Tuition & Scholarships

Financial Aid

All students who apply to Mason Gross School of the Arts and complete a talent assessment (audition/interview/portfolio) are automatically considered for merit scholarship, with no further action or paperwork required. In addition, to apply for support outside of the Mason Gross School, we encourage all U.S. students to submit a Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) form. The Rutgers University Office of Financial Aid uses the FAFSA to develop a financial aid package based on students’ qualifications, financial need, and the funds available to the university. The FAFSA priority deadlines are December 1 (first-year applicants) and February 1 (transfer and graduate applicants).

Undergraduate Tuition, Fees, & Scholarships

Undergraduate Tuition and Fees

Please visit the Rutgers Student Cost of Attendance page and select the “Professional School” menu item for the estimated cost of attending Mason Gross School of the Arts.

The Rutgers net price calculator (NPC) is designed to give undergraduate students a personalized early estimate of your cost to attend Rutgers University. The NPC is simple to use, and it takes less than 5 minutes to get your estimated package. It’s mobile friendly too!

You may also see the most recent Rutgers Board of Governors tuition and fee rates by selecting “Rutgers University-New Brunswick” here: https://finance.rutgers.edu/student-abc/tuition-fees and refer to the column labeled “07 Mason Gross School of the Arts.”

Please also note that there are some additional program/course specific fees that will be applied to students majoring in Acting, Theater Design and who take one on one music lessons. The costs for these programs listed below are in addition to the tuition and fee schedules provided in the links above:

Theater: Acting: $2,500 (per semester – to support extra costs accrued to pay for the mandatory study abroad program in London)
Theater: Design: $1,500 (per semester – to support extra costs accrued to pay for the mandatory study abroad program in London)
Applied Music: $250 (per semester – to support private 1:1 instruction)

Undergraduate Scholarship Information

NEWLY ADMITTED STUDENTS:

All undergraduate applicants will be reviewed for scholarships based on their artistic talent and academic merit at the time of their admissions decision. Only applicants who have been assigned an award will be notified of their award. Mason Gross undergraduate scholarship typically ranges between $2,000 and $10,000 per year. 

**Each school within Rutgers University has its own criteria for merit scholarships. If a student is admitted to multiple schools within Rutgers University, the student will only receive the award affiliated with the school in which they enroll. A student may only enroll in one Rutgers University unit, so scholarships from different schools cannot be combined even if the student intends to double major.

Merit-based scholarships for newly admitted students to Mason Gross are final and non-negotiable. However, formal letters of appeal may be submitted to scholarships@masongross.rutgers.edu with the subject “Merit Scholarship Appeal” to be reviewed by the Mason Gross scholarship committee if additional funds become available. Appeals will not be considered without a formal written request (phone conversations will not be considered requests).

CURRENT/CONTINUING STUDENTS:

Mason Gross School of the arts has limited funding available for continuing students at this time. If you require additional assistance because of need please reach out to advisement@mgsa.rutgers.edu or your major advisor for assistance in submitting a formal appeal to the office of financial aid or applying for emergency funding through the university dean of students office.

EXTERNAL SCHOLARSHIPS/THIRD PARTY BILLING:

Many students receive awards from external organizations, third parties or benefactors and need setup sponsored billing. If that is the case and you would like to make arrangements to have a third party finance your education please refer to this site for more information: https://finance.rutgers.edu/student-abc/payments/third-partysponsored-billing

Graduate Tuition, Fees, & Scholarships

Graduate Tuition and Fees

Please visit the Rutgers Student Cost of Attendance page and select the “Graduate” menu item for the estimated cost of attending Mason Gross School of the Arts.

The Rutgers net price calculator (NPC) is designed to give undergraduate students a personalized early estimate of your cost to attend Rutgers University. The NPC is simple to use, and it takes less than 5 minutes to get your estimated package. It’s mobile friendly too!

You may also see the most recent Rutgers Board of Governors tuition and fee rates by selecting “Rutgers University-New Brunswick” here: https://finance.rutgers.edu/student-abc/tuition-fees and refer to the following columns:

For MFA, MM, DMA, and AD refer to column labeled “08 Graduate Mason Gross School of the Arts.”
For EdM Dance Education please refer to the column labeled “15 Graduate School of Education”

For MA and PhD students enrolling at School 16, the School of Graduate Studies, unfortunately, this school is not listed on the chart provided through the link above. However, the cost for these two degrees is the same as the EdM in Dance education, so if you cannot find a column labeled “16 School of Graduate Studies” you can refer to the column labeled “15 Graduate School of Education.” If you have additional questions regarding tuition and fees associated with the MA and PhD music programs, please contact the School of Graduate Studies by emailing: gradschl@grad.rutgers.edu.

Please note that graduate programs may vary in cost depending on if the program is full-time or part-time. If a program is full-time, students will be charged a flat tuition cost and fees. If a program is part-time, students will be charged by credit, tuition, and affiliated fees.

Graduate Scholarship Information

Graduate awards and fellowships vary greatly depending on the department and area of study. All students who submit a complete application to Mason Gross are automatically considered for talent or artistic merit-based scholarships.

Art & Design

MFA Design

Every MFA in design student receives a partial scholarship from Mason Gross School of the Arts, for each year of study. Each student is also offered optional part-time employment in Co-Adjutant positions that support the operation of the undergraduate and graduate design area. Additionally, there are select opportunities for teaching as a Part-Time Lecturer. These paid positions are not guaranteed, as they depend on enrollment, scheduling, and expertise.

MFA Visual Arts

All accepted MFA Visual Arts students receive fellowships equivalent to the cost of tuition for the two years of the program. Incoming MFA Visual Arts students are awarded fellowships equivalent to full out-of-state tuition in their first year and full in-state tuition in their second year. (International students continue to receive out-of-state tuition in their second year). No additional applications or requirements are necessary to qualify for the fellowships. With the fellowships comes the expectation that graduate students will fully participate in the Art & Design Department community during their time at Mason Gross. Students are responsible for covering all additional university fees including health insurance, campus fees, housing, and materials. Students may apply for additional financial support through a host of department jobs. The Department of Art & Design also offers a range of paid co-adjunct positions which students may apply for each semester.

Dance, Music, and Playwriting

All graduate applicants will be reviewed for available scholarships after admissions decisions have been processed. Notifications are posted after the initial admissions decision, typically in early April. Only applicants who have been assigned an award will be notified of their award.

External Scholarships

All Graduate students are encouraged to apply for externally funded fellowships and scholarships as early as possible. Rutgers provides a database of available external awards through the GradFund based on primary discipline. Please visit the GradFund website for more information.

If you do receive awards from external organizations, third parties or benefactors and need setup sponsored billing, please refer to this site for more information: https://finance.rutgers.edu/student-abc/payments/third-partysponsored-billing