| In direct reply to rosebud's question, there are a number of factors involved in scholarship money regarding music performance admissions.
For strict conservatory programs like Curtis, Colburn, Juilliard, NEC, Peabody, etc. Merit scholarships are TALENT scholarships, not academically based. Amount of $ is directedly related to your audition results in comparison to the audition pool for that year. If you are at the top, you are offered the bigger package. In the case of Colburn, all admittees are full free ride, Curtis is full tuition. At other conservatory programs, it can range from full ride to a few $ thousand. Any negotiation is within a narrow range of where you fell in your audition.
For other top programs, like Rice, Oberlin, Eastman, Indiana, Michigan and other conservatory level programs within a university or LAC, the talent money again is auditioned based. While school specific criteria apply, there MAY be additional merit scholarships available based on academic standing, GPA, SAT/ACT, NMF. In some cases OOS waivers may constitute part of the package. Academic scholarship criteria is usually tiered based on certain parameters, and tend to be stringently enforced, but there may be a bit of "wiggle room" at any specific school.
Smaller LAC, university and some state programs with strong music reputations apply similar criteria.
The main focus here is that talent money awards at any performance program
are auditioned based. Knowing your own ability as reflected in your audition compared to the pecking order of other accepted applicants on your particular instrument is the key.
Students at the top have more bargaining power, those at the bottom less.
An exceptional performer, particularly on an underrepresented instrument (viola, harp, bassoon, tuba, or period instrument specialty) could have
a bit more leverage ability in some of the smaller programs by the simple law of supply and demand in relationship to how much a particular school is willing to fork over for your talent and potential versus their particular needs.
Again, any "negotiation" must consider that offers from peer institutions are the only basis for comparison, but strength of any one particular audition pool is an unknown factor. | 
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