The American College of the Building Arts

Keeping College Affordable

ACBA has been in operation since 2005 and the Board of Trustees has never voted to raise tuition. This is a huge departure from so many institutions of higher education, but one that is completely understandable when you get to know us.

We are a small non-profit that exists to provide educated artisans to the world. ACBA was not designed to earn dividends for shareholders, or to view its students as a revenue stream. In fact, tuition accounts for less than a third of our annual budget.

As the cost of college keeps rising across the country, ACBA has remained committed to educating students without graduating them with a mortgage worth of student loans. We straddle the line between receiving enough income to keep our dream alive while also ensuring our students will have the brightest future possible.

Here is a comparison of ACBA's tuition versus South Carolina public and private colleges. The annual growth rate is displayed alongside their costs.

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Interest-Free Tuition Payments

Many families are unable to make an entire semester's tuition payment at the outset of the semester, but also want to avoid student loans. Knowing this, ACBA allows students and their families to pay their tuition over a period of months, up to 12, without incurring any interest!

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Financial Aid

ACBA is approved for the Title IV program administered by the US Department of Education. Title IV is the US DOE federal student loan program utilizing the FAFSA and administering both federal grants and loans. This financial aid is available to all students who qualify.

Completing the FAFSA is the first step toward attaining financial aid. Once complete, students and their families will receive their EFC and should contact our Financial Aid Office to proceed to the next step. Please contact Ms. Hannah Whitt at finaid@acba.edu for help completing the next steps.

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Scholarships

Through the immense generosity of our donors, ACBA offers scholarships for qualified students. These are not national scholarships that students compete for across the US, rather they are available only to ACBA students.

All scholarships at ACBA have been designed for students with demonstrated financial need. Financial need is determined by the Office of Financial Aid based upon each student's EFC results. ACBA's receipt of each student's EFC will enter them into the pool of available scholarships.

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Part-time Students

Part-time students are defined as those enrolled in fewer than 12 semester credit hours. Because most semesters at ACBA involve over 15 semester credit hours, this is atypical, but can happen for students who enroll with a substantial amount of transfer credits.

Part-time students are billed on a per-credit hour basis with any applicable fees added-on if the student is enrolled in their craft specialization course or certain electives that have enrollment fees (these are always disclosed to students prior to enrollment).

Part-time status impacts eligibility for Title IV programs and may limit the amount that students receive under a number of programs.

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