Fellowships and Financial Assistance

The AMFS provides over $3 million in financial aid each summer, with over half of the student body receiving fellowship support. AMFS financial assistance is classified as either fellowship or scholarship. 

Fellowships

Fellowship awards cover tuition, room, and board in School housing, or the option to receive a housing stipend to be used toward off-campus living expenses. Fellows are responsible for the health service, facility, and refundable security deposit fees, as well as their own travel. All applicants are automatically considered for fellowship consideration through the standard application process.

Full fellowship programs include:

• Aspen Conducting Academy
• Aspen Contemporary Ensemble
• Collaborative Piano 
• Susan and Ford Schumann Center for Composition Studies

Fellowships are also awarded in the following programs: 

• Orchestra/Instrumental 
• Solo Piano 
• Classical Guitar 
• Aspen Opera Theater and VocalARTS  
• American Brass Quintet Seminar @Aspen 

 

Scholarships 

Applicants may request to be considered for scholarship consideration at the time of applying. Scholarships are need and merit-based and can be awarded up to the full cost of attendance. To be considered for scholarship, applicants MUST complete the Financial Aid form at the time of applying. Applicants who do not complete the Financial Aid form will be considered for fellowship only. If a fellowship is not awarded and a Financial Aid form has not been completed, the admitted student will be responsible for the full cost of attendance.

We strongly encourage all applicants to complete the Financial Aid form to be considered for ALL forms of assistance.

*Financial assistance is not available to orchestra students attending for Half Session
*Financial assistance is available to Solo Piano students attending for Half Session. 

 

Increasing Access 

Our financial assistance packages include a number of Increasing Access scholarships and fellowships designed to support students from underrepresented or marginalized communities. Click here to learn about the AMFS’s commitment to Inclusion, Diversity, Equity, and Access.

All applicants will be considered for Increasing Access awards based on the demographic information and affiliations reported within the application. See below for eligibility details for our Increasing Access awards:

• Allen & Kelli Questrom Foundation Scholarship – for Hispanic, Latino/a, Black or African American students from the United States  
• America-Israel Cultural Foundation Scholarship – for an Israeli student of highest honor with the AICF 
• James DePreist Scholarship for Students with Disabilities 
• Jean Wood Preston Scholarship – for international student(s) 
• Joan W. Harris Scholarship for Minority Students – for Black or African American students 
• Merle Chambers Fellowships Fund for Minority Students – for Hispanic/Latino/a, Indigenous, Black or African American students 
• Sue and Leonard Miller Scholarships for Black or African American Students 
• Susie and Barry Schub Endowed Scholarship Fund – for a minority student from the United States  
• Talent and Inclusion Scholarship Fund – for Black and Latino/a students
• The Deanna J. Anderson Life & Legacy Percussion Fellowship – for an exceptional female percussion student 
• Victoria Lea Smith Diversity Scholarship – for Black, Latino/a, or Indigenous students 
• Vincent Wilkinson Foundation Scholarship – for Hispanic, Latino/a, Black or African American students 
• William Randolph Hearst Scholarship for Minority Musicians – for Hispanic, Latino/a, Black or African American students from the United States 

 

WATCH Bryant Welters (below, left), director of the Vincent Wilkinson Foundation, speak with Aaron Dworkin (below, right) of Arts Engines about the financial support that the Wilkinson Foundation provides to students who attend the Aspen Music Festival and School. 

 

CLICK HERE to view a complete list of all AMFS Scholarships and Fellowships 

Contact Us

• If you have questions about applying for fellowships or financial assistance, please contact studentservices@aspenmusic.org.
• If you are interested in creating a scholarship or fellowship at the AMFS, please contact Lenor Leeds, AMFS Associate Vice President for Advancement, at 970 205 5062 or lleeds@aspenmusic.org.