Financial Aid

3 illuminated wheels

An ITP project

Students from all stages in their careers are welcome to apply for graduate study in interactive media at ITP. However at any stage, affordability is probably the biggest hurdle for students to be able to attend graduate school. A main priority of the department is to work with all of our students (both new and returning students including international students) to create a feasible financial plan that will make graduate study at ITP more accessible to a wide range of students.

TUITION COSTS

Please refer to the Tisch Financial Aid Information page for important links and updated tuition costs. ITP is a 2-year, full-time program. NYU charges a bulk fee for full-time status which is anywhere between 12-18 credits. Students are allowed to attend part-time in their final semester to reach the required minimum of 60 credits to graduate. Any amount of credits under 12 credits is considered part-time and tuition is then charged per credit instead of the bulk rate. In some cases, students can save up to $20K in the final semester by attending part-time if possible. Making this decision to attend part-time is both an academic and financial decision that students can discuss with their academic advisor. 

DEPARTMENTAL SCHOLARSHIPS 

Tisch School of the Arts Scholarships

ITP provides departmental scholarships funded by the Tisch School of the Arts on the basis of financial need, educational excellence and professional promise. All accepted candidates are encouraged to apply for scholarship aid by filling out the financial aid form that is included in the admission application. There is no shame in needing to apply for scholarship aid. Applying for financial aid will not impact admissions decisions. Financial aid requests are taken into consideration after applicants have been accepted. Scholarship consideration is competitive and we do our best to allocate funding based on a combination of need and merit. In particular, we are looking to support underrepresented students. Departmental scholarships are renewable for both years while at ITP. 

ITP departmental scholarships range in size from a few thousand dollars  to full-tuition scholarships up to 60 credits. Scholarships are applied toward tuition only (scholarships cannot be used towards covering fees, materials or living expenses). Scholarships can only be used to cover up to the 60 credits required to complete the degree. Any additional scholarship funds that may be available beyond the 60 credits will be forfeited. While scholarship aid is limited, most students who express need for financial assistance will receive some level of scholarship funding toward tuition with the hope that it will be enough to allow you to attend ITP.

Students who receive departmental scholarship aid will receive an award letter with their admissions acceptance offer in the form of a Tisch School of the Arts scholarship or from one of our generously sponsored funded aid awards. ITP is extremely thankful for these generous contributions to help support our students. These awards are given to first year students and are renewable for their second year.

Red Burns Scholarship Fund

The Red Burns Scholarship Fund was established in 2009 at the time of the ITP 30th anniversary celebration of the department. The Fund was made possible by the donations of generous ITP alumni and leadership grants by members of the ITP extended family. The Fund is named in honor of Red Burns, one of the founders of ITP and chair for over 28 years. The Fund allows ITP to support current students in need, with a particular emphasis on diversity.  These awards are  for ITP students in their second year.

The Edie and Lew R Wasserman Scholarship

Since 1985, the Wasserman Foundation has partnered with Tisch School of the Arts to honor Edie & Lew R. Wasserman by offering scholarships to students across a range of disciplines at Tisch.

Lew, former President and Chairman of MCA Universal, was an industry great. He received the Presidential Medal of Freedom for his contribution to the motion picture industry, specifically for his lead role in MCA’s acquisition of Universal Studios. While at the helm, Lew was also responsible for releasing time-tested blockbusters such as E.T., Jaws, and American Graffiti. His wife, Edie, was known as the first lady of Hollywood. A born philanthropist and supporter of the Motion Picture and Television Fund, she shared a love of education and the arts with her husband. Their grandson Casey Wasserman, Chairman and CEO of Wasserman Media Group, sits on the Tisch Dean’s Council. These awards are given to first year students and is renewable for their second year.

Elena K Parker Memorial Fund

This scholarship was founded in honor of alumnus Elena K Parker by her friends and family after she passed away in 2015. It is hoped that this scholarship will increase the representation of women’s voices in storytelling, being awarded to ITP students who share this passion for storytelling and are seeking to ignite their curiosity and creativity through this uniquely designed program at Tisch.

