Understanding your Award

Cost of attendance (COA) is an estimate of students’ educational expenses for the period of enrollment, as determined by the school. The cost of attendance is determined by your living arrangement, you are assigned a COA based on whether you live on campus, off campus, or at home (with a parent) and your academic level. The COA includes many aspects of the cost of attending CalArts, such as tuition, fees, housing, and food. The COA sets a limit on the total aid that a student may receive for a given academic year.

• Billable (direct) costs: Direct costs are the actual charges that a student is billed by the CalArts accounting department. These include tuition and fees, as well as housing and food if the student is living on campus.
• Estimated (indirect) costs: Indirect costs are other estimated auxiliary costs associated with attending CalArts. These are not specific amounts that a student must pay, but are used to help students estimate a total cost of attendance for a year of enrollment at CalArts. Indirect costs include transportation, personal and miscellaneous expenses, books and supplies, and housing and food expenses if the student is not living on campus.

The examples show a COA for undergraduate students living on campus and attending full-time and graduate students living on campus and attending full-time. 

See Cost of Attendance (COA) estimates

Parents and families of CalArts students are strongly encouraged to review the complete website to get all the facts regarding the application procedures, deadlines, grants, scholarships, loans, and work programs that may be available to students as a resource. If you wish to inquire about specific information regarding your student’s financial assistance, you must have confirmed access as a proxy. 

Proxy access information and instructions

CalArts annually provides an estimated cost of education, which breaks down direct charges like tuition, fees, and housing and food for students who live on campus, as well as indirect charges. 

Cost of Attendance (COA) estimates

The Office of Financial Aid understands that the cost of education can be difficult to cover out of pocket. Parents of dependent undergraduate students who complete a FAFSA for the academic year can apply for a Federal Direct Parent PLUS Loan to help bridge the gap between the cost of attending CalArts and the financial aid the student is currently receiving. Dependent undergraduate students will have a Parent PLUS loan listed on their financial aid award letter. The amount listed is not the maximum that can be borrowed; parents can request up to the cost of attendance minus any other financial aid the student is receiving during the application process. 

Parent PLUS loan information

Other options for covering your student’s balance include monthly payment plans or private education student loans. 

If you have questions regarding payments or billing, please contact the Bursar at accounting@calarts.edu or 661-253-7847.

In some cases, we may ask students to submit additional documentation to the Financial Aid Office in order to confirm eligibility for certain financial aid. To view any additional documents that are required, and instruction on submitting documents: 

• Log in to sso.calarts.edu and click on Self-Service within the available web app dashboard
• Click on “Financial Aid” to view your Financial Aid Checklist
• Click on “Complete required documents”

Please submit documents using the secure Missing Documents Upload Form; do not email this type of documentation directly to the Financial Aid Office.

You can accept or reject aid on your financial aid offer. Scholarships and grants are generally already set as accepted, and do not require additional action.

Federal work study and direct loan offers require you to accept or reject them, which can be done by logging in to sso.calarts and clicking on “Financial Aid.” 

How to accept or decline your Financial Aid award (PDF)

For an easy-to-use estimate of your balance for the upcoming year, please visit our estimate your balance calculator.

When reviewing your financial aid award, please remember the following:

Enrollment requirements

Your award is based on full-time enrollment (i.e. 12 or more units for BFA students) each semester. If you do not enroll full-time, your Federal, State and institutional funds can be decreased or removed. You must be enrolled in at least six units each semester to receive federal student loans.

Satisfactory Academic Progress

To receive financial aid, you must maintain Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) toward completing your degree. SAP is defined as maintaining a minimum cumulative grade point average (GPA) of 2.0 or higher for BFA students and 3.0 or higher for graduate students, completing at least 67% of all attempted units, and not exceeding 180 attempted units overall for BFA students or 90 attempted units overall for graduate students. If you fail to maintain SAP, you may be in jeopardy of not receiving financial aid. 

Satisfactory academic progress policy

Rights and responsibilities

It is essential that all students receiving financial aid at CalArts are aware of the student’s rights and responsibilities. 

Read your rights and responsibilities for Financial Aid