NYU Steinhardt used to give academic merit aid to their vocal performance (MT) students. As a matter of fact, that was the snafu that happened with D. She was put in to get academic merit aid by the dep’t head, but when we got our offer it was not there. She had done the summer program and was expecting some merit aid based on a discussion we had with the head of VP. So when there wasn’t a cent in her financial aid package, we called him and he had to fight for her to get talent aid which was the only merit aid they were still allowing. There was a change in policy which he hadn’t been made aware of. He offered her the academic money because of her high grades (and did the same for a very talented and smart boy she knew.) But then they got nothing and he had to appeal for them to get money.
So the system is so confusing and continually changing that the head of the program didn’t even know the status of things.
And not just at NYU. Lots of schools out there change and are misleading about merit aid. Younger D went to an info session at Brandeis in which they swore up and down that they no longer gave merit aid except to local kids from MA and scientists. This was a change in policy since older D got $15K a year for merit aid 4 years earlier. Well to everyone’s surprise, top kids who stuck with Brandies anyway and applied, got merit aid packages when they had expected nothing. They were about $5K a year less than when older D applied, but they did exist. People were doing the happy dance!
So my advice is to try to get a direct answer from the school, but it might still be worth applying if there are even rumors or a past history of merit aid being given out!