ATTENTION MILITARY: Post 9/11 GI Bill benefits are now accepted! Contact us to get details!
The San Diego Culinary Institute administers a variety of financial assistance programs in cooperation with other agencies, which range from Federal Financial Aid, interest-free payment plans from the school, third-party scholarships, and unsecured student loans for those who qualify. You may qualify for one among this selection of programs to help you make your dreams into a reality.
SDCI is one of the most affordable top-tier culinary schools in the country. The cost of attendance here is, on average around a third the cost of other programs. While some combination of the following financing programs may help you to pay for your education, generally speaking you will have to pay the cost of attending school, either immediately or through one of the available loan programs. Grant Aid is very limited and does not cover the cost of your tuition and fees. Federal Financial Aid generally consists of loan aid, for those that qualify, which means money that you must repay. Please contact an Admissions Advisor for more information.
Federal Financial Aid
Available for those that qualify. Please speak with one of our Admissions Advisors about making an appointment to learn more.
Military Welcome
Many among the active military as well as Veterans qualify for VA benefits, benefits to military spouses and dependents, and vocational rehab programs. Speak with our Community Affairs counselor for more information.
Vocational Rehab
Many people have found new careers at SDCI through voc rehab programs. If this is your situation, contact your State vocational rehabilitation agency to see if you qualify for these programs.
Low Interest Loans
Many students take advantage of SDCI’s interest-free payment plans. You may prefer to work with one of the several lending institutions to fund your education. We’ll help you to find the best terms possible, with low interest loans and repayment terms that often allow you to start your payments after you graduate. The monthly payments on these loans are low and are easily repaid on the current salary rates in our industry.
For further information about our financial assistance programs and to find out how you may qualify, please contact our Community Affairs at
(619) 644-2100
Or schedule a visit through our online system here.
The following tool will help you estimate how much aid you may be eligible for. Please contact our Financial Aid office for specifics. Please note that this is simply a tool to help you better understand how much aid you may be eligible to receive.
Cost of Attendance
The following estimates are used in our Cost of Attendance budgets for calculating financial aid eligibility:
Commis de Cuisine Program Costs
Application Fee: $75.00
Registration Fee: $100.00
Student Tuition Recovery Fund: $55.00
Student Kit*: $1502.30
Tax: $127.70
Tuition: $21548.00
Addtional Costs for Full Time Attendance:
Room & Board (independent student): $1328.00
Room & Board (dependent student): $323.00
Personal Expenses (independent student): $554.00
Personal Expenses (dependent student): $554.00
Transportation Expenses (independent student): $134.00
Transportation Expensese (dependent student): $134.00
Addtional Costs for Part Time Attendance:
Room & Board (independent student): $1328.00
Room & Board (dependent student): $323.00
Personal Expenses (independent student): $554.00
Personal Expenses (dependent student): $554.00
Transportation Expenses (independent student): $89.00
Transportation Expensese (dependent student): $134.00
Diplome Professionel de Boulanterie et Patisserie Costs:
Application Fee: $75.00
Registration Fee: $100.00
Student Tuition Recovery Fund: $45.00
Student Kit*: $917.05
Tax: $77.95
Tuition: $19205.00
Addtional Costs for Full Time Attendance:
Room & Board (independent student): $1230.00
Room & Board (dependent student): $625.00
Personal Expenses (independent student): $439.00
Personal Expenses (dependent student): $439.00
Transportation Expenses (independent student): $174.00
Transportation Expensese (dependent student): $174.00
* Student kits include uniforms, knife kit/baking kit (depending on program), text books, class ingredients, handouts, and materials. The only item that students are responsible for purchasing on their own is chef shoes.
STUDENT LOAN CODE OF CONDUCT
1. PROHIBITION OF FINANCIAL ARRANGEMENTS
Neither the school nor its employees will accept anything of more than nominal value from any lending institution, guaranty agency, or loan servicer. This specifically includes revenue sharing arrangements and payments or gifts for preferred lender/guarantor/servicer status, and the provision of printing and mailing at below-market prices. It also includes gifts or donations to students or the school and other grants, scholarships or prizes.
2. PROHIBITION OF GIFTS AND TRIPS
School employees may not accept gifts of more than nominal value from any lending institution, guaranty agency, or loan servicer. This includes payments and reimbursement for lodging, meals and travel to conferences, meetings or training seminars.
3. ADVISORY BOARD RULES/COMPENSATION
School employees are prohibited from receiving anything of value for serving on an advisory board , commission or group of any lending institution, guaranty agency, or loan servicer. Employees are also prohibited from any type of consulting arrangement or contract to provide services to or on behalf of a lender, guaranty agency, or loan servicer relating to education loans (except for reimbursement for reasonable expenses).
4. PREFERRED LENDER GUIDELINES
The school’s preferred lender list must be based solely on the best interests of the students or parents who may use the list without regard to financial interests of the institution. The school will not assign a lender, guaranty agency, or loan servicer to first-time borrowers.
5. PREFERRED LENDER DISCLOSURE
On all preferred lender lists the school will clearly and fully disclose the criteria and process used to select preferred lenders, guaranty agencies, or loan servicers and inform students and parents that they have the right and ability to select the lender of their choice regardless of the preferred lender list. The school will not delay or deny a loan based on a student’s choice of lender, guaranty agency, or loan servicer nor steer borrowers to particular lenders, guaranty agencies, or loan servicers.
6. LOAN RESALE DISCLOSURE AND OPPORTUNITY LOAN PROHIBITION
No lending institution, guaranty agency, or loan servicer may appear on a preferred lender list if the lender has an agreement to sell the loans to another lending institution, guaranty agency, or loan servicer without disclosing this fact. In addition, no lending institution may bargain to be a preferred lender, guaranty agency, or loan servicer with respect to a certain type of loan by providing benefits to the institution as to another type of loan (opportunity loans, except that the institution may offer loans to international students, at fair market rates, who would be otherwise unable to secure a domestic loan).
7. CALL CENTER AND STAFFING PROHIBITION
The school must ensure that employees of lending institutions, guaranty agencies, or loan servicers never identify themselves to students as employees of the institution No employee of a lending institution, guaranty agency, or loan servicer may ever work in or provide staffing to the school’s financial aid office.
COLLEGE NAVIGATOR INFORMATION
More information about the San Diego Culinary Institute on the National Center for Education Statistic's College Navigator can be found here.