How Am I Going to Pay for Cornish?

Click here to estimate what you’ll owe to Cornish after your financial aid is applied to your bill. (Do not include work study in your estimation)

Outside Scholarships

There are many outside scholarships available for students to apply for. There is no guarantee of an award, but if awarded, that money can be applied to your tuition for Cornish and other eligible costs for attendance. We have a database of collected outside scholarships that Cornish students may be eligible for on Compass under the Financial Aid tab.

5 (or 4) Month Interest-Free Payment Plan

Cornish offers an option to break up the semesters bill into five (or four) equal monthly payments, July (or August) to November. Families pay a one-time fee to begin this option and pay no interest on the balance. For more information, please contact student accounts at 206.726.5025. The payment plan is also an option for the Spring semester.

Parent PLUS Loans

The PLUS loan is a federal loan taken out by a parent for the student’s education, and is available to biological parents and any step-parent on the FAFSA. PLUS loans require a credit check and in some instances an eligible co-signer. Repayment of a PLUS loan begins following the final disbursement of the loan, although borrowers can request payment deferment until six months after the student graduates or no longer attends at least half time. If the PLUS loan is denied for credit reasons, an additional Unsubsidized Stafford Loan will become available to the student.

Private Student Loans

Private loans are non-federal loans issued by a lender such as a bank or credit union. These loans require a credit check of the student borrower and co-signer. They are a viable option to cover direct costs but should be considered very carefully. These loans are not available through the financial aid office, but lenders our students have used in the past are available on Compass under the “other resources” section of Financial Aid.

If you have any questions or concerns, or if your FAFSA does not reflect your current financial situation due to exceptional circumstances such as the loss of a job or the death of a parent, please contact our office at finaid@cornish.edu or 206.726.5014

Understanding Your Financial Aid Award

Your award is based on a number of factors. Assuming you’ve completed the FAFSA for this year, your EFC, number of credits, your eligibility for state and institutional aid, and your year in school, are all taken into account.

Your EFC represents how much money the federal government has determined you can contribute towards your education based on the results of the FAFSA. The cost of attendance (COA) is calculated by the school and is based on tuition, fees, books, supplies and living expenses. It is an estimated cost, and is not meant to indicate an amount due to Cornish.

Financial aid is calculated by subtracting your EFC from the COA here at Cornish. This leaves us with your financial need - this number can’t exceed your COA. Need based aid includes things like grants, work study and subsidized/unsubsidized loans.

Keep in mind that work study doesn’t apply directly to tuition. This is a need based award that is treated more like an actual part time job, where you apply, interview, and get paid on a monthly bases.

Institutional merit scholarships are awarded to new and transfer students based on their audition or portfolio review. Your department scholarship is renewable for four years if you begin at Cornish as a freshman and maintain a 2.0 cumulative GPA and a 67% pace of progression annually.

If you are receiving any outside scholarships, notify us at the financial aid office and be sure that the organization you are receiving the scholarship from has the school’s information so that the check can be mailed to us and applied to your financial aid award.

In subsequent years of attendance, a Cornish student may qualify for a merit-based or endowed scholarship based on donor criteria and department requirements for demonstrated artistic and academic excellence.

If you have any questions or concerns, or if your FAFSA doesn’t reflect your current financial situation due to exceptional circumstances such as the loss of a job or the death of a parent, please contact our office at finaid@cornish.edu or 206.726.5014

Avoiding Scams

You don’t have to pay for scholarships! Be cautious of any scholarships requesting fees to apply. See here and here for common scholarship scams and how to avoid them.

You don’t have to pay to fill out the FAFSA! FAFSA is always free. If you’re having any problems while filling it out you’re more than welcome to stop by the office or get in touch with us with any questions. You can also get online help at fafsa.gov or the Federal Student Aid Information Center.

You don’t have to pay for help with your student loans! Instead, reach out to your loan servicer.

More information here: https://studentaid.ed.gov/sa/types/scams

Finding Food with Little to No Money

SNAP (EBT) / Food Stamp Benefits. Eligibility for these benefits is based on a monthly income. Many students attending college at least half time don’t qualify for these benefits, but there are exemptions that apply to many non-traditional and low-income students. One of these exemptions includes being eligible for work study here at Cornish. Here’s a good resource if you have more questions specifically related to being a student and trying to get these benefits. To learn more and to apply, visit the DSHS official website. (This process can take a little while, so if you're looking for something immediate, check out some of the options below - but to try and apply to help yourself in the future!)

Best foods to buy. When you’re tight on money and looking for the best things to get for cheap, use your best judgement. But here are some recommends: potatoes, lentils, eggs, produce, rice, oatmeal, peanut butter, beans, protein bars. Here’s a free ebook by Leanne Brown about how to Eat Well on $4/Day which includes simple but tasty recipes, as well as a resource for eating from your pantry from The Organic Prepper.

Food Banks. << Click the link to see the which food bank is closest to you. You may end up having to wait in line for a couple of hours, but food banks are free and made specifically for people who are having a hard time paying for food. Check out FreeFood.org for food banks and some other free food resources.

Asking. If it comes down to it, it doesn’t hurt to ask. Places to do this would be restaurants, farmers markets, neighborhood supermarkets, or community gardens. This won’t work every time, but even if it works once - it’s free food. Be honest, offer bartering if it seems like an option, be understanding if the answer is no.

