Tuition + Financial Aid

Pacific Northwest College of Art awards scholarships for entering Fall semester students who demonstrate potential to succeed in the BFA program. Scholarships are awarded to applicants who demonstrate outstanding creative abilities and scholarly achievement. Financial need is considered for some of the scholarships.

Admissions Scholarships for New Students

All students applying to PNCA’s BFA program for the Fall semester prior to February 1 are automatically considered for Admissions scholarships. Students applying after February 1 are considered until funds have been exhausted. The scholarships are available to both U.S. citizens and international students.

Competitive Juried Scholarships for New Students

All students applying to PNCA’s BFA program for the Fall semester prior to February 1 are automatically considered. The scholarships are available to both U.S. citizens and international students. (Students who have previously attended PNCA as an admitted BFA student are not eligible for these scholarships.)

• The Ed Cauduro Scholarship is awarded based on exceptional creative promise, academic strength and financial need. Thesis $10,000 scholarship is reviewed for renewal each year.
• The Nines Scholarship
• William Randolph Hearst Scholarship
• Thomas Deering Memorial Scholarship
• Chase Cook Memorial Scholarship
• Al Solheim Scholarship
• Bill Fletcher Scholarship

PNCA's Fall 2022 Equity Scholarships

PNCA is thrilled to announce a scholarship program geared toward our incoming Black, Indigenous, and non-Black students of color, or students who have demonstrated a commitment to working with impacted communities to end racial injustice with scholarships ranging from $5,000 to full tuition coverage per year renewable for five years. The details of these scholarships are as follows:

• Two full tuition scholarships (renewable each year for up to four years) will be awarded to students who have shown a dedicated commitment to equity for Black, Indigenous, and non-Black students of color.

• Two scholarships of $5,000 (renewable each year for up to four years) will be awarded to students who have shown a dedicated commitment to equity for Black, Indigenous, and non-Black students of color. These scholarships are in addition to the initial merit and portfolio based scholarship that students receive upon admission into PNCA which start at $18,000 per year, also renewable for up to four years.

These scholarships were first implemented for our incoming Fall 2020 class and will be offered again for the 2023 academic year. These scholarships are definitive, measurable, and transparent starting today and moving forward each year to come. They should have been created back in 1909, when PNCA was founded. This is not a temporary performative action, but a commitment to create improved accessibility for Black, Indigenous, and non-Black students of color, or students who have demonstrated a commitment to working with impacted communities to end racial injustice. to receive an art education. At PNCA, we have the power and the privilege that allows us to act in meaningful and actionable ways to promote equity and social justice. We acknowledge that we need to do better.

Click here to learn more

Scholarships for Continuing Students

PNCA has 40 scholarships and prizes available to students who are currently enrolled in Bachelor of Fine Arts programs. Each scholarship has different application criteria and requirements. The Financial Aid office and the Academic Department Chairs distribute information regarding these PNCA Scholarships each spring.

• Argyle Winery Scholarship
• William Jamison Memorial Scholarship
• Nancy Tonkin Memorial Scholarship
• Hawthorne Hunt Memorial Scholarship
• Helen Director Memorial Scholarship
• Louis Bunce Memorial Scholarship
• Charles H. Carey Award for Life Drawing
• Charles Howard Voorhies Drawing Award
• C.S. Price Award for Painting
• Gamblin Paint Award
• Ed & Sandy Martin Merit Sculpture Award
• Manuel Izquierdo Scholarship
• Vivian & Gordon Gilkey Printmaking Scholarship
• Robert C. Lee Printmaking Scholarship
• Scott Fuentes Printmaking Scholarship
• Opan Filteau Photography Scholarship
• Lloyd Reynolds Award for Graphic Design
• David J. Thompson Memorial Scholarship
• Interdisciplinary Artist Merit Scholarship
• Jacob and Ruth Cole Kainen Scholarship
• Rachael Griffin Memorial Scholarship
• William H. Givler Outstanding Thesis Prize
• Abraham & Anna C. Helman Thesis Award
• Thesis Writing Award
• PNCA Merit Scholarship

Private Scholarships

Private scholarships are a source of free money that can be found from a variety of resources. Companies, foundations, public organizations and other membership groups are the most common sources for private scholarships. You may use search websites specific to this purpose such as:

