Financial aid

The mission of the Financial Aid Office at CalArts is to help students in meeting their costs of attendance at the institute. CalArts is committed to offering a wide range of financial assistance to its students. While the primary responsibility for meeting college costs rests with the student and the student’s family, many families have limited resources and are unable to meet the high cost of college without financial assistance. Therefore, all applicants to CalArts are encouraged to apply for financial aid. (Applying for admission and applying for financial aid are two separate processes.) International students are not eligible for federal and state assistance.

For the most part, funds made available through the Financial Aid Office are awarded on a combination of demonstrated need and artistic merit. Need is determined by completing and submitting the FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid/Renewal Free Application for Federal Student Aid). CalArts also offers a few merit-only awards, however, to be eligible for these awards, you must have completed your financial aid file.

Read through this information and review the sample budgets. Know approximately what your costs will be for an academic year and draw up your own personal budget. With some early planning on your part and some assistance from our office, we know your academic year at CalArts will not only be financially possible, but a pleasant experience as well.

Login to Student Academic Services Online where you can access your financial aid offer: http://aar.calarts.edu/student.html