails, but what it symbolizes to us -- that Tisch recognizes his "exceptional promise" and will offer him activities to augment his coursework. That makes his dad and I feel much more enthused about the sacrifices we will be making in our own lives so that our son can fulfill his dream to attend Tisch and go to school in NYC. He was offered much more merit money at much less expensive, selective liberal arts colleges. But none of those wouldl provide the educational advantages of studying at Tisch and living in NYC.</p>
<p>Lyric, as mentioned, we also assumed this award was based on merit and the description on the website implies that. What I think happens with financial aid is that if the student has been given a merit based scholarship, it becomes part of the total financial aid package. At other schools where the merit award scholarship came under separate cover, it then still was a line item in the need based financial aid package. I think that is what occurred here with NYU too. So, our understanding was akin to yours. Your experience, as well as Cadget's demonstrates that other kids (besides my D's example) got a Trustee Scholarship who did not even apply for financial aid. </p>
<p>I am not sure what "extra" things a Trustee Scholar gets (just read the vague description on the website). I am more familiar with the University Scholars thing because they sent us more information about it and we attended a luncheon for Tisch University Scholars and that program indeed has many extras/perks. If you ever find out what extras, if any, go with a Trustee Scholarship, I'd love to hear. </p>
<p>I also am wondering, do you know? ....if a kid gets this Trustee Scholarship for freshman year, do they get it for the other three years? That was not clear, yet the merit awards for other schools seemed to state "per year". It would make quite a difference to know if she was getting $20,000 scholarship the following years too. I guess I could ask. I thought since your kid got it too, maybe you know? </p>
<p>The trustee scholarships are renewable, as long as the student maintains a reasonable GPA. We had asked about this when d1 started at NYU, and each year they have automatically added the scholarship into her billing. We too did not fill out any forms for d1, however her amount was also a lot less.</p>
<p>One of the other issues going on the year my d applied, was post 911. We were told by an administrator for that year a lot of NYU money would be going to NY children of 911 victims, who were accepted to the Univesity. It was my understanding, that many of these awards ranged from half to full tuition. Which meant they would have a lot less for others. As much as we would have liked to recieve more money, we were very impressed with NYU's commitment to the community.</p>
<p>Since we are discussing the Trustee Scholarship at Tisch and since I honestly was not that clear about it when we opened the award (it was more like, wow, we cannot believe it kind of thing, as my child lay in a hospital bed in the living room with a nurse bandaging her up!...and I had to do a double take on the zeros cause I had expected no money from NYU from what people posted here in the past)....</p>
<p>So, I spoke to a financial aid officer at NYU today and asked if this award is based on merit or just what. He said that it was based on both in the sense that the award is for merit (thus you guys who also got this award who did NOT apply for financial aid) but if you applied for need based aid, that affected the AMOUNT of the award in that it INCREASED the amount of the original merit award so to speak. He explained that someone who got it JUST for merit, would not get as much as this amount that someone like my D who had ALSO applied for financial aid got. That would explain why for example, my child may have gotten 20K and someone else got 5K....NOT because she had more merit....as both needed merit to get this award but because she ALSO was an applicant for need based Fin. Aid and so the award was increased based on need. I hope that is pretty clear. </p>
<p>As well, I asked if this was a one time award and he said NO, that she would get the 20K Trustee Scholarship all four years as long as she met academic criteria (ie., over a 2.0 GPA, took 32 credits, was not on probation, etc.). That was music to my ears, lol. </p>
<p>I know for University Scholars, she has to maintain 3.5 to stay in that, but that is more of an Honors thing, than a monetary award (not counting the paid trips). </p>
<p>Studio7, sorry did not see your post prior to posting mine above but I concur that it is quite impressive that NYU reached out to assist students whose families were impacted by the tragedy of 911. While I had heard that NYU does not give out much, that is an example where they truly did. In my kid's case, I was shocked to see anything because of hearing that they did not give money. I also had no idea that all thse BFA programs my D applied to, including NYU, would be giving out these merit scholarships and I must say, that was a pleasant surprise when opening envelopes a few weeks ago. My other D had applied to schools who for the most part, did not give merit aid, so we were not used to this. </p>
<p>I have been lurking on these forums for quite a while now. My dd, age 13, has just been accepted to musical theater at a performing arts high school, and I figured it wasn't too early to start looking at the college threads.</p>
