Admission

• Application Procedures
• Tuition and Fees
• Financial Aid

For the 2008–09 academic year, the Conservatory will accept up to eight students into the Graduate Program in Vocal Arts. Candidates for admission should have completed a bachelor's degree in music or some other field, or the equivalent, and have reached the intermediate level in music theory, ear training, sight singing, and music history. An assessment will be made at the beginning of the student's first year and individual remedial work may be required.

Application Procedures

The following materials are required for application to the master of Vocal Arts program:

• a completed application form
• transcripts from schools attended
• a head shot
• a detailed repertoire list of works studied (Please asterisk those works you have performed)
• two or three letters of recommendation, at least two of which are from those familiar with the applicant's undergraduate work and at least one of which is from a professional musician other than the student's current teacher.

Download a PDF of the Application for Admission

In addition, the candidate should send a prescreening CD or DVD of his or her singing, which includes the following:

Four selections in varying styles:

• Three of these must be from the art song repertory
• One of these must be an aria
• One must be in English, the others in three different languages, and
• One must be a contemporary work

The deadline for all materials is February 1, 2008.
Please mail all materials to:

The Bard College Conservatory of Music
Graduate Program in Vocal Arts
30 Campus Road
Annandale-on-Hudson, NY 12504-5000

Candidates for admission will be notified around February 15, 2008, as to whether they have been selected for a live audition. Auditions will take place in New York City in mid March 2008. Every attempt will be made to accommodate applicants for whom travel to New York City presents substantial difficulties. Decisions about admission and financial aid will be made by mid April.

Note: Depending on space availability late applications may be accepted in certain special instances. Please contact the conservatory to inquire about late applications.

For further information please call 845-758-7196 or e-mail to conservatory@bard.edu

Tuition and Fees

Tuition for the Graduate Program in Vocal Arts in the 2007–08 academic year was $26,250. Fees include a $100 registration fee each semester and a $110 graduation fee charged prior to graduation. Students who take longer than two years to complete the program are charged a maintenance-of-status fee of $500 per year. Fees for 2008–09 are not yet available. Please contact the Conservatory for current fees.

Schedule of Payment

A nonrefundable deposit of $500, applicable to the first year's tuition and fees, must be paid by May 1. The balance of tuition and fees for the academic year will be billed in two equal installments, with payments due on August 1 and January 1. Billing statements will reflect charges and financial aid awards, including all Federal Stafford Loan applications on file. Unpaid balances will be subject to a late payment fee of $100 and finance charges of one percent per month (12 percent per annum). A student who has outstanding indebtedness to the College will not be allowed to register or reregister, receive a transcript of record, have academic credits certified, or have a degree granted.

Refunds

No refund of any fees will be made in the event that a student withdraws from the program at any time after registration except as herein specified. In no event is the tuition deposit refundable. In all cases, the student must submit an official request for withdrawal to the Graduate Committee. The date of submission of such a request will determine the amount of refund. Students who officially withdraw before the first day of classes for the term in question will be given a full refund of all charges, less the nonrefundable tuition deposit. If the official withdrawal from the program occurs after the first day of classes in a given term, tuition is refunded as follows. If the withdrawal occurs within the first week of classes, 75 percent of tuition is refunded; within the second week, 60 percent of the tuition is refunded; within the third or fourth weeks, 30 percent of the tuition is refunded; after four weeks, no refunds are given. Registration and student health insurance fees are not refundable.

Refunds to financial aid recipients who withdraw from the program will be affected by a reduction in the amount of grant; any institutional grant, scholarship, or fellowship will be reduced by the same percentage as indicated in the tuition refund schedule above. Refunds to federal aid (Federal Stafford Loan) recipients who withdraw will be calculated according to the federal refund policy concerning the amount of the Federal Stafford Loan to be returned to the lender. A student who is considering withdrawal may wish to confer with the Student Accounts Office and the Financial Aid Office concerning any anticipated refund and the amount of the Federal Stafford Loan that Bard College must return to the lender, since this amount will have a direct bearing on the amount of refund, if any, that the College will provide the student.

No refund is made in cases of suspension or expulsion.

Accommodations and Meal Plans

Limited campus housing is available for graduate students. Apartments and houses for rent can also be found near the Bard College campus, and the Conservatory maintains a list of real estate agents who can assist students in finding housing.

During the academic year graduate students may subscribe to a meal plan that allows them to eat 10 meals a week at Kline Commons, the Bard College dining hall. They may also purchase a prepaid credit card that can be used at the College dining facilities.

