Juilliard School, one of the world's most prestigious reserves, is set to earn free tuition fees for all students, the school announced Thursday, launching a $550 million fundraiser.
The tuition-free policy aims to make Juilliard accessible to a wider range of students and reduce the burden on alumni who want to pursue careers in the arts with poor pay. The fundraising campaign will be one of the biggest campaigns in Juilliard's 120-year history.
“If students can get into Juilliard, if it's difficult to get into Juilliard, then that's not about money,” said Damian Woetzel, president of the school. “Money cannot be the determinant of coming to Juilliard and having the opportunity to be in New York City at Lincoln Center and realizing the dream that empowers the art itself.”
Juilliard officials did not provide a timeline for introducing new policies. The school said it received an early commitment of approximately $180 million, including a $130 million pledge from Juilliard's board of directors.
Woetzel, who has prioritized affordability since becoming president of Juilliard in 2018, said schools will push “as fast as possible” to make tuition-free policies a reality. He said he was confident that Juilliard could achieve his fundraising goals, but he admitted it was challenging.
“I'm optimistic, and yet I'm practical about doing a huge amount of energy and work,” he said. “I think this is a valuable goal. I think people will understand that.”
Juilliard's tuition fees for both undergraduate and graduate students are $55,500 per year. Over 95% of students receive financial assistance. 29% of all Juilliard students in this grade do not pay tuition. That number is expected to increase to 40% for the new academic year in the fall.
Juilliard already offers several tuition-free programs. For example, since last fall, we have not charged tuition fees for graduates' acting tracks.
School officials said they would like to extend that policy to the entire Juilliard music, dance and drama division, which collectively serves 900 students.
The cost of participating in Juilliard was a point of competition between administrators and students. In 2021, students led a protest against the planned increase in tuition fees, demanding that schools freeze tuition fees.
Juilliard is not the only conservatory that makes tuition free. Philadelphia's famous Curtis Music Institute is much smaller than Juilliard, with around 160 students, but since 1928 it has not charged tuition four years after opening the door.