<p>Just a question. Did I read Soozievt's post correctly in that the scholarship her dd received was renewable as long as she maintained a 2.0 GPA? Just sounds rather low to me. Most scholarships I've seen (and I have a few friends with older children), are usually based on maintaining much higher GPA's (3.0 and above).</p>
<p>Anyway, there is SOOOO much information on these boards. I think it will take me months and months to get through it all.</p>
<p>Starmom,
Perhaps the guy said 3.0 and not 2.0 because now that I think about it, 2.0 does not sound right. I just recall that it was lower than the 3.5 my D would be required to maintain to stay in Tisch University Scholars program. I just know it was something lower than that and I did not pay much attention to it because none of it seemed to be that big of a deal...my main question to do with it was asking if the scholarship was for more than just the first year. Plus he clarified the merit and need aspects of it. If I wrote 2.0, it may be in error. It was more like he was saying, yes, you keep it for all four years as long as you are in good academic standing according to NYU criteria, take 32 credits, typical stuff that did not sound like too too much to do and I was not paying as much attention to that as to the basic yes and no if it is a four year award or a one year one. Sorry if I may have the number incorrect and I am not sure of it. It was not the point of my call, nor my post.</p>
<p>Thanks for the links to Alabama. I mentioned several moons ago that U.A. instituted a new MT program for the 2004 - 2005 school year. We have the school listed on the Big List. I don't know anything about the quality of their brand new MT program, but I have heard good things about their theatre program. They have an affiliation with the Alabama Shakespeare Festival, which if memory serves me, is the largest Shakespeare festival in the country.</p>
<p>Thanks, Thesbo! Keep 'em coming - less well-known programs (than CMU, NYU, UMich, Point Park, Northwestern.) are my interest in posting my question about scholarships, because I know nothing about their schoalrship situations...</p>
<p>Oh, I forgot, I also know the scoop about CCM (old teachers sometimes get addled brains :)!)</p>
<p>Coach C, would you mind sharing scholarship info you already have on Point Park and CCM? </p>
<p>Most of the schools mentioned previously on this thread have been for National Merit winners; I'm trying to gather info now on merit/talent scholarship $ available for good (not great) grades and above average test scores (but not National Merit semi/finalist or finalist status -- more likely NM commendable), if there is such a thing! </p>
<p>I have to pull out my CCM info (which will take a little while to find...) - but I will get back to you as soon as I can with that...Offhand, I know they have a competitive academic full scholarship called the Cincinnatus Scholarship, which students are invited to apply for based on their high school records and which involves sitting for a test in Cinci and also (I think) being interviewed. There is a very limited number of these, but I have had a handful of students receive this, and it's of course wonderful for them...
<a href="http://www.financialaid.uc.edu/cincinnatus.html%5B/url%5D">http://www.financialaid.uc.edu/cincinnatus.html</a></p>
<p>Point Park's info I can bring more readily to mind, as I have had more students there than at CCM. This info is based on compiling the experiences of many students over the past 8 years - so there MAY be slight inaccuracies in what I say - but they would only be slight, I think. (For example, there may be a talent scholarship which is more than $5000/year, but I have not heard of one being given to even PPU "star students" in the last several years.)</p>
<p>When students' audition at Point Park, they are "graded" based on talent. Prior to this year, an "A" grade received admission with a talent scholarship ranging anywhere from a few hundred to $5000/year. A "B" grade received admission with an apprenticeship, which is a specially-awarded work study in a theatre area (scene shop, costume shop, etc.). Students have some say in which apprenticeship they get (they meet at the beginning of each year and signify their areas of interest); the apprenticeships fall into the same monetary range as the scholarships. A "C" grade received admission with no money. </p>
<p>I say prior to this past year because Point Park told 2004-05 auditionees that the overall quality of their applicant pool is increasing rapidly and therefore people that would have gotten in with money 2 years ago ended up being only WAITLISTED this year! But people DO get in off the waitlist:at least this past year (and in years prior), students who really wanted PPU but were waitlisted could reaudition, and I personally had two students this year who were admitted by reaudition - and one of them got a SCHOLARSHIP the second time - yes, a scholarship, the highest level of award! Odd, but certainly welcome...</p>
<p>A few other things about PPU - they have LOADS of academic and community/service leadership money, and ALL of my students who have applied over the years (we are talking 20+) have gotten substantial ($6,000 - $10,000 per year) academic and/or leadership scholarships upon being admitted to the university, well before their auditions. In addition, Point Park has a Presidential Scholarship for which academically strong students are invited to compete. So although it is a private school, PPU does a great job of making their education really affordable!!!</p>