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Funding
The University of Wisconsin-Madison School of Music offers a variety of funding options for graduate students. It is important to meet the School of Music application and materials deadline of December 1, 2009 for full funding consideration.

Graduate tuition costs. Approximately 40% of graduate music students receive some type of funding. To be eligible for funding, students must meet all minimum admission requirements and be admitted with no deficiencies.

There are three types of financial aid. All applicants are AUTOMATICALLY considered for funding. There are no applications required from the graduate student.
1. Teaching Assistantships (TA)
Each year the School of Music announces openings for Teaching Assistants in various areas. TA appointments include paid tuition, a stipend, and health benefits.

** There are NO TA openings for academic year 2009-10 at this time. If an opening occurs in the future, it will be posted on this page.**
2. Fellowships
University Fellowship
This is a University-wide competition for newly accepted applicants  planning to ultimately complete a doctoral degree. The School of Music nominates  new applicants each year. There is no application for the student to fill out. The competition is based on student excellence taking into account grade point average (usually at least 3.75), prior accomplishments, and potential contributions to your field as reflected in your letters of recommendation. In the personal statement you provide with your application, you should name UW professors with whom you wish to study, your reasons for applying to the UW, and the ways your graduate study at the UW can help you achieve your professional goals. University fellows receive tuition, benefits, and a stipend in the first year, and further support (TA, PA, Fellowship) in subsequent years.
There are THREE different Wisconsin Distinguished Graduate Fellowship (listed below). WDGF fellowships require nomination by a faculty member and are determined after auditions and review of a completed application file. Only applicants who audition on-campus will be considered. The WDGF program at the University of Wisconsin-Madison was created in 1997 through the foresight and generosity of three major partners: the University of Wisconsin Foundation, Wisconsin Alumni Research Foundation (WARF), and alumni donors. The School of Music has been the beneficiary of several significant gifts and is currently able to offer WDG Fellowships which include full tuition and fees, an approximate stipend of $18,567 (2009-10) for the academic year, professional development funds of approximately $1,500, and a choice of comprehensive healthcare plans covering the individual student as well as immediate family members.

  • Paul Collins Wisconsin Distinguished Graduate Fellowships
    The Collins fellowships have been established through the generosity of Paul J. Collins in honor of his mother, Adele Stoppenbach Collins, a 1929 School of Music graduate. Student are nominated by faculty members. The fellowships are awarded to outstanding graduate performance majors and are determined by a committee of performance faculty. Collins Awards guarantee two years of support at the masters level and three years at the doctoral level, contingent upon full-time study and satisfactory progress in the degree program. These awards are sufficient to provide the financial support needed for a single international student to obtain a visa.
  • Lorna Jorgenson Wendt Wisconsin Distinguished Graduate Fellowship
    This fellowship is offered through the generosity of Lorna J. Wendt and awarded to an outstanding graduate student in the choral area.
  • Voice Excellence Wisconsin Distinguished Graduate Fellowship
    This fellowship is offered through the generosity of an anonymous donor and awarded to an outstanding graduate student in voice or opera.
Advanced Opportunity Fellowship (AOF)
Fellows receive tuition, benefits, and a stipend in the first year, and further support (TA, PA, Fellowship) in subsequent years.

To be eligible for AOF, a student must be a U.S. citizen or U.S. Permanent Resident admitted to or enrolled in a graduate department. Preference is given to those who claim Wisconsin as their legal residence. In addition, AOF fellows must be:

  • Black/African American, Native American, Hispanic (Mexican American, Chicano/a, Puerto Rican) Southeast Asian (Cambodian, Hmong, Laotian, Vietnamese)
  • McNair Students: students who participated in a McNair Program
  • People Program Graduates
  • Wisconsin residents who are first generation to complete a Bachelor's degree AND who participated in a TRIO Program (Upward Bound, Talent Search, Educational Opportunities Centers, Student Support Services)
Wisconsin Musicology/Ethnomusicology Fellowship (WMF)
These fellowships are awarded each year to students majoring in musicology or ethnomusicology. The faculty in these areas automatically consider all applicants, so students do not need to do anything to apply. The fellowship stipend is approximately $10,380 and includes tuition and health benefits.
3. Project Assistantships (PA)
Each year the School of Music announces openings for Project Assistants in various areas. PA appointments include paid tuition, a stipend, and health benefits.

** There are NO PA openings for academic year 2009-10 at this time. If an opening occurs in the future, it will be posted on this page.**

Some examples of past PA positions include:

  • Collaborative Piano Project Assistant
    Provides extensive and professional level accompaniment for the School of Music in a variety of venues. Advanced score reading, repertoire experience and good organizational skills are required.
  • Outreach Representative as part of String Quartet
    Project Assistants perform throughout the Madison Area as part of an outreach program for elementary school children. Each member also must audition and be accepted for the Madison Symphony Orchestra. Quartet members must be full-time graduate students in good standing.
  • Individual Faculty Project Assistant
    Faculty may have funding for research or other types of work and need help from a project assistant. These students will be chosen based on their experience and interests.
Other Forms of Support
We encourage you to apply for financial aid through the Financial Aid Office and pursue other funding possibilities outside the School of Music and the University of Wisconsin. Some additional funding opportunities for music graduate students outside of the School of Music can be found through the following links:
Application Deadline for 2010-11
DECEMBER 1, 2009

Applications and all materials due 12/1/09
for full consideration for all programs and funding. Use this checklist as a tool.
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