Institutional aid is one of the ways that Sarah Lawrence graduate students help to finance their graduate education.
Prospective graduate students from all graduate programs except Human Genetics are invited to complete the Graduate Application for Institutional Aid after they have submitted the application to their desired program of study. Please note that the process is different for Human Genetics applicants because of the program’s participation in the Match process. Please see the Human Genetics Scholarships and Fellowships section below for more details.
Evaluation for institutional aid occurs during the admission review process and admitted students can expect to receive a letter detailing any institutional aid that they might be eligible for when they receive their letter of acceptance from Sarah Lawrence College.
Named and merit awards listed are only available to students enrolled in a full-time course load.
MSEd Art of Teaching
Regina Arnold Memorial Scholarship
A scholarship established by an anonymous donor in honor of Professor Regina Arnold to support students accepted into the Graduate Art of Teaching Program. This award covers approximately 85% of the billed tuition for one incoming student each year and is renewable in the second year. Selection will include FAFSA and/or financial document review.
MFA in Dance
Bessie Schönberg Scholarship
This fund was established by Mr. And Mrs. Dimitry V. Varley and former Sarah Lawrence students of Bessie Schönberg to provide scholarship assistance for graduate dance students who intend to teach. This $5000 award is awarded to one incoming MFA Dance student and is renewable in the second year.
The Greene Fellowship
The Greene Fellowship in Dance, made possible by a generous gift from alumna Lila Greene ’71, is a special two-year fellowship which provides full tuition remission and teaching stipends for two students, one entering the program in fall 2025 and one entering in fall 2026.
MFA in Writing
Michele Tolela Myers Graduate Fellowship in Writing
The endowed fund was established in 2015 to honor President Emerita of the College Michele Myers, who retired in 2007. This $16,000 fellowship is awarded annually to one incoming student in the MFA Writing Program and is renewable in the second year.
Sarah Lawrence Faculty Recognition Fellowship
This $5000 award is in recognition of a student's creative work and potential for success at Sarah Lawrence College. A small number of these fellowships are available for incoming MFA Writing students from each genre and are renewable in the second year. Faculty who teach in each genre recommend students for these awards. The funds come from the College and from contributions made by alumni and friends of the College.
The Thomas Lux Scholarship Fund
The Thomas Lux Scholarship Fund was founded to support poets in the Graduate Writing Program and to inspire writers and teachers of poetry. More than 200 alumni, faculty, staff, and friends of the College have donated to the Thomas Lux Scholarship Fund. Each year this scholarship encourages new poets while honoring the many ways in which Thomas Lux’s work as a writer and teacher have enriched our community. The award provides $5500 to one incoming student each year and is renewable in the second year. The establishment of this endowed fund has created a fundraising archetype for our graduate alumni. Selection will include FAFSA and/or financial document review.
Vijay Seshadri Endowed Graduate Fellowship in Writing
This endowed fund was established by a group of alumni to celebrate Sarah Lawrence faculty member Vijay Seshadri, recipient of the 2014 Pulitzer Prize for Poetry. It will provide tuition assistance to an exceptional MFA student studying poetry or creative non-fiction in Sarah Lawrence’s MFA Program in Writing. This fellowship in the amount of up to $5000 is awarded to one incoming student and is renewable in the second year. Selection will include FAFSA and/or financial document review.
MA Women's History
Gerda Lerner Scholarship
An endowed fund established by former students, colleagues, and friends of Gerda Lerner, a faculty member from 1968-1980 and founder of the Women’s History program, to provide financial aid to graduate students in Women’s History.
Non-Program Specific
Andrea Berger Kalodner Fund
An endowed fund established by a bequest from Andrea Berger Kalodner ’72 to provide scholarships to students who are continuing their education after several years of professional work and/or several years following their initial undergraduate degree. This $3000 scholarship is typically awarded to a select number of incoming graduate students and is renewable in the second year. Selection will include FAFSA and/or financial document review.
Louise Stevens Bryant Fellowship
An endowed fund established by a bequest to provide a small amount of additional aid to a graduate student from a traditionally underrepresented population. This is typically awarded to a second year graduate student. Students are invited to apply for this fellowship in the Spring of their first year.
Sarah Lawrence Graduate Fellowship
This $3,000 or $5,000 award is in recognition of a student's past achievements and potential for success at Sarah Lawrence. The funds come from the College and from contributions made by alumni and friends of the College.
Sarah Lawrence Graduate Scholarship
This award is in recognition of a student’s past achievements and potential for success at Sarah Lawrence. This $5,000 or $10,000 award is based on the student's eligibility for need-based assistance. The funds come from the College and from contributions made by alumni and friends of the College. Selection will include FAFSA and/or financial document review.
Human Genetics Fellowships and Scholarships
Institutional aid for Human Genetics students is awarded through a different process and Human Genetics students should not complete the Graduate Application for Institutional Aid. You can find more information about how Human Genetics scholarships and fellowships are awarded under the Registration for Match section of this web page.
Joan H. Marks ’51 Endowed Fellowship Program in Human Genetics
Established in 2017 by Joan H. Marks ’51 and her husband, Paul A. Marks, this endowed fellowship will be awarded annually to two students in the Human Genetics program to support their tuition costs and provide clinical placement transportation stipends. Selection will include FAFSA and/or financial document review.
Joan H. Marks ’51 Scholarship
Established in 1998 by the students and graduates of the Human Genetics Master of Science program to honor the tenure of Joan H. Marks ’51, program director from 1972 through 1998, for her extraordinary contributions to Sarah Lawrence and the profession of genetics counseling. To be awarded annually to one or more students entering the program.
Erica Musen Sanborn MS ’03 Graduate Scholarship in Human Genetics
A scholarship established by Kenneth and Janice Musen in memory of their daughter Erica Musen Sanborn MS ’03, to support outstanding students in the Joan H. Marks Graduate Program in Human Genetics who share Erica’s commitment to disability awareness and/or pediatric genetic counseling; and to encourage diversity in the genetic counseling field. Selection will include FAFSA and/or financial document review.
Schultz Foundation Human Genetics Fellowship
An endowed fund established by the Schultz Foundation, providing financial aid to graduate students to enroll in the Human Genetics program. Selection will include FAFSA and/or financial document review.
Warren Alpert Foundation Scholarship
Sarah Lawrence is one of five genetic counseling programs in the U.S. to receive grant funds from the Warren Alpert Foundation to increase diversity in the field of genetic counseling. This scholarship is available to students who represent groups currently underrepresented in genetic counseling based on the National Institutes of Health guidelines. To apply, interested applicants can follow the regular application process for the Joan H. Marks Graduate Program in Human Genetics.