Payment Options

Once you have determined your bottom line costs owed to CIA (subtracted all financial aid and awards except for cash awards and federal work study), you can customize your payment plan by choosing one of the following four options or any combination of the four. These options will help pay the balance due to the Office of Student Accounts.

Option 1: Direct Cash Payment 

If you are making a cash payment, the remaining balance is due in early August for the fall semester and mid-December for the spring semester. 

Option 2: Tuition Pay Plan

Sallie Mae provides the TuitionPay Payment Plan, which allows CIA students to set up a monthly payment schedule. This allows you to pay for the balance on your Office of Student Accounts billing statement in monthly installments as opposed to one full payment each semester. This monthly payment plan divides your billing statement balance into more manageable payments, letting you to pay as you go from current income or savings. This is not a loan. There are no interest fees. AMS simply charges a $70 fee to enroll in this plan for the year (recommended) or $40 for one semester enrollment. 

The full academic year plan, which includes fall and spring semesters, must be initiated prior to:

• July 5 for 10-month payment plan
• August 5 for 9-month payment plan
• September 5 for 8-month payment plan

The spring semester only payment plan must be initiated prior to:

• December 5 for 5-month payment plan
• January 5 for 4-month payment plan

To enroll in the TuitionPay Payment Plan, visit salliemae.com/landing/tpp/. If you have questions or need additional assistance with setting up the payment plan, you may contact Sallie Mae directly at 800.635.0120 or the Office of Student Accounts at 216.421.7318. 

Option 3: Parent PLUS Loan 

This loan is available to help parents of dependent undergraduate students with college expenses, such as tuition, room and board, books and supplies, and personal expenses. A parent may borrow a PLUS loan up to the cost of attendance minus any other financial aid the student receives. The student and parent must meet eligibility requirements including U.S. citizenship. Federal/Direct PLUS have a fixed interest rate of 7.9% and a 4% origination fee.

A CIA PLUS Application must be completed by the parent and student.

Option 4: Private Education (Alternative) Loans

This type of loan is made available by private banks to credit-worthy students (or students with credit-worthy co-borrowers), who need to borrow additional loan funds to pay for college expenses. Repayment generally does not begin until six months after graduation, although interest does accrue while the student is in school and the loan is in deferment. You are allowed to borrow a private alternative loan for an amount up to the cost of attendance minus any other financial aid you receive. 

Applications for a Private Education (Alternative) Loan must be initiated by the parent or student. Borrowers have the right to choose the lender of their choice. The Cleveland Institute of Art does not endorse any Private Education (Alternative) Loan lender. Loan information for service lenders and a link to apply for a Private Education (Alternative) Loan is available at the Great Lakes Higher Education Corporation (GLHEC) FastChoice website.

Disbursement of Financial Aid 

Financial aid awards will not be disbursed or posted to your student account until the Office of Financial Aid receives your signed Financial Aid Award letter accepting the awards. Disbursement will be made to your student account after the start of each semester when all of your required documents are received and your financial aid file is complete. For your financial aid file to be considered complete, you must have returned all required and requested forms to the Office of Financial Aid, and you are registered for classes. Please follow the instructions and complete and submit all paperwork included with your billing statement so all aid awarded to you can be credited to your account.

Bill Payment

Billing statements for fall semester will be mailed to you in early July (New students must have paid their tuition deposit by the end of June in order to receive a fall semester bill in early July). Any questions about your billing statement and making payments should be directed to the Office of Student Accounts by calling 216.421.7318.