Financial assistance consists of two major types of aid: institutional aid, for which The Graduate Center itself is the funding source, and federal and state aid. 

Institutional Aid 
Institutional aid is based on a combination of need and merit. With the exception of a few special awards and the Student Employment Program, institutional aid is awarded to students based on the nomination of the music program.
 

The Presidential MAGNET Fellowship is a five-year fellowship for incoming students from underrepresented groups who are U.S. citizens or permanent residents.  Please note that students must be nominated by their programs for this fellowship.

The fellowship covers full tuition and student fees andprovides an annual stipend of $27,000 for the first five years of study.  The award consists of a stipend, a graduate assistantship, a tuition award (including student fees) and eligibility for low-cost individual or family NYSHIP health insurance (NYSHIP). Fellows will receive a further $1,000 startup stipend in the first year to help with the costs of beginning doctoral studies. Additionally, during the third year the fellow receives a $1,500 research/travel stipend to help lay the ground work for a dissertation project.

 

Presidential Magnet Fellows are appointed as Graduate Assistants for five years. In years 1, 2, and 3 the Fellow serves as a graduate assistant assigned to mentoring undergraduates in the CUNY Pipeline Program. In the 4^th and 5^th year the Fellow has the option of either teaching one course each semester at a CUNY undergraduate college or of serving as a research assistant in the Office of Educational Opportunity and Diversity Programs.
 

Students who accept the Presidential MAGNET Fellowship are required to attend monthly colloquia at the Graduate Center, mentor undergraduate student who are pursuing a career in college teaching and participate in the administration of the CUNY Pipeline Program.

Enhanced Chancellor's Fellowships/Graduate Teaching Fellowships
Outstanding applicants may be selected by the Music Program for these awards. Enhanced Chancellor’s Fellowships carry an annual stipend of $18,000 and cover in-state tuition for five years. In the second, third, and fourth years they provide a Graduate Teaching Fellowship (GTF) position at one of the CUNY colleges teaching two courses a semester. In the fifth year Enhanced Chancellors Fellows receive a Writing Fellowship, Technology Fellowship or similar position.

All Graduate Center Fellows receive full tuition up to 16 credits per semester in their first year of study. All Graduate Center Fellows who are international students receive full tuition up to 16 credits per semester for the four remaining years of this fellowship. If U.S. citizens or Permanent Residents who are Graduate Center Fellows choose not to establish New York State residency following their first year, they must pay the difference between the full in-state tuition which they will receive and the out-of-state tuition rate they will be charged.



Five-year Tuition Fellowships
Students who are not awarded one of the Fellowships described above will be considered for a Five-year Tuition Fellowship. These fellowships cover full tuition (up to 16 credits per semester) and are awarded in recognition of academic achievement and in expectation of scholarly success.

All Tuition Fellows receive full tuition up to 16 credits per semester in their first year of study. All Tuition Fellows who are international students receive full tuition up to 16 credits per semester for the four remaining years of this fellowship. If U.S. citizens or Permanent Residents who are Tuition Fellows choose not to establish New York State residency following their first year, they must pay the difference between the full in-state tuition which they will receive and the out-of-state tuition rate they will be charged.
 

Dissertation-Year Awards
A number of fellowships are awarded on a competitive basis by the Graduate Center to students who are in the final stage of their doctoral studies. In most cases, it is assumed that the recipient of a dissertation-year fellowship will complete the dissertation during the fellowship year. In all cases, students who will have completed the dissertation, oral defense, and revisions within the first semester of the fellowship year will receive half the award. Most fellowships require special application procedures, which are noted under each description. Where no special procedures are listed, The Graduate Center's single-page Application for Financial Assistance is the only application required.

Dissertation-year Fellowships for topics dealing with any aspect of music and musical life in New York City, in the past or at present, are awarded on a competitive basis by the Music Program from Baisley Powell Elebash Endowment. Students may also apply top the Endowment for support for smaller scale pre-dissertation projects dealing with music in New York City.

Other Financial Support
Many students also benefit from adjunct teaching positions and research assistantships on other campuses within CUNY.

International Student Eligibility
All prospective international students must complete the Request for Certificate of Eligibility and Declaration & Certification of Finances contained in The Graduate Center Application Packet and return it with the necessary supporting financial documentation. It is important to keep in mind that the estimate of expenses is a minimum figure, and that actual costs may vary. International students should also bear in mind that the University financial assistance for which they are eligible to compete is extremely limited and usually not adequate to fund the student's total expenses. Eligibility for off-campus employment is also limited.

The Application for Financial Assistance (available directly from the Office of Financial Aid) is the only form required to apply for most institutional aid. The Office of Financial Aid collects and evaluates all applications and informs each program of the names and relative financial need of its financial aid applicants. Programs consider financial need and academic merit when making awards, as well as other practical and academic factors that vary by program. Once a program has made a nomination, the Office of Financial Aid notifies the student of the award and collects the required documentation needed to pay the award.

Federal and State Aid
In all cases, federal and state aid is based solely on financial need. Federal aid for graduate students includes Federal Work Study, Federal Direct Loans, and Federal Perkins Loans. New York State provides the Tuition Assistance Program (TAP) for eligible graduate students who are New York State residents.

Federal aid is awarded directly through the Office of Financial Aid in accordance with requirements established by federal law. Federal aid requires a separate application, the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). Students who apply by the deadline for federal aid established each spring (usually in April) are considered for Federal Work Study Positions and/or Federal Perkins Loans for the upcoming academic year. Students interested in Federal Direct Loans may apply by submitting a loan application in addition to filing an FAFSA. First-time borrowers must attend a personal pre-loan interview before the loan is disbursed. The New York State Tuition Assistance Program (TAP) is awarded directly by New York State. Students apply for TAP by first filing the FAFSA and then completing the follow-up application for the New York State program.

Deadlines

An admissions applicant seeking financial assistance should make every possible effort to have all admission and financial aid forms submitted by the earliest deadline listed. Applicants for admission and financial aid for the Fall term who have not yet taken the Graduate Record Exam are encouraged to take the exam no later than October for admission the following September.