The Juilliard School Reacts to Protests Over Rising Cost of Tuition
Around the world The Juilliard School is known as a leader in art education but among many students, it is known for an expensive tuition that can often put young artists into debt before they even leave the conservatory.
“There is simmering discontent at the school” Carl Hallberg, a 19 year old drama student, said when asked about tension between administrators and students over the tuition issue.
Hallberg is a member of a student organization called the Socialist Penguins that organized and led the protests last spring after releasing a petition asking to freeze tuition for the upcoming academic school year. According to an article on Forbes, tuition rose about $2000 every year for the past 4 years at Juilliard. Students in the performing arts have been at a particular financial disadvantage during the pandemic due to a loss of job opportunities.
A total of 960 Juilliard students study in areas from music theory, to acting, to voice and opera. One third of those students signed the petition from the Socialist Penguins. In early June, the students held protests which consisted of dancing, singing, and drumming. They received media coverage from The Rolling Stones, The New York Times, and Forbes. However, the school did not meet the demands of the students. Instead, the students who participated in protests were penalized and “made an example of,” explained Hallberg. Some were threatened with disciplinary action and barred access to certain buildings during the school’s investigation into an accusation of harassment.
When the Socialist Penguins first began to voice their complaints, they received an email from administrators stating, “While we recognize that the tuition increase of $1,965, to $51,230 for the next year is on its face unwelcome news, we would urge you to bear in mind that Juilliard awards financial aid to 92% of its students.”
The email later pointed out “even in the best of times students do not pay the full cost of a Juilliard education,” which amounts to $92,000 a year. A staggering 85% of funding for the school comes from philanthropy while only 15% comes from tuition.
After repeatedly being dismissed by administrators, the Socialist Penguins took initiative and started a community fund to support students in need. This winter, the club was able to distribute $30 care cards to 15 anonymous students. Also, they are raising awareness and donations for students who need assistance with paying tuition. Additionally, the student organization supported their Upper West Side community by accepting donations from students of food, water, masks, hygiene products, etc. that were distributed to unhoused people.
After the club posted a poll on Instagram asking students about food insecurity among other things, the school sent out their own survey and started providing free breakfasts of oatmeal and fruit. Financial aid rose 4% for this academic year and the work-study salary at Juilliard was finally boosted to $15/hour, the minimum wage in New York City. Despite these small changes, financial aid is still a problem for many graduate and international students that are going into debt trying to pay tuition according to Carl Hallberg.
“Financial accessibility is the gatekeeper…” said Raphael Zimmerman, a 20 year old clarinet student, when speaking about issues with diversity and accessibility at Juilliard. He described financial aid as an almost suspiciously complicated system.
Students carrying various instruments walk across the overpass to Lincoln Center away from the beige brick of the Irene Diamond Building where the silver letters that spell out ‘The Juilliard School’ sparkle in the sunlight. Within those walls, Raphael Zimmerman says over FaceTime in an empty practice room, “with the amount of support they have access to, I think they could do better to promote diversity in this traditionally elite field.”