Financial Aid

The graduate program is able to provide limited financial assistance, in the form of scholarships and fellowships, to students whose personal financial resources are insufficient to meet the expenses of graduate study. Funds for scholarships and fellowships are limited, and awards typically will meet only a small part of a student's expenses. Students may also apply for Federal Stafford Loans, and those who are New York State residents may apply to the New York State Tuition Assistance Program. These loan and grant programs are briefly described below. More detailed information about applying for financial aid can be obtained from the Conservatory. Financial aid is administered by the Bard College Office of Financial Aid.

Eligibility for financial aid is determined each year by the demonstration of financial need. Financial need is assessed by a uniform method from financial data provided by the student on the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). The FAFSA form should be sent to the federal processor as soon after January 1, 2008 as possible and no later than February 15, 2008. All students applying for financial aid must also complete a Financial Aid Application and send it to the Conservatory by February 15, 2008.

• Download a PDF of the Financial Aid Form for U.S. Citizens
• Download a PDF of the Financial Aid Form for Non-U.S. Citizens

Copies of the FAFSA and Financial Aid Application can be obtained from the Bard College Conservatory. Students whose admission and financial aid applications are complete by February 15 will be notified of financial aid awards by April 15.

To be eligible for federal student aid, applicants must not be in default of repayment of federal student loans or owe refunds on federal student grants.

Awards of financial aid are made without reference to age, color, ethnic or national origin, gender, handicapping conditions, marital status, race, or sexual orientation. International students, although not eligible for financial assistance from the federal government of the United States, may qualify for aid administered by Bard College.

Conservatory Scholarships and Fellowships

Conservatory scholarships are awarded on the basis of need, as determined annually by the federal government and Bard College. Conservatory fellowships are awarded on the basis of achievement and promise. Determinations of achievement and promise are made by the Graduate Committee in its review of applications for admission. Awards of scholarships and fellowships are not automatically renewed from year to year. Students must remain in good academic standing for renewal of all forms of aid and must continue to demonstrate financial need for renewal of aid based on need.

Federal Stafford Loans

Federal Stafford Loans are available as subsidized or unsubsidized loans. To qualify for a subsidized loan, the student must demonstrate financial need. The federal government pays the interest on the subsidized loan while the student is enrolled; the student begins repaying the loan principal and paying interest six months after he or she ceases to be enrolled. A student may qualify for an unsubsidized loan regardless of need. The student is responsible for paying interest on the unsubsidized loan while he or she is enrolled. Interest payments begin accruing 60 days after the loan is disbursed. As with the subsidized loan, repayment on the loan principal begins six months after the student ceases to be enrolled. Payments on interest and principal of an unsubsidized loan may be deferred, but interest will accrue and compound. The federal processor requires that a student first apply for a subsidized loan before applying for an unsubsidized loan.

A student may borrow up to $8,500 annually through the basic Federal Stafford Loan program. A graduate student may be eligible for a supplemental, unsubsidized loan (in addition to his or her basic subsidized or unsubsidized loan) for an amount up to $10,000 annually over and above the $8,500 for which he or she may be eligible in the basic Stafford program, provided that the total amount of assistance does not exceed the cost of the graduate program. An origination fee of three percent is deducted from the proceeds of all loans, and a loan warranty fee of one percent may be deducted. The procedures for filing for a loan will be explained when the student is notified about eligibility.

Loans are disbursed in two equal payments, one each semester, provided all Financial Aid Office requirements have been fulfilled. Electronic disbursements are credited to a student's account when they are received. Check disbursements are sent to the Student Accounts Office; the student must sign the loan check before it can be credited to his or her account. If the check is not signed within a designated period, the Student Accounts Office is obliged to return it to the lender for cancellation. In such a case, the student becomes responsible for the entire account balance and is charged a $100 penalty fee (for late payment and duplication of the loan disbursement procedure).

Federal GradPLUS Loans

Graduate students can now access the Federal PLUS Loan Program to pay for the cost of education not covered by other financial aid. This loan is guaranteed by the federal government and may be deferred while the student is enrolled at least a half-time. A credit check is required. These loans are disbursed in the same way as the Federal Stafford Loan.

New York State Tuition Assistance Program

The New York State Tuition Assistance Program (TAP) provides non-repayable grant assistance of up to $550 to New York State residents attending a New York State school. Awards are based on the net New York State taxable income and the number of full-time college students in the family. Applications and further information about the program can be obtained from the New York State Higher Education Services Corporation (NYSHESC), 99 Washington Avenue, Albany, NY 12255. A student applying for a New York State TAP award must submit the FAFSA and the New York State TAP application.