A 2013 graduate of Tisch’s Interactive Telecommunications Program, Parker became a Creative Technologist and Manager of Interactive Development at Campfire agency. Here, she earned a reputation for specializing in storytelling systems, inspiring the creation of her digital novel Base Pair, which was selected for the Banff Centre’s first Digital Narratives Residency. This award is specifically for a second year student.

Michael R Rooney Scholarship

Michael Rooney, a 1993 graduate of Tisch’s Interactive Telecommunications Program, partnered with the school in celebration of ITP’s 40th anniversary to establish this annual scholarship that he hopes will provide a similarly impactful education to ITP students in the years to come. Rooney credits Tisch and ITP for his receipt of a transformative educational experience. He currently serves as the Director of Media Convergence for Yonkers Raceway. These awards are specifically for second year students.

May and Samuel Rudin Family Foundation Scholarships

The May and Samuel Rudin Family Foundation have a historied collaboration with NYU Tisch to provide scholarships for several graduate Interactive Telecommunications Program students and undergraduate Drama students each academic cycle.

The Family Foundation is a stalwart supporter of education, the arts, and organizations at the intersection of both. The current President, Beth De Woody, holds seats on other prestigious boards such as the Whitney Museum of Art, Brooklyn Academy of Music, and The New School Parsons. These awards are specifically for second year students.

NYC Mayor’s Graduate Scholarship Program

ITP is participating in the NYC Mayor’s Graduate Scholarship Program to provide an opportunity for full-time New York City government employees, with undergraduate degrees, to pursue graduate studies at ITP! We will offer up to 2 full tuition scholarships to cover up to 60 credits for NYC government employees.  Applicants must apply both to ITP and also to the Mayor’s graduate scholarship program at the link above. This award is available for students in their first year and is renewable.

—--

Students who are U.S. citizens or eligible non-citizens who wish to be considered for financial aid must complete the FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid).  

Students are encouraged to look for outside sources of aid as well.  In addition to scholarships, most students will also take out loans to cover tuition, and living expenses.  Most students should consider going part-time in the last semester at ITP to save on tuition expenses. 

STUDENT LOANS

All U.S. applicants who are 1) accepted and 2) filed the FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid), will receive a financial aid package from NYU.  U.S. applicants are strongly urged to complete the FAFSA by February 1. International students are urged to look for outside sources of funding well in advance of the acceptance notice, but will also be considered for ITP departmental scholarships.

WORK-BASED AID

ITP offers a substantial amount of on-campus, part-time student employment on the floor every semester. Students can work up to 20 hours a week, though most work for an average of 10 hours a week to balance out with their schoolwork. These student employees work in our equipment room, fabrication shop, help our IT staff, the social media team, the special events team, Equitable Working Group, documentation lab, departmental library project, Coding Lab and Design Lab and as graduate assistants to help support our IMA undergraduate courses and much more. ITP student jobs are advertised at the beginning of each academic semester and are paid a competitive rate on an hourly basis.

Both US Federal workstudy and non-workstudy campus jobs can be found at the NYU Wasserman Center for Career Development.

Students can also find an applicable work/learning position off campus and register for internship credit towards the completion of the graduate degree.

INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS

ITP values the diversity that international students bring to the program and will consider international students for Tisch-based scholarships in the same way we do for U.S. applicants if you are selected for admission.

Please note that Non-U.S. citizens do not qualify for US Federal grants and loans, and thereby cannot file the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) from the U.S. government. 

International students can secure private educational loans from U.S. institutions if they have a cosigner who is a U.S. citizen.  

If financial aid is an important aspect of your application, don’t overlook funding opportunities from your home country, and from foundations that are internationally based, along with all possible personal, family and local resources.

Here is the link to Tisch Student Affairs Financial Aid.