Financial Aid

At VisArts, it’s part of our mission to support the creative lives of all people. We work hard to ensure people of all backgrounds, ages and skill levels can participate in our programs. While we do our best to keep our classes affordable and priced competitively, we understand that they can still be out of reach for some in our community. 

To ensure that our art classes really are for everyone, we provide financial aid to adults and families on a sliding scale basis. Financial aid can reduce the cost of a VisArts class by up to 95%. Financial aid recipients also get: 

  • Free student studio access 
  • A complimentary one-year VisArts membership.  
  • For those who receive the highest discount, we can also provide supplies or stipends for the supplies they’ll need for class.  

HOW TO APPLY 

Any individual, family member, or guardian can apply. There’s an online application below, or we also have paper applications you can pick up onsite at our front desk. As part of your application, we ask you to provide a copy of your most recent 1040 tax return as proof of income, or other official documentation like copies of paystubs, W2s, benefits letters, etc.  

We accept financial aid applications on a rolling basis, but we recommend completing your application by the dates below.. This will help us get you enrolled early and get into your first choice of class.  

For Fall 2022: Friday, June 24, 2022
For Winter 2023: Friday, October 27, 2022

After we receive your application, we will determine how much assistance we can provide. The table below indicates the discount you can expect to receive on the price of a class if your application is selected. Still, we reserve the right to modify these discounts as needed and based on other information you share with us.  

Household Income0 Dependents1 Dependent2 Dependents3 Dependents4+ Dependents
$45,000 - $50,000
15%
25%
35%
45%
55%
$40,000 - $44,999
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
$35,000 - $39,000
30%
40%
50%
60%
70%
$30,000 - $34,999
40%
50%
60%
70%
80%
$25,000 - $29,999
55%
65%
75%
80%
85%
$20,000 - $24,000
75%
75%
80%
90%
90%
$15,000 - $19,999
85%
85%
90%
95%
95%
$15,000 or less
90%
90%
95%
95%
95%

You’ll receive an email or phone call from us with your discount rate, and then we can help you get enrolled. We try to match all successful applicants with their first choice of class, but in some cases, we may only be able to provide financial aid for an alternate class. 

We only require you to apply once each year, but you can always reapply if your financial picture changes. Once you’re approved for financial aid, you’ll receive regular emails when registration for a session is about to begin with information on how to get registered with your discount rate. 

Questions about financial aid? Contact Rachel Deutch at rdeutch@visarts.org  

ADULT FINANCIAL AID APPLICATION

Youth financial aid Application (ArtVenture)

Youth financial aid application (All Programs Except ArtVenture)