• Oregon Office of Student Access and Completion (www.oregonstudentaid.gov)
• FastWeb (www.fastweb.com)
• Scholarships.com (www.scholarships.com)
• Student Scholarship Search (www.studentscholarshipsearch.com)
• Broke Scholar (www.brokescholar.com)
• FinAid (www.finaid.org)
• Local Public Libraries
• PNCA’s Financial Aid Office — Additional scholarships are collected and cataloged as they become available from the community each year.
• google.com

You may also search based on artistic or scholastic merit, nationality, religion, employment, physical attributes, disabilities, hobbies or any number of special characteristics about you and/or your family

Additional Supporters of PNCA Endowment Funds for Scholarships

• Alumni & Friends Scholarship
• Jane Chase Memorial Scholarship
• Beth Fagan Memorial Scholarship
• Everett B. & Jean Jacobberger Franks Scholarship
• Ruth Elise Halvorsen Memorial Scholarship
• Bernard & Gertrude Heims Scholarship
• Lamb/Weston Endowed Scholarship
• John Mosser Scholarship
• Mary L. Peterson Memorial Scholarship
• Agnes Prentis Memorial Scholarship
• Anne K. & Lawrence C. Shaw Memorial Scholarship
• Stephen Eberly Thompson Scholarship
• Shanna C. Wheeler Memorial Scholarship
• Holt C. Wilson Memorial Scholarship
• Norman C. & Marian Zimmer Memorial Scholarship

Grant assistance is awarded on the basis of demonstrated financial need, so not every student will receive a grant. You do not have to work for a grant or repay it after you leave school; grants are commonly referred to as “gift aid”. They are distributed directly to your student account balance at PNCA at the beginning of each term.

Federal Pell Grant

The US Department of Education awards Federal Pell Grants to the neediest students, based on the information submitted on your Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). Students who have already earned a bachelor’s degree or a professional degree (such as pharmacy or architecture) are no longer eligible to receive Federal Pell Grants. Every student who completes the FAFSA form is automatically considered for the Federal Pell Grant program. The maximum Pell Grant during the 2020-2021 school year is $6,345.

Federal Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grant (FSEOG)

The Federal Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grant (FSEOG) program was created to provide additional grant support to students with exceptional financial need. Priority of funding is given to students who receive Federal Pell Grants. The US Department of Education distributes FSEOG funds to each college that participates in the program. Unlike the Federal Pell Grant program, FSEOG funds are often exhausted before the end of the school year. Interested students should be sure to submit their FAFSA applications as early as possible after October 1, annually. FSEOG awards at PNCA are $1,000 per year.

Oregon Opportunity Grant

The Oregon Opportunity Grant program was created by the Oregon State Legislature to help needy Oregon students to attend Oregon colleges. Oregon residents who attend the Pacific Northwest College of Art may be eligible to receive an Oregon Opportunity Grant. These grants are awarded on the basis of financial need, based upon the information provided on your FAFSA or ORSAA. Students who already have a bachelor’s degree are not eligible to receive an Oregon Opportunity Grant. More detailed information regarding the Oregon Opportunity Grant is posted on the Oregon Office of Student Access & Completion website.

PNCA Grant

The PNCA Grant assists students who have remaining financial need after all applicable federal and state grants have been awarded.

Work-Study

Work-study is a way for students to earn money to pay for school through part-time on- (and sometimes off-) campus jobs. The program gives students an opportunity to gain valuable work experience while pursuing a college degree.

Unlike other types of financial aid, work-study earnings are not applied directly to your tuition and fees. Students who are awarded work-study receive the funds in a paycheck as they earn them, based on hours worked, just like a normal job. These earnings are meant to help with the day-to-day expenses that students have and are not meant to cover large costs like tuition and housing.

One of the benefits of earning income through a Federal Work-Study position is that those earnings do not count against you when you complete the FAFSA form.

Direct Subsidized Loans

Subsidized Loans are based on a student’s financial need and year in school. Eligibility is defined as follows:

• Freshmen may borrow up to $3,500
• Sophomores may borrow up to $4,500
• Juniors and seniors may borrow up to $5,500

While a student is enrolled in school at least half-time no payments on the loan are due, and the federal government pays all accrued interest on the subsidized loans. Interest begins to accrue at the beginning of a student’s six-month grace period. Students must maintain “in-school” status to continue receiving loans and the interest subsidy from the federal government. In school status requires a student to maintain a minimum of half-time enrollment or 6 credit-hours.

