Admissions
About Financial Aid at David Geffen School of Drama
Choosing to attend a graduate program is a significant life decision with financial consequences that are different for each student. Financial aid at DGSD is handled with care, confidentiality, and individual attention. Admissions at DGSD are “need blind,” which means admission decisions are made without reference to a student’s financial circumstances and/or application for need-based financial aid.
DGSD is committed to supporting all students’ access with full tuition scholarships, thanks to an extremely generous gift from the David Geffen Foundation in 2021. Additionally, all students receive guaranteed work-study employment each year. In the 2024–25 academic year, these jobs are compensated at the rate of $21 per hour.
Applicants are encouraged to apply for need-based scholarship aid to cover major living expenses for the nine-month academic year. The School assesses demonstrated financial need based on students’ own assets and income as well as their parents’ assets and income regardless of their age, marital status, or independence.
Students may also apply for educational loans to support their living expenses: in 2024–25, most first year students borrow $9,500. Many students receiving need-based aid in their second and third years at DGSD do not borrow additional loans.
Informed Decision Making
DGSD also commits to explaining financial aid in terms that enable prospective students to make meaningful decisions. Therefore, financial aid communications consider the total cost of attendance, which is calculated to include: tuition expense (100% covered for all full-time students and interns), books and supplies, and living expenses for the nine-month academic year. Support for covering living expenses comes in the form of work-study employment and/or need-based aid.
For more information regarding financial aid programs and policies, please contact the Financial Aid office at dgsd.finaid@yale.edu.
TEAM
- Andre Massiah, Director, Financial Aid
- Laura Torino, Senior Administrative Assistant
Contact:
Room 101A, 149 York Street
(203) 432-1540
dgsd.finaid@yale.edu
Information for New Applicants
DGSD requests that only final round-applicants submit financial aid application materials if they would like to be considered for need-based financial aid beyond tuition expense support. The DGSD financial aid process for final-round applicants opens on January 1. The deadline for submitting financial aid materials is no later than three weeks after notification of finalist status.
Note to Playwriting applicants: Thanks to a bequest from Eugene O’Neill and Carlotta Monterey all Playwriting students receive living expense stipends throughout the academic year and summer months, in addition to full tuition scholarships. Therefore, a financial aid application is not necessary.
U.S. Citizens / Permanent Residents
All U.S. Citizens and Permanent Residents requesting need-based financial assistance need to complete the following items:
- File a 2025–2026 Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) online at the Student Aid website.Yale’s federal school code is 001426, which is necessary to complete the FAFSA and to ensure that DGSD receives the processed information electronically.
- File a 2025–2026 College Board CSS/Financial Aid PROFILE® application, at collegeboard.org. School code is 3809.
- Mail signed copies of your (the student’s) and your parents’ 2023 federal income tax returns.Please include copies of all W-2s and any schedules as well as asset information, including bank account balances, retirement accounts, and other assets. These documents may be securely emailed rather than mailed, if desired, to finaid@yale.edu.
International Student Applicants
All international students requesting need-based financial assistance need to complete the following items:
- Complete the College Board CSS/Financial Aid PROFILE® application at collegeboard.org.
- Mail signed copies of your (the student’s) and your parents’ 2023 tax documents, income and bank statements (U.S. and home country), and asset information. Please note that if any documents are not in English, you must provide a notarized English translation in addition to the original documents. These documents may be securely emailed rather than mailed, if desired, to dgsd.finaid@yale.edu.
Information for Returning Students
All continuing students seeking need-based support must reapply for financial aid every year to receive DGSD scholarships, grants, and loans. To do so, submit the following items by April 15, 2025.
U.S. Citizens and Permanent Residents
- Complete the FAFSA.Yale’s federal school code is 001426, which is necessary to complete the FAFSA and to ensure that DGSD receives the processed information electronically.
- File a 2025–2026 College Board CSS/Financial Aid PROFILE® application, at collegeboard.org. School code is 3809.
- Mail signed copies of your (the student’s) and your parents’ 2023 federal income tax returns. Please include copies of all W-2s and any schedules, as well as asset information, including bank account balances, retirement accounts, and other assets. These documents may be securely emailed rather than mailed, if desired, to dgsd.finaid@yale.edu.
International Student Applicants
- File a 2025–2026 College Board CSS/Financial Aid PROFILE® application, at collegeboard.org. School code is 3809.
