Financial Aid

Merit scholarships are awarded based on a student’s academic achievement and creative ability as demonstrated by their portfolio.

We offer merit scholarships for graduate students, first-time freshmen, international students, and transfer students.

Undergraduate merit scholarships range up to $29,000 and may be renewed for four years of full-time enrollment if the recipient maintains good academic standing.

Transfer applicants could receive up to $25,000 in the form of CCA’s Faculty Honors awards, based on outstanding creative ability and academic achievement.

Graduate merit scholarships range up to $49,000 and are awarded to outstanding students by the graduate admissions committee. These renewable scholarships are highly selective, prestigious, and based on the strength of the student’s application and portfolio.

International student scholarships based on merit range from $18,000 to $27,000 for undergraduate students. Graduate merit international student scholarships range from $10,000 to $51,000. Nearly half of our international students receive a merit scholarship.

When you apply for admission to CCA by the priority deadline, you’re automatically qualified for merit scholarship consideration.

California College of the Arts awards the Visionary Practice Scholarship to students who have bold ideas and can harness the potential of their artwork, stories, and diverse life experiences to leave their mark wherever they go.

This scholarship advances creative excellence by giving aspiring artists the space and resources they need to thrive. We are cognizant of the structural inequalities in our society and aim to allocate the necessary resources that will empower students to shape culture and society with the objective of promoting a more equitable future.

The scholarship covers the cost of tuition and fees for the duration of the student's program at CCA and more. Read about what makes a great candidate for this scholarship as well additional scholarship details.

Undergraduate applicants who submit their application for admission by the priority deadline (February 1 for first-year applicants or March 1 for transfer applicants); who are U.S. citizens, permanent residents, or DACA recipients; and who have completed the FAFSA form or CADAA are eligible.

Undergraduate students who apply for admission to CCA by the priority deadline and who have also completed their FAFSA form or CADAA, as well as graduate students who apply for admission to CCA by the priority deadline, are automatically considered for the Visionary Practice Scholarship.

Need-based scholarships for undergraduate students and CCA scholarships for graduate students are awarded to those with demonstrated financial need and based on academic achievement.

Recipients must be U.S. citizens or eligible noncitizens and have demonstrated financial need. Students enrolled less than full time may receive prorated scholarships.

When you apply for admission to CCA by the priority deadline and have also completed the FAFSA form or CADAA, you are automatically qualified for need-based or CCA scholarship consideration. Need-based scholarships will continue to be awarded to qualified applicants who submit a late application.

These are scholarships initiated in honor of a generous donor, alum, emeritus faculty, or friend of CCA.View current CCA named scholarships.

Named scholarships are awarded to both graduate and undergraduate students. Some of these scholarships are exclusively for students working in particular disciplines.

Recipients are full-time incoming or continuing students who are either U.S. citizens or eligible noncitizens and who demonstrate financial need and academic merit at CCA.

Each spring, CCA sponsors the All-College Honors Awards competition, which awards scholarships that are then granted during the fall semester. Each merit prize is chosen based on a portfolio review by an interdisciplinary faculty jury.

Both enrolled undergraduate and graduate students are eligible to submit portfolios for this one-year prize. Competition entrants must have a cumulative grade point average of 3.0 or higher and be in good academic standing.

Twenty-three all-college honors scholarship awards are given each academic year to students in BA, BFA, and BArch undergraduate programs, as well as in MA, MBA, MFA, and MArch graduate programs. Programmatic undergraduate award categories include Design and Architecture, Fine Arts, Writing, and First Year. Programmatic graduate award categories include Architecture.

This is a federal grant that is offered to "exceptionally needy" undergraduates who seek to earn a bachelor's degree. Award amounts are set by the federal government based on financial need and enrollment status.

Awards range from $650 to $6,345 for full-time students; award amounts for part-time students are set in proportion to the number of enrolled units. Recipients should be in good academic standing.

Gender/Ethnicity of Pell Recipients

Gender

• Female 53%
• Male 33%
• Non-Binary 6%
• Unknown 8%

Ethnicity

• African American 12%
• Latino 9%
• American Indian or Alaskan Native 1%
• Asian 26%
• White 20%
• Two or more 7%
• Unknown 25%

Based on CCA's full-time Pell Grant Recipients for 2022-2023.

Full-time Federal Pell Grant recipients with significant financial need may also be awarded a Federal Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grant (FSEOG). FSEOG awards range from an additional $500 to $2,000 per year and may not be combined with Cal Grant funding at CCA.

Receiving a state Cal Grant makes a difference. When combined, institutional scholarships, Cal Grants, and federal grants could cover up to 85% of a student’s tuition each year, depending on their and their family’s financial circumstances.

Cal Grant A

Available for undergraduate California residents who seek to earn a bachelor’s degree, Cal Grant A awards are based on cumulative GPA and financial need and can be used toward tuition and fees. Qualifying students can receive grants up to $9,084, renewable up to four years.

Cal Grant B

Cal Grant B awards are similarly available to undergraduate California residents who seek to earn a bachelor’s degree, but provide tuition and fee assistance plus a living allowance stipend. These are based on cumulative GPA and significant financial need. Recipients are generally from disadvantaged economic/educational backgrounds. Awards for first-year students provide up to $1,656 for books and living expenses. When renewed or applied beyond the first year, awards also include tuition and fee assistance of up to $9,084.

