Pre-College Admitted Student Information
Before You Arrive
The packet can be accessed by logging in to the student portal page using the username and password associated with your Pre-College application.
Your acceptance packet must be completed by May 1. For students admitted to the program after May 1, the acceptance packet deadline is June 1.
Tuition must be paid in full by May 1. For students admitted to the program after May 1, the tuition deadline is June 1.
To submit payment:
- Log into my.cia.edu/pcs with the following information:
- myCIA Username
- myCIA Password: see step-by-step instructions on creating your password here or watch a video tutorial for resetting your password here.
- Under ‘My Account Information’ click ‘View my Bill/Join Payment Plan/Make a Payment’
- You may view your bill and make a payment from there.
- We recommend using the E-check option, which will ask for your bank account and routing number. This option has no authorization fee.
- Credit card payments will be charged a 2.75% authorization fee.
Included in your balance will be a refundable $100 material and lab deposit, which covers damaged or lost equipment; and a refundable $150 housing deposit, if you will be staying on campus.
- Review the What to Bring checklist to make sure you have everything.
- Review the Policies and Procedures that students must adhere to while attending the Pre-College program.
During Your Program
Be sure to familiarize yourself with the opportunities you can look forward to during your time in the program!
- CIA Pro-staff: 216-701-9846
- Continuing Education Office: 216-421-7460
- CIA Security: 216-421-7330
- University Circle Police: 216-421-7330
Students are required to attend the full orientation presentation for each session they attend. Check out the schedule!
Residential + Commuter daily schedules:
- Session 1 (July 6-18)
- Session 2 (July 20-August 1)
All students are required to stay within the prescribed campus boundaries during the Pre-College program, unless supervised by a Pre-College staff member or with written permission from the Continuing Education staff. The ONLY exceptions are commuter students traveling to and from class each day.
If a student wishes to leave the campus boundaries with a parent/guardian, the parent/guardian must notify Continuing Education 24 hours in advance and specify the day(s) and hour(s) the student will be off campus. Parents should notify the Continuing Education office of all planned absences via email at precollege@cia.edu.
Please remember, as the Pre-College Program carries undergraduate credit hours, there will be very few instances that the student will be available to leave the campus due to scheduled class, studio, or mandatory event times. Please schedule doctor, dentist, and other appointments accordingly.
Pre-College student IDs are preloaded with a daily allotment of “Case Cash” funds for breakfast, lunch, and dinner at restaurants within the campus boundaries during the program (including the Stone Flower Café, located in CIA’s 2nd floor atrium.) A full list of dining options that accept Case Cash can be found here.
Any unused Case Cash will revert back to CIA at the conclusion of the program.
Families who wish to send mail/care packages to residential students should use the following address:
Student Name
Pre-College Program/Continuing Education Office
Cleveland Institute of Art
11610 Euclid Ave
Cleveland, OH 44106
Students and their instructors will display an exhibition of work they produced during their two-week program. Family and friends are invited to a celebration exhibition, just prior to picking up their students from the conclusion of the program.
No need to worry about move-out on July 18– you’ll remain in the same dorm room for your entire stay!
Students attending both sessions will have the option to participate in additional CIA-led activities on Saturday, July 19.
All activities on July 19 are optional. If a student will not be participating, a parent or guardian will need to inform CIA staff prior to July 19 by email at precollege@cia.edu.
After Your Program
Most students should plan to take their artwork with them following the exhibition on the final day of the program, however, CIA is able to ship packaged student artwork within the United States. Students who wish to ship artwork by mail must package and label their own work prior to departure—any unpackaged/unlabeled artwork will not be retained for future shipping.
Shipping totals will be deducted from your materials deposit and, if necessary, housing deposit. Please note, CIA is unable to ship work internationally. Those students will need to coordinate their arrangements with the Continuing Education department prior to departure.
Pre-College students will receive a letter grade from their program instructor based on participation, effort, and attendance, and it will appear on the student’s CIA transcript.
Under the “My Grade Report” section on the right side of the page, select the “2024-2025 CE Summer” term from the dropdown, followed by “View Final Grade Report.”
Student grades can be accessed by logging into your account on myCIA . Grades will become accessible to students two weeks after the completion of your Pre-College session.
Students who have successfully completed the Pre-College program earn 3 college credits per Pre-College session. To receive a copy of your transcript, you will need to submit a request through our third-party ordering system called Parchment exchange.
- Once you have accessed the site, start by putting in your email address at the bottom of the page.
- You will then have to make an account or login. Once the account is made or you have logged in, you can make your transcript request.
- The CIA Registrar can assist if you have any questions regarding official transcripts or need help navigating Parchment. You can email them at registrar@cia.edu.
Housing and material deposits will be refunded, barring any damages to equipment or housing, lost or unreturned ID keycards, and/or shipping cost deductions. Typical refund deductions include:
- Lost/unreturned ID keycards: $25.00
- Rooms requiring additional cleaning at check out: $75.00
- Damage to room: $106.00
- Artwork shipment: variable
Refunds will be mailed by check following an assessment of any associated charges. Please expect to receive your refund check by October 1, 2025, if not earlier.
Come Back as an Undergraduate Student!
Great news! All Pre-College students who successfully complete a session of the program become eligible to receive a Merit Scholarship of $18,000 per year, contingent on the student’s successful completion of CIA’s application process and admission to the school. This equals $72,000 over four years of study!
Should you receive a larger merit-based award during the application review process, CIA will replace the $18,000 scholarship with the greater award.
Visit our Admissions page to learn more about undergraduate enrollment at Cleveland Institute of Art and send any questions to admissions@cia.edu or call 216-421-7418.
Please note, the $18,000 Merit scholarship does not increase if a student completes multiple sessions of Pre-College.