- Provide signed copies of your (the student’s) and your parents’ 2023 tax documents, income and bank statements (U.S. and home country), and asset information. Please note that if any documents are not in English, you must provide a notarized English translation in addition to the original documents. These documents may be securely emailed rather than mailed, if desired, to dgsd.finaid@yale.edu.
Financial Aid Award Letters will be processed for students with complete applications in June. Detailed information regarding financial aid programs and policies can be found in the School’s publicly available Bulletin: Funding your DGSD Education: Financial Aid Policy.
The deadline for continuing students to submit all 2024–2025 financial aid applications and mail tax returns/income information is February 15, 2024.
The Financial Aid Office cannot guarantee that an award letter will be issued before August 1, 2023, if the financial aid application is submitted after the February 15 deadline.
The mailing address to which all forms should be sent is: Financial Aid Office, David Geffen School of Drama at Yale University, 149 York Street, Room 101A, PO Box 208325, New Haven CT 06520-8325.
All students who receive funds through a federal program must certify to the following: that any funds received will be used solely for expenses related to attendance at David Geffen School of Drama; that they will repay funds that cannot reasonably be attributed to meeting those expenses; that they are not in default on any student loan nor owe a repayment on a federal grant. Continued eligibility for financial aid requires that students maintain satisfactory progress in their courses of study according to the policies and practices of David Geffen School of Drama.
Students seeking general information about veterans’ education benefits should contact the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs via the web at benefits.va.gov/gibill for eligibility information.
David Geffen School of Drama participates in the Yellow Ribbon Program under the Post-9/11 GI Bill®, which allows it to enter into an agreement with the Veterans Administration to fund education expenses to eligible individuals who apply to the program. Students should contact the School’s registrar for enrollment certification.
No prior course credits are accepted for the successful completion of the program of study in any of the eight theatrical disciplines offered at the School. This includes the Master of Fine Arts, Certificate in Drama, and one-year special student and one-year Technical Internship Certificate. However, veterans who leave the School and are later readmitted pursuant to the U.S. Military Leave Readmissions Policy (discussed in the chapter Training at David Geffen School of Drama: A Policy Overview) will receive credit for all School course work completed prior to their leave, and these veterans will return to Yale with the same enrolled status last held and same academic status. The School maintains written records of course work completed by eligible veterans before their leave to ensure that appropriate credit is granted upon their return to the School.
Eligibility for receipt of David Geffen School of Drama assistance or most forms of federal financial aid is limited to students who are enrolled in programs that yield either a degree or a certificate. At present, certain students, including those attending the School as special students and special research fellows on a full-time basis, are not eligible for financial aid according to the federal guidelines but may be eligible to apply for assistance under various supplemental loan programs through their individual banks. Although special students and special research fellows are eligible for and may choose to accept work-study employment, they are not required to work. For more information, please contact the School’s Financial Aid Office.
I have been a working professional for years, why do I need to submit parental information?
We are committed to meeting all accepted students’ financial need and strive to distribute financial aid as fairly and equitably as possible. Therefore, we need to understand each student’s circumstances, including all of the resources potentially available to them. In some cases, our calculations result in an expected parent contribution and in other cases it does not. If your financial aid package shows a parental contribution, you could borrow that amount if the funds are not available from your parents or if you prefer not to ask them to contribute. You don’t have to submit your parents’ financial information if you only want loans, but to get scholarship assistance (which many of our students receive) we do need your parents’ information.
How do I request a parental waiver?
Parental information may be excluded from financial aid assessment if the student is estranged from the parent or parent is deceased. To request a waiver, contact the Financial Aid Office for a parent waiver form.
If I have 2024 tax information, can I submit that instead of 2023 information?
2024 can be submitted, but you must provide 2023 tax information.
Can I do more than 200 hours of work-study?
200 hours of work-study is guaranteed for each student. The rate per hour in the 2024-2025 year was $21. Beyond the guaranteed hours, students may seek elective work-study hours to supplemental their earnings.
Can I work outside of DGSD?
Given the time requirements of classroom and conservatory training, we do not recommend engaging in outside work. In rare situations, outside work may be approved by your program chair and the Dean.
What do I do if I have a competing offer from another school?
We can provide a cost comparison to your competing offer.
When will I receive a financial aid award if offered admission?
After receiving an offer of admission and if your financial aid application is complete, you will receive a financial aid award letter shortly thereafter the offer of admission.
When and how do I receive my financial aid?
Financial aid comes in different forms. Processing of financial aid refunds begin approximately 10 days before the start of classes, provided that all requirements have been met. Work-study earnings are granted when worked.