• Read details about Cal Grant information and how it affects institutional awards on the CCA portal
• Find regulations and rules at the California Student Aid Commission

Cal Grant recipients can manage their award on the Cal Grant 4 Students portal.

Direct Loans are low-interest federal educational loans available to college students who are enrolled at least half-time, are pursuing a degree, and meet other basic requirements for federal aid. Direct Loans are financed directly by the U.S. government, so you don’t need to choose a lender to receive one.

All CCA students borrowing a Direct Loan must complete a Master Promissory Note (MPN) and a loan entrance counseling session prior to the disbursement of loan funds. Direct Loans can be subsidized or unsubsidized, don’t require credit approval, and offer a variety of deferment and repayment options. The standard repayment period under this program is ten years. Read more about Direct Loans.

The federal government pays the interest on subsidized loans while the borrower is enrolled at least half-time and during authorized periods of deferment. Subsidized loans are available to undergraduate students only.

The interest on unsubsidized loans begins to accrue immediately upon disbursement and is generally capitalized (added to the principal amount borrowed) when the borrower is no longer enrolled at least half-time.

The interest rate on Direct Subsidized and Direct Unsubsidized Loans for undergraduate students disbursed between July 1, 2023, through June 30, 2024, is fixed at 5.50%.

The interest rate on Direct Unsubsidized Loans for graduate students disbursed between July 1, 2023, through June 30, 2024, is fixed at 7.05%, and interest begins at the time of disbursement.

Eligibility for subsidized Direct Loans is based on financial need as demonstrated via the FAFSA application. Students who don’t demonstrate sufficient need may borrow unsubsidized Direct Loans.

How much you can receive in Direct Loans is dependent on the type of student you are.

Independent and dependent undergraduate students may borrow combined subsidized and unsubsidized Direct Loan amounts not to exceed an annual total of:

• $5,500 for first-year students (a maximum of $3,500 may be subsidized)
• $6,500 for second-year students (a maximum of $4,500 may be subsidized)
• $7,500 for third-, fourth-, and fifth-year students (a maximum of $5,500 may be subsidized)

Independent and dependent undergraduate students whose parents are unable to borrow PLUS Loans (view below) may borrow additional unsubsidized Direct Loan amounts not to exceed an annual total of:

• $4,000 for first- and second-year students
• $5,000 for third-, fourth-, and fifth-year students

Graduate students may borrow up to $20,500 per year through the Direct Loan program.

The maximum outstanding total subsidized and unsubsidized Direct Loan debt allowed is:

• $31,000 for dependent undergraduate students.
• $57,500 for independent undergraduate students (or dependent undergraduate students whose parents don’t qualify for PLUS Loans). No more than $23,000 of this aggregate amount may be in the form of subsidized loans.
• $138,500 for graduate or professional-degree students (including loans for undergraduate study). No more than $65,500 of this aggregate amount may be in the form of subsidized loans.

Parent PLUS Loans are available to the parents or stepparents of dependent undergraduate students. These credit-based loans aren’t determined by financial need. Read more about Parent PLUS Loans.

PLUS Loans are financed directly by the U.S. government, so you don’t need to choose a lender. Parents borrowing PLUS Loans must complete a PLUS Master Promissory Note (MPN).

Parents of dependent undergraduate students must also complete the PLUS Loan request form.

In general, parents may borrow up to the cost of attendance less any other financial aid received. There is no annual limit to the amount that can be borrowed through the PLUS Loan program.

That will vary based on when the loan is borrowed.

The interest rate on Direct PLUS Loans for parents disbursed between July 1, 2023, and June 30, 2024, is fixed at 8.05%.

The standard repayment period under this program is 10 years. Interest is charged on Parent PLUS Loans beginning on the date of the first loan disbursement. Repayment of the principal and interest on a Parent PLUS Loan begins within 60 days after the loan is fully disbursed.

Parents may request an in-school forbearance from Direct Loan Borrower Services during which no payments or interest-only payments are required.

Interest on Parent PLUS Loans continues to be charged during periods of deferment or forbearance. You may either pay the interest as it accrues or you may allow the interest to be capitalized (added to your loan’s principal balance). Capitalization increases the total loan amount that you must repay.

Graduate and professional students are eligible to take out graduate PLUS Loans on their own behalf. These credit-based loans are not determined by financial need. Read more about Graduate PLUS Loans.

PLUS Loans are financed directly by the U.S. government, so you don’t need to choose a lender. Graduate students borrowing PLUS Loans must complete a graduate PLUS Master Promissory Note (MPN).

In general, graduate students may borrow up to the cost of attendance less any other financial aid received. There’s no annual limit to the amount that can be borrowed through the PLUS Loan program.

That will vary based on when the loan is borrowed.

The interest rate on PLUS Loans graduate students disbursed between July 1, 2023, and June 30, 2024, is fixed at 8.05%.

The standard repayment period under this program is 10 years. Interest is charged on graduate PLUS Loans beginning on the date of the first loan disbursement.

Graduate PLUS Loan borrowers attending at least half-time will be placed into in-school deferment, during which no payments are required.

Interest on Graduate PLUS Loans continues to be charged during periods of deferment or forbearance. You may either pay the interest as it accrues or you may allow the interest to be capitalized (added to your loan’s principal balance). Capitalization increases the total loan amount that you must repay.