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Financial Aid

Financial aid online degree program: FAQ for program applicants

This page answers questions on financial aid for online degree program applicants. If you have further questions, please contact our Admissions team and ask to speak to a Financial Counselor.

Q. Does Sessions College offer financial aid?

Sessions College offers degree program students a number of attractive options to pay for your education without incurring high levels of debt or loans. Sessions College does not participate in U.S. federal financial aid programs. However, with competitive tuition and flexible payment options, Sessions College offers a better "value proposition" than many other schools that participate in the federal financial aid process via the FAFSA application.

Q. What is the Sessions College value proposition?

The Sessions College Associate of Occupational Studies is an excellent online program developed by a faculty of professional designers to prepare you for a career in design. The 72-credit, six semester program, completed on a full-time schedule over two years, is focused on helping you build industry-standard skills and a portfolio of high-quality work. Part-time schedules are also available over a longer timeframe.

With 54 credits of coursework in art and design and 18 credits in complementary general education courses, you can be sure that the program is preparing you to get a job, not preparing for you for more school. The program tuition of $18,000 ($9,000 per year or $250/credit for full-time students) offers exceptional value compared to most other art schools whether online or brick and mortar. Tuition for part-time students (taking 6 or 9 credits per semester) is $300/credit.

Compare Sessions College to other schools and see. Also bear in mind that students with general education or art and design coursework from other colleges may be able to transfer in up to 21 credits.

Q. What makes Sessions College Associate's degree program payment options affordable?

The Sessions College financial options are best understood by talking to a member of our financial consulting team. To schedule a convenient phone call to discuss your individual circumstances and needs, please contact our Admissions team and ask to speak to a Financial Counselor. To prepare for the conversation, please review these payment options:

1. Tuition is reduced by 5% for students who pay tuition in full up front, prior to the first semester. Tuition of $18,000 will be reduced to $17,100 if the student makes a single payment.

2. Tuition can be paid one semester at a time over six semesters. Six (6) equal payments of $3,000 are made prior to the beginning of each of the six (6) semesters.

3. Sessions College provides a no-interest payment plan with a $3000 down payment, thirty-six (36) equal monthly payments of $427 beginning Semester 1. Payments include a $10 per month administration fee. Payment plans are available to full-time students only.
   

4. Sessions College partners with Sallie Mae to offer Smart Option Student Loans. An Sallie Mae Smart Option Student Loan is similar in nature to FAFSA in that payment is deferred until after education is "completed." (Completion by definition is graduation or withdrawal from program.) You will be able to choose between two repayment options: Full interest payments while in school or $25/month fixed payments while in school. Interest rates vary depending on your choice of repayment options.

Compare the Sessions College payment plan with a hypothetical Sallie Mae plan:

The Sallie Mae Smart Option Student Loan chart above is based on the student borrowing the entire $18,000 tuition for the Sessions College program. This chart is subject to change based on the amount borrowed and on the borrower's financial wellness. The financial options available to degree program applicants are best understood by talking to a member of our financial consulting team.

Q. The program sounds great. But wouldn't I be better off participating in the FAFSA system? Doesn't that give me the most financial assistance and minimize my costs?

Not necessarily. Besides Pell Grants, federal tuition assistance is a loan that does not offer particularly favorable terms and conditions. Current interest rates are between 6.5% and 8.5%, which can translate to very large payments for a long time. If you elect not to pay the interest while you are in school, those loan payments are even larger. For example, let's say you choose a school with tuition of $35,000. At an interest rate of 8.5%, here's what you might be facing:

The $18,315 interest owed is more than Sessions College degree program tuition. Also, most competitive degree programs have tuition in the $50,000 range. Can you imagine those payments?

Q. Couldn't I lower those monthly payments by asking for a longer payment period?

You certainly could, but doing so may just make the problem worse. The longer you take to pay, the more you will pay. Remember the above loans are for 96 months (8 years). If you increase the term, you will increase the total real cost of your program even more.

Q. Isn't it true that if I get a Pell Grant, I do not have to repay?

Pell Grants are awarded based on financial hardship, so it's true that Pell Grant money does not have to be repaid. Just bear in mind that the maximum Pell Grant that you can receive this year is $5,550, if you qualify. Programs similar to the Sessions Associate program have yearly tuition that far exceed what Pell Grants will pay. Ultimately, you will still have to take out a loan.