Scholarships |

100%
of eligible master's or Ed.D. applicants are automatically considered for scholarships

No separate application required
$25M +
offered in scholarships in 2026.
90% +
of admitted students seeking a scholarship in 2025 received scholarship offers.

This number includes Special Education students who received assistantships

Available Scholarships

How to Apply for a Scholarship

When you apply to an on-campus or online program, you’re automatically considered for eligible scholarships and merit aid.
No separate application is needed.
No application fee is charged for master's and Ed.D. programs.

How to See if You Received a Scholarship

Students who are awarded scholarships will be notified of their scholarship offer in their admission letter.
- Scholarships are applied to student accounts multiple times each term, depending on when applications are submitted. Scholarships may be applied after your tuition statement is generated.
If a student is awarded a scholarship, it cannot be combined with other Peabody scholarships.
- If you are eligible for multiple scholarships, the larger amount will be awarded.

External fellowships and scholarships are available for eligible candidates. Students who are awarded scholarships will be notified of their scholarship offer in their admission letter.

*A limited number of merit scholarships are available for the Online Doctor of Education (Ed.D.) in Leadership and Learning in Organizations program. If awarded, further information will be included in the admit letter.

Seeing the Peabody Honors Scholarship in my acceptance letter, and seeing what an extremely generous amount it was, really helped me understand Peabody was saying ‘there’s a place for you in this program!’

Katherine Kwong
Leadership and Organizational Performance M.Ed. student

Merit Scholarships

Student working on a laptop in a public sitting area

Peabody College is committed to helping working professionals access the high-quality education they need to advance their careers. Peabody offers generous merit scholarships to support our incoming students and demonstrate commitment to education in our community and around the globe. If awarded a merit scholarship, information will be included in the student's admissions letter.

Nashville Metropolitan Area K-12 Public School Scholarship

College professor talking to two students sitting at a desk

Students admitted to eligible on-campus or online professional degree programs are guaranteed a scholarship covering at least 30% of tuition. To be eligible, students must work full-time and be in good standing in any role within a public K–12 school system in the greater Nashville metropolitan area.

Eligible Counties, Programs and Details
Eligible counties include: Cannon, Cheatham, Davidson, Dickson, Hickman, Macon, Maury, Robertson, Rutherford, Smith, Sumner, Trousdale, Williamson, and Wilson.
Programs offered in a format that allow applicants to participate while maintaining fulltime employment are:
Programs might include evening or weekend classes.
Students must remain in good academic standing for the duration of their program and meet the same requirements as for other Peabody tuition scholarships in order for the award to continue past the first enrolled semester. In addition, the student must remain a fulltime employee in good standing within a public K-12 school system each semester the scholarship is received.
To receive one of these awards, you must indicate on the application that you are a fulltime employee within a public K-12 school system in one of the counties identified above and upload a letter (on letterhead) from your supervisor or Human Resource officer attesting to your employment and good standing.

Teacher Pathway Scholarship

Teacher reading a book to three young kids

The Teacher Pathway scholarship guarantees a minimum 30% scholarship to all students admitted to CAEP-accredited programs after Spring 2026 in initial licensure programs and advanced programs, and a minimum 20% scholarship for K-12 teacher leadership programs.

Eligible Teacher Pathway Programs and Details
This guaranteed funding has been put in place in order to
- broaden access to high-quality graduate education for individuals hoping to enter the teaching profession, and
- make a commitment to increasing the teacher workforce, particularly in Tennessee.
Eligible Programs include:
- Initial Licensure Programs (30% minimum scholarship)
  - Secondary Education
  - Elementary Education
  - Multilingual Education (only students enrolled in the teacher licensure track in the residential program are eligible)
  - Integrated Early Childhood Education
  - Special Education
    High-Incidence Disabilities
    Severe Disabilities
    Visual Impairments
- Advanced Programs (30% minimum scholarship)
  - Human Development Counseling (School Counseling track only)
  - Reading Education
- Teacher Leadership Programs (20% minimum scholarship)
  - K-12 Educational Leadership and Policy (Ed.D)
Scholarship cannot be combined with other Peabody scholarships; if a student is eligible for multiple awards, the larger amount will be granted. Students who accept grant-funded positions with tuition coverage and those who opt out of merit aid consideration are excluded from the scholarship.

Alumni Scholarship

Peabody graduate walking across the commencement stage to collect her degree with her toddler child

All Vanderbilt alumni admitted to master's and Ed.D. programs at Peabody College are eligible for a guaranteed 20% scholarship.

Vanderbilt juniors and seniors who apply to and are accepted in Early Start programs will be eligible for the discount after they graduate. The discount is applied after you formally enroll in the master's program.

Eligible Alumni Programs and Details
Many alumni are eligible for other merit scholarships. If awarded a merit scholarship, the higher amount will apply. The alumni scholarship and other merit scholarships cannot be stacked.
Eligible Programs
- All on-campus master's and Ed.D. programs offered through Peabody College.
- All online master's programs
- Vanderbilt seniors who sign up for the Early Start program are eligible for the discount.
At this time, this scholarship is not applicable to the Online Ed.D. in Leadership and Learning in Organizations (LLO). A limited number of merit scholarships are available for the LLO program and if awarded, further information is included in the admit letter.

Bass Military Scholars Program

ROTC students at an awards ceremony holding flags

Students admitted to on-campus and online master's or Ed.D. programs who have successfully completed service with one of the six programs listed below are guaranteed a partial tuition scholarship.

Program Details
Vanderbilt Peabody College is one of five graduate schools at Vanderbilt chosen to participate in the Bass Military Scholars Program. The program is funded by a $25 million gift from the Lee and Ramona Bass Foundation, which will provide financial assistance and programming for military veterans.
Eligibility:
- Apply to a Peabody College master's program
- Apply to the Bass Scholarship by the February 15 deadline (application open on an individual basis when admission criteria met)
- Veteran status with honorable discharge OR active military status transitioning to veteran status prior to orientation
- Commit to active engagement as a Bass Scholar during enrollment at Vanderbilt
The Bass Military Scholars Program is designed to complement, not replace, other financial aid programs available to members of the military and veterans. This includes the Yellow Ribbon Program, the G.I. Bill and other assistance programs designed for active-military and veterans.

Program Participation Scholarships

Student shaking hands with someone at a table for an event

Students admitted to on-campus and online professional programs who have successfully completed service with one of the six programs listed below are guaranteed a partial tuition scholarship.

Eligible Programs and Details
Eligible programs and scholarships:
- AmeriCorps Scholarship (minimum 30% award)
- City Year Scholarship (minimum 35% award)
- McNair Scholars Scholarship (minimum 30% award)
- Peace Corps Scholarship (minimum 30% award)
- Posse Scholarship (minimum 30% award)
- Teach for America Scholarship (minimum 30% award)
To receive one of these awards, you must indicate on your application that you are an alumni of/current participant in the program and also must upload an official letter from the program that confirms your service and participation.
If you are an alumni/current participant in more than one of the six programs listed, please indicate the program with which you have had your most recent association. You are only able to receive one scholarship.

*Students are still eligible for a Program Participation Scholarship if they have not yet completed their program, but will be done with it by the time they enroll at Peabody.

For information on student work opportunities, including fellowships, assistantships and student employment, see our Student Work Opportunities page.

Questions? Connect With Us

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Scholarships