Berklee Merit-Based Scholarships

About this scholarship

Berklee automatically considers every entering undergraduate applicant for merit-based institutional scholarships through the admission process. No separate scholarship form is required. For most Berklee College of Music applicants, artistic and academic evaluation includes the admission application, academic record, and required audition and interview; the Music Industry Leadership and Innovation bachelor’s program uses an online interview and portfolio instead. Current official materials do not publish a standard dollar range for the general merit awards, so the directory’s $80,864 figure is not treated as a guaranteed value. Awards can be renewed for up to eight semesters for one undergraduate major as long as the student complies with the scholarship terms and remains eligible. At the highest level, Berklee chooses a very limited number of Presidential Scholars whose packages cover tuition, on-campus housing, the meal plan, required laptop and software items, major bundles, and comprehensive fees; off-campus housing is excluded. Berklee’s Fall 2027 applications are open. Early Action applications and supporting materials are due November 1, 2026, and receive the same scholarship consideration as Regular Action. The Regular Action deadline is January 15, 2027. Students begin in Berklee’s direct application portal, choose their program and term, submit transcripts and required materials, and complete the applicable audition or interview. Scholarship and financial-aid decisions arrive with admission decisions.

Eligibility

• Apply as an entering undergraduate student to an eligible Berklee College of Music or Boston Conservatory at Berklee program
• Submit the direct Berklee admission application and required academic records by the applicable deadline
• Complete the required audition and interview for programs that use artistic performance review
• Submit the required online interview or portfolio for programs that use those materials instead of an audition
• Meet Berklee admission and English-proficiency requirements where applicable
• Enroll in the program for which the scholarship is awarded
• Meet the scholarship’s academic, enrollment, and conduct conditions for renewal