The interest rate for Federal Subsidized Stafford Loans borrowed between July 1, 2019, and June 30, 2020, is 4.53%. The current loan fee is 1.059% deducted from the principal at the time of disbursement. The variable interest rate on most federally guaranteed student loans is readjusted annually based on the final 91-day T-bill auction prior to June 1 and is effective July 1.

Direct Unsubsidized Loans

Federal Unsubsidized Stafford Loans are available to students regardless of financial need.

Students who are dependent (as determined by the FAFSA application) are eligible to borrow up to $2,000 per year in the Federal Unsubsidized Stafford Loan Program.

Students who are independent (as determined by the FAFSA application) are eligible to borrow an amount of Federal Unsubsidized Stafford Loan per year, based on their year in school:

• Freshmen and sophomores may borrow up to $6,000
• Juniors and seniors may borrow up to $7,000

While a student is enrolled in school at least half-time no payments on the loan are due. Interest on the Unsubsidized Stafford Loan accrues while a student is attending school and through their six-month grace period. Borrowers are encouraged to pay accruing interest on these loan funds during enrollment. Unpaid interest is capitalized prior to the loan’s entering repayment.

The interest rate for Federal Subsidized Stafford Loans borrowed between July 1, 2019, and June 30, 2020, is 4.53%. The current loan fee is 1.059% deducted from the principal at the time of disbursement. The variable interest rate on most federally guaranteed student loans is readjusted annually based on the final 91-day T-bill auction prior to June 1 and is effective July 1.

Direct PLUS Loan

PLUS Loan funds are available to the parents of dependent students to help cover the cost of attendance. Approval for the PLUS loan is contingent upon a credit check performed by the federal loan processor. A parent may borrow the PLUS Loan up to the full cost of attendance minus any other financial aid received. Parents may defer making payments on the PLUS Loan while the student is attending at least half-time (six credits).

The interest rate for Federal Parent PLUS Loans borrowed between July 1, 2019, and June 30, 2020, is 7.08%. The current loan fee is 4.236% deducted from the principal at the time of disbursement. Loan fees are subject to change.

PLUS Loan Credit Criteria

Parent borrowers with adverse credit history may not be eligible for the PLUS Loan without a credit qualifying endorser (co-signer).

A borrower is considered to have adverse credit history having one or more debts with a total combined outstanding balance greater than $2,085 that is 90 or more days delinquent as of the date of the credit report, or that have been placed in collection or charged off (written off) during the two years preceding the date of the credit report. A borrower is also considered to have adverse credit history, if during the five years preceding the date of the credit report, they have been subject to a default determination, bankruptcy, foreclosure, repossession, tax lien, wage garnishment, or write-off of any federal student aid debt.

Private Alternative Loans

A private student loan is a non-government loan specifically for students borrowed through private lenders. You can borrow the remainder of tuition and fees, books and supplies, living expenses and transportation costs up to a yearly maximum amount. Private student loans do require credit approval, and many students need a cosigner to qualify.

Before you apply for a private student loan, you should explore all available federal student aid assistance by applying through the Free Application For Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). You may apply for federal student aid at www.fafsa.gov. The terms and conditions of federal student loan programs may be more favorable than that of private education loans. Be aware that while some private loan programs offer benefits similar to federal student loans, they are not always the same.

You may review the current federal student loan interest rates, requirements and benefits here: https://studentaid.gov/understand-aid/types/loans/interest-rates. If you choose to borrow a private student loan, make sure you understand the interest rate, fees, deferment options and repayment terms for the loan program you select. If you need assistance in reviewing your federal aid options or have questions about private loans, please contact PNCA’s Financial Aid Office.

Additional requirements:

• Most private loan programs require that you are attending at least half-time (6 credits) each semester that you receive funds.
• You must credit-qualify with your selected lender before receiving private loan funding. Many students will choose to apply with a credit-worthy cosigner to increase the likelihood of approval.
• The amount you can apply for depends upon the other aid you have received or will receive for the current academic year. Please check with the Financial Aid Office to make sure the amount you wish to borrow is within acceptable limits.
• Please borrow conservatively. College is expensive, but there may be alternatives to borrowing additional funds to meet your expenses. Make sure you are only borrowing private funding if it is absolutely necessary.

Read more about the differences between federal and private student loans here!