Paying for Your CIA Education

CIA is committed to helping you keep costs down and providing as much financial assistance as possible. If costs still seem high, always remember that a CIA degree is an investment in yourself and will pay dividends (financially and otherwise) throughout your career.

Tuition and Fees by Campus

Grants for International Students

CIA offers the following scholarship opportunities for international students that you may be eligible for:

• Merit Award: International students are automatically considered for a renewable merit award based on their GPA from high school and/or college as reflected on your transcript. The maximum award is $3,000 USD per academic year and is renewable at the onset of every academic year if you maintain a 3.0 GPA or higher during your time at CIA.
• Alumni Referral Scholarship: CIA offers a one-time grant of $1,000 USD for students who submit a letter of recommendation from a graduate of CIA. The funds are awarded in the first academic year only and are not renewable.
• Earn & Learn: This program allows students to “work off” part of their overall tuition balance by taking a job on campus. The maximum award is up to $2,625 per semester in tuition credit and can be renewed if there is an available position on campus. More details can be found here.
• $HEF Platform: Once accepted, incoming and current students have access to CIA’s scholarship site, $HEF, which provides opportunities to apply throughout the year to more than 200 scholarships donated by friends of the college. More than $4 million was awarded last year from these donated funds. You can view some of the current awards here. Make sure the awards are available to international students, and keep in mind these awards rotate about every three weeks.

Additionally, there are other options to consider when budgeting for your studies:

• External Awards: You can also search for other, external awards. Any funds you receive can be used to pay down the cost. Here are some links to other sites that may be helpful:
  • Fastweb.com
  • SuperCollege.com
  • Scholarships.com
  • internationalstudent.com/scholarships
  • myscholly.com
• International Student Loans:
  • MPower
  • WeMakeScholars
• Paid Internship: Students who enroll in a degree program will complete a one semester internship off campus as part of the degree program. We have over 2,000 sites to choose from and most pay a wage to the interns.
• Optional Practical Training: International students are also eligible for what is called Optional Practical Training (OPT) which allows you to remain in the U.S. for one year to gain field experience after you graduate. Once the year is up you will need to enroll in a new academic program or leave the country.

As part of your application, due to U.S. immigration (SEVP) requirements, you must show proof of funding for one academic year of study by providing a bank statement from your or your sponsor with at least $55,000 USD that has been set aside for your education. This is not the billable total, but your application cannot be reviewed for admission without it as we cannot issue your Form I-20 for the visa without this. Aside from the scholarship opportunities listed above, you will need to have the rest of your tuition and fees covered by your own funding or that of your sponsor.

Paying For Your Education

CIA offers flexible payment options to help you manage expenses. These include:

• Tuition Installment Plan: This interest-free monthly payment option allows you to maximize your savings and income by spreading your college education expenses across equal monthly payments. Enrollment is simple with a small, one-time fee.
• Payment in full: This option allows you to pay online using your checking or savings account.

If you have questions about any tuition, fees, grants, scholarships, or payment options, please contact Student Financial and Registration Services at 845-451-1500 or SFRS@culinary.edu.

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