Music Grad Student Funding
Music Grad Student Funding
Graduate funding is available to support eligible College of Music graduate students who are actively enrolled in a degree program and making satisfactory progress toward degree completion. Funding is limited and is awarded based on eligibility, documentation, available funds, and the relationship of the activity to the student’s scholarly, creative, or professional research trajectory.
Students are encouraged to submit funding requests before travel whenever possible. Pre-trip requests should include documented estimates, including flight screenshots with visible dates, lodging estimates, registration costs, and meal calculations based on the College of Music meal per diem.
Submission requirement: The application and all accompanying documentation must be submitted as one PDF. Packets not submitted as one PDF will not be accepted. Submit to musgrad@msu.edu.
Eligible Funding Categories
A. Travel Funding: Presentation, Performance, Composition, Conducting, or Competition
Funds are available for graduate students to travel to present their research or creative work at professional venues. Eligible activities include:
· Research papers selected for presentation through a peer-review process.
· Compositions selected through a peer-review process for performance at a conference, festival, or prestigious venue.
· Performers or conductors selected through a peer-review process to appear in a competition, conference, festival, masterclass, or prestigious professional venue.
These funds are not available for general conference attendance, thesis/dissertation research travel, or course-related travel.
B. Research Enhancement Funding
Funds are available to support activities that enhance a student’s research, creative activity, or final project. Eligible activities may include:
· Active participation in workshops, short courses, festivals, masterclasses, or comparable educational experiences that are peer-reviewed or have a vetted application process.
· Travel for data collection, archival research, or project-based research activity.
· Participation in a masterclass or workshop where the student is selected as an active participant.
Research Enhancement funding cannot be used to attend workshops, festivals, or masterclasses led by the student’s major professor.
C. Supplies and Materials
Under special circumstances, funding requests to purchase supplies or materials directly related to a student’s research or creative project may be considered. Requests must include a clear explanation of how the materials support the student’s research, final project, performance, composition, or creative activity.
D. Emergency Funding
Emergency funding may be available through the Graduate School and College of Music Graduate Office. Emergency funding from the College of Music is limited to up to $1,500 per student per year, subject to eligibility, documentation, Graduate School review, and available funds. Emergency requests must include an itemized list and documentation for monthly and one-time costs, such as room and board, bills, medical or dental costs, or repairs.
Quick Reference Funding Limits
| Category | Limit or Preset Amount | Key Documentation |
| Domestic travel or research enhancement | Up to $1,200 | Acceptance/participation documentation, budget, receipts or estimates |
| International travel or research enhancement | Up to $2,000 | Acceptance/participation documentation, budget, receipts or estimates, pre-trip travel authorization, and travel registry completion |
| Total College of Music funding per fiscal year | Up to $2,000 | Tracked by fiscal year, July 1-June 30 |
| Emergency funding | Up to $1,500 | Itemized list and documentation of emergency need |
| Meals | $50 per approved travel day | No meal receipts required when using per diem; student must be in overnight status and provide lodging location |
| Personal vehicle mileage | $0.73 per mile, up to $450 per trip | Mileage calculation showing origin, destination, round-trip miles, and business purpose |
| U.S. lodging | $164/day planning benchmark; limited to 6 days per trip | Itemized estimate or receipt with required lodging details |
| Submission format | One combined PDF | Application and all documentation in one PDF; otherwise not accepted. |
Annual Funding Limits
| Funding Type | College of Music Limit |
| Domestic travel or research enhancement project | Up to $1,200 |
| International travel or research enhancement project | Up to $2,000 |
| Total College of Music funding per student per fiscal year | Up to $2,000 |
| Emergency funding | Up to $1,500 |
The fiscal year runs from July 1 through June 30. Funding is not guaranteed and may be reduced based on available funds, strength of documentation, cost sharing, and the number of requests received.
NOTE: All requests must be submitted to the Music Graduate Office by emailing the form to:
musgrad@msu.edu.
Completed applications can be submitted at any time during the fiscal year (July 1-June 30) or until designated funds are exhausted. Students submit only one application to the College of Music Graduate Studies Office for consideration by all offices.
1. Complete the appropriate application. Whether or not they provide funding, a signature from the major professor is required in 2 spots. This is an endorsement from the major professor/advisor stating that the student is making satisfactory progress in their graduate program. The form includes a summary of cost sharing with the student’s major professor, college, and when appropriate – with International Studies and Programs. The Graduate Studies Office will obtain other signatures as needed.
2. Directions are attached to each link – and are very specific. Requests must be submitted using the most recent application form and typed vs handwritten. Travel requests must be accompanied by a brief letter from the student indicating the following:
- Student is registered in the semester that the funding is awarded.
- Name of the conference or professional meeting. Include the date(s) and the location of the conference
- The title of the research or performance to be presented and the list of authors.
- For Research Enhancement, please explain what/where your research will be worked on and how it applies to your final project.
3. Submit documentation of acceptance at the conference, festival, etc. E-mail acceptances are allowable.
4. Include a detailed budget, including estimated costs of airfare/travel, hotel, food, application fee, registration, tuition, deposits, etc.
5. If student’s travel is international, work with the Graduate Studies Office to complete a pre-trip travel authorization and register their trip in the International Travelers Abroad Database (https://travelregistry.msu.edu). When that is done, the student will be automatically enrolled for international travel insurance (provided by International SOS) at no cost to the student. Graduate School International Health & Safety Orientation (PDF)
- Information needed, in addition to the above, includes Emergency Contact info (Name, Phone, Relationship) b. Please review Travel During COVID-19 Pandemic for an overview of all domestic and international travel policies/considerations.
A decision on support will be made within one week after receiving all of the necessary materials. After the College of Music determines their award, we will e-mail you. We will also forward your request to The Graduate School. Their decision letters will be emailed within 2 weeks.
PLEASE NOTE:
** Acceptance of Fellowship monies for Travel or Research Enhancement MAY effect your Student Loan(s). Please contact the Financial Aid Office if you have any questions. The College of Music cannot override their decision. **
Funds are available for graduate students to travel to present their “research” at professional venues. This includes researchers whose papers have been selected for presentation at a conference through a peer-review process, composers whose works have been selected through a peer-review process for performance at a conference, festival, or other prestigious venue, or performers or conductors who have been selected through a peer-review process to appear in a competition, conference, festival, or other prestigious venue.
Applications are processed and approved through the College of Music Graduate Office before being sent to the Graduate School for final approval. Please read carefully regarding funding criteria and limits.
NOTE: All requests must be submitted to the Music Graduate Office, 116 Music Building (musgrad@msu.edu). We will forward them to the Graduate School for you. Requests must be submitted using the most recent application form and typed vs handwritten.