Seed Swaps. If you’re interested in growing your own food, there are local events where people swap seeds! You don’t have to bring seeds to get them.

How to Earn Some Extra Cash

Sell some of your books/textbooks! There are multiple bookstores around the city who are more than happy to take those books off your hands and even give you some money for them! If you live on Capitol Hill or are willing to transport your books up there, Twice Sold Tales is a great place to sell to. Make sure you call ahead and see if they’re buying that day! They accept walk-ins but will be much happier and pleasant if you call ahead. They will take a look at your books and give you cash or write you a check! Of course they also do in-store credit, but this is a post about earning cash after all. You can always check out some online resources for selling books as well, such as My Book Buyer, Cash4Books, Amazon's Trade-In Program, Half.com & Textbooks.com.

Have too many clothes? Clothes you don’t wear anymore but that are still in pretty good shape? Head to Crossroads, Buffalo Exchange, or any other consignment shop that buys clothes! You’ll have the option of in store credit or cash.

Save your coins! If you ever start getting a buildup of coins, try putting them into a jar or piggy bank! Try not to touch them once you put them in and then once it’s full head to the bank or to the closest Coinstar Kiosk to get cash for your coins! Then it’s your choice if you want to deposit and save the money or treat yourself to something!

Get a part time job! Apply for a job somewhere around the city or apply for a work-study position if you’re eligible! Keep an eye out for odd jobs too! The money you earn from this can help you pay for your necessities and if you have some leftovers you can add to your savings or have some extra spending money!

Start an Etsy site! If you make art or any kind of crafty things that you think you might be able to sell, it might be worth deciding to open an Etsy shop to try and sell some of your work and earn some money. Of course, Etsy isn’t the only option, there are many other sites where you can start selling your work too!

Fill out some surveys. You’re not going to make a ton of money doing this, but there are some sites out there who are willing to pay you for taking surveys. If you’re willing to do this and stay committed you could definitely earn a bit here and there. Check out this post from The Peaceful Mom for some of the best survey sites that are out there: http://thepeacefulmom.com/best-online-survey-sites/. You can take a look at this link too for some other sites that will pay for certain types of work from you: http://christianpf.com/real-companies-that-will-pay-you-to-work-from-home/.

Good luck out there!

Cheap Date Ideas: Winter Edition

Farmers Markets. Each weekend there are farmers markets all over the city. Pick one and explore!

Ice Cream Cruise. Every Sunday between 11am & 5pm, the Seattle Ferry Service offers an hour long tour that takes you by the “Sleepless in Seattle” houseboat, Dale Chihuly’s glass blowing studio, and Gas Works Park. Tickets are $11.  Ice cream treats, coffee, hot chocolate, and soft drinks, $2 to $4.

Tour the Theo Chocolate Factory in Fremont. Tours are held daily and are $10 per person.

Pike Place Market. Though the market can be expensive if you’re not careful, there are definitely some budget friendly things you can do. Check out this guide for Pike’s on a budget.

First Thursday of each month is free admission days for multiple museums around the city.

Ice Skating. Highland Ice Arena is a great place to go for that classic ice skating experience. Admission is $7.50 for adults, skate rental is $4. Another option is Winterfest held annually at the Fisher Pavilion in Seattle Center from Nov 25th - Jan 2nd.

Cooking Classes. If you want to splurge, you could buy a series of classes or do a one-time class and learn the art of a new cuisine. You can also do this for free at home. Just use or get a cookbook or recipe and make some food together!

Watch Cartoons. Or anything really. Gather up some snacks, blankets and have fun watching some telly together.

Go to an Arcade. While it can definitely add up, you can definitely have a couple of hours of fun on the cheap if you’re careful with how you spend your money/points in the arcade.

Used Bookstore Adventure. If you’re into books, head to some bookstores and see what you find. You can always play that game where you open random books and read the best passage or sentence you come across.

See a movie at the Central Cinema. General admission is $8 but you can get even cheaper tickets if you buy them more than 24 hrs ahead of time. They also have occasional 99 cent movie nights. Check out their calendar.

Share cheap, delicious wine on the street. $20 will cover the bottle, tax, and a generous tip atList Restaurant, where Italian bottles go on sale every afternoon.

Drink some free whiskey at the Westland Whiskey Distillery. Take the tour and learn how they make the single-malt, then head to the tasting bar to sample the wars.

Head to the Conservatory in Volunteer Park.

Taco Tuesday. The Tin Hat offers $0.69 tacos on tuesdays, see how many you can eat.

Have fun!

Start an Emergency Fund!

It happens, sometimes we have emergencies in our lives and they’re always unexpected. Start an emergency fund so you can be prepared for any unforeseen event that might happen. Things like getting in a car accident, losing your job, an illness, natural disaster etc. You’ll be happy you saved up even just a little bit!

Start out small and work your way up. Ideally you would want to set up a separate bank account, but you could also have a jar/envelope in your home. You can start as small or as big as you’d like, just start saving! One method would be putting as little as $10 a month aside, or anytime you have extra change or cash in your wallet, stick it in your fund!

Make it automatic. If you’re having troubles letting go of the money, treat it like a bill and set up an automatic transfer on payday. That way you won’t even notice that the money is gone and you’ll be surprised at how much you’ll have in the emergency account!

Only use it for emergencies. Make sure you don’t dip into the fun unless it’s an emergency - since that’s what this is for. You’ll thank yourself later!

Good luck out there!