- How Do I Renew My Merit Scholarship?
- How Do I Re-apply For My Need-Based Aid?
- Tips for Completing the 2025-26 FAFSA?
- What is Verification?
- What Other Funding is Available?
- Cost of Attendance
- Types of Financial Aid
How do I renew my Merit Scholarship for 2025-26?
All undergraduate students must complete the 2025-26 CSS PROFILE; click here to complete the CSS PROFILE.
Eastman’s CSS PROFILE code is 2224.
Eastman’s CSS PROFILE Application deadline is April 1, 2025.
You will receive one half of your annual scholarship amount for up eight semesters (up to ten semesters for dual degree). You only need to make sure that you are in compliance with the requirements listed below.
- Be registered for at least 12 units each semester.
- Be making satisfactory academic progress towards the completion of your degree.
- Be maintaining a Cumulative Grade Point Average (CGPA) of 3.0 or higher.
- Complete the 2025-26 CSS PROFILE.
Merit Scholarships are awarded to an entering student for 4 years (up to 5 years for dual degree or until degree requirements are completed, whichever is sooner). Transfer students’ awards are renewable based on the entering class year (for example, 3 years for an entering sophomore).
Merit Scholarships are determined at the time you are accepted to Eastman and cannot be appealed.
Though we are focused on making Eastman as affordable as possible, we are not able to meet need for all students.
If a student is released from their housing contract, the Eastman Financial Aid Office reserves the right to review the student’s eligibility for ALL financial aid, including Eastman Merit awards. You should meet with the Financial Aid Office to ensure you understand the potential change in your financial aid.
How do I re-apply for Federal Financial Aid for 2025-26?
To re-apply for Federal funds (Pell Grant, SEOG, Work-study, Federal Subsidized Loan or Federal Unsubsidized Loan), all Domestic Students (US Citizens or Permanent Residents) need to complete the 2025-26 Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA).
The 2025-26 FAFSA is now available to complete.
Eastman’s FAFSA Code is 008124
Eastman’s FAFSA Application Deadline: April 1, 2025
Tips for completing the 2025-26 FAFSA
Starting in 2024-25, the FAFSA application and the delivery system changed. Make sure to visit our FAFSA Simplification page for more information – Click here
For a quick summary of changes, download our 2025-26 FAFSA Simplification Fact Sheet
How to create a FSA ID and password
How will I receive my 2025-26 Financial Aid Notification?
An email will be sent to you by the Eastman Financial Aid Office with a link to your financial aid notification on ESM FAOnline.
We start to review financial aid files for all returning Undergraduate students in late May.
What is Verification?
Verification is the process of confirming the information you provided on the FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid) as required by Institutions participating in Federal Financial Aid programs. Not all students are selected for verification. Your FAFSA may be selected for verification because your FAFSA contains estimated information or inconsistencies, was incomplete, or was selected at random.
How will I know that I have been selected for verification?
If you are selected, we will email you to request the specific documentation that verifies the data you provided on your FAFSA. Please note that the need-based portion of your financial aid offer is only an estimate until verification of your financial aid file is completed.
What happens if I do not complete verification?
If you choose not to, or fail to submit verification documents, we will be unable to complete the review of your eligibility for financial aid. Failure to comply with the verification requirements will result in your aid being canceled and any future aid not disbursing to your student account. If financial aid had already disbursed to your student account, your financial aid will also be canceled which may result in a balance on your University student account.
If you are selected for federal verification, but do not wish to complete the process and want to cancel your aid application, you should send written notification to the Office of Financial Aid.
If verification determines any of my FAFSA information to be in error, how will the information be corrected?
Our office is required to submit all changes resulting from verification to the FAFSA Processing System. After the changes are processed, a revised electronic FAFSA Submission Summary (FSA) is sent to the student. The revised FSA highlights the data that was changed and states that the changes were made by your school.
What other funding is available?
Outside Scholarships
We encourage students to search and apply for outside scholarship funding throughout their degree program. Receiving the greatest amount of outside scholarship funding requires students to consider scholarships beyond the music realm (clubs, religious organizations, ethnic groups, groups that parents or other relatives may be involved with, etc.) and to keep the search broad (start with the general scholarships, then try the arts, etc.). Please visit our Forms and Links page to begin your search.
State Educational Resources
Some state governments offer educational grant and loan programs.
To learn if your state has any educational resources, contact your State Education Agency through NASFAA State Financial Aid Programs. Contact your State Education Agency with any questions.
The New York State Tuition Assistance Program (TAP) is a grant program for students who are residents of New York State. It is based on a family’s taxable income and the student’s level of study. In addition to the FAFSA, a separate TAP application is required by the state. The Eastman (Rochester, University of) TAP code is 1016. The TAP Award is available for up to four years.
New York State Scholarships for Academic Excellence provide up to $1,500 per year for up to four years of undergraduate study in New York State.
Private Alternative Loans
Some students and families choose to borrow a private loan to cover a portion of the cost of education not already paid for by scholarships and federal grants/loans. We encourage students and parents to exhaust all federal loan options prior to applying for a private loan. The federal loan programs generally offer lower interest rates and fees than the private loans.
If a student chooses to pursue a private loan, we recommend comparing the costs associated with various lenders before completing an application. Interest rates, fees, repayment periods, and other benefits can vary significantly between lenders. Often these loans are based on credit-worthiness and approvals are not automatic. The FinAid.org website provides some comparative information regarding private loans. When selecting a loan through a comparative website, be sure to go to the lender’s website to ensure the most up-to-date information about the loan.
The Eastman School of Music does not maintain a preferred lender list. As such, the University has no agreements or relationships with any lenders and does not receive any benefit, financial or otherwise, from the use of private loans by students. For more information on the University’s policies, please see our Student Loan Code of Conduct & Policy on Private Lending.
Special & Unusual Circumstances
Your merit-based need informed student financial aid review represents the results of a detailed analysis and careful evaluation of the application information that you have provided to this office through your audition and potentially supplemented by filing the PROFILE and/or the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). We do realize that significant changes (recent unemployment of a family member, serious health issues, the need to consider a dependency override, etc…) in your family’s circumstances may have occurred since you filed the PROFILE and/or FAFSA. Re-evaluation of your financial aid package may be given under special and unusual circumstances by submitting an email request and supporting documentation. Please keep in mind if an adjustment is made they are typically very small. Reach out to the Eastman Financial Aid Office to determine if your situation qualifies for reconsideration under either a special or unusual circumstance.
Cost of Attendance
For detailed information about the costs of an undergraduate degree at Eastman, please see the Undergraduate Cost of Attendance Page and University Bursar’s website.