Financial aid for international students is limited and highly competitive. While international students are eligible for institutional merit scholarships, they do not qualify for federal or state financial assistance.

International students should be fully prepared to fund their education and living expenses for the entire length of their degree program at CalArts. Funding sources typically come from family support, government grants or loans from the student’s country of citizenship, private scholarships, and CalArts merit scholarships. There is no separate scholarship application for international students; institutional scholarships are determined by committee upon review of each admitted student’s application materials.

Please see below for additional information regarding payment and scholarship options for international students.

Tuition Payment Plan

In an effort to help students and families meet their educational expenses, CalArts has partnered with Nelnet Campus Commerce (Nelnet) to administer a monthly payment plan. CalArts payment plan is an interest-free monthly payment plan which allows you to divide tuition and other expenses into four smaller monthly payments spread out over the semester. Please visit our Payment Options page for more details.

Student Loans for International Students

The best source of financial assistance for international students is often in their home country. Most grants, scholarships, and loans from public and private sources in the United States are restricted to U.S. citizens and permanent residents. We encourage students to make every effort to identify potential funding sources before coming to the United States.

There are a limited number of U.S. based educational loans available to international students. These loans generally require that you have the support of a cosigner who is a legal resident of the United States with good credit. Below we have listed some resources our students have taken advantage of in the past as a starting point for exploring additional options. CalArts does not partner with or endorse any of these lenders.