Keeping College Affordable

In an effort to keep higher eduction affordable, ACBA has never raised its tuition since its first class enrolled in 2005. As the cost of college keeps rising steeply across the country, ACBA has remained committed to educating students without graduating them with a heavy burden of student loans. Below is a comparison of ACBA's tuition versus a sampling of South Carolina public and private colleges. The annual growth rate is displayed alongside their costs.

Interest-Free Tuition Payments

Many families are unable to make an entire semester's tuition payment at the outset of the semester, yet also want to avoid student loans. Knowing this, ACBA allows students and their families to spread their tuition payment over as much as a 12-month period without incurring interest.

Financial Aid

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

Completing the FAFSA is the first step toward obtaining financial aid. Once complete, students and their families will receive their EFC and should then contact ACBA’s Financial Aid Office at finaid@acba.edu, to proceed to the next step. The next step for students who are seeking federal financial is to complete the student registration with our virtual financial office.

Scholarships

Through the generosity of its donors, ACBA offers more than $250,000 annually in scholarships for qualified students. These scholarships 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 automatically enter them into the pool of available scholarships. No additional application is required.

Part-time Students

Part-time students are defined as those enrolled in fewer than 12 semester credit hours. Because most semesters at ACBA involve more than 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.

Satisfactory Academic Progress

A “satisfactory” status means a student has met the Satisfactory Academic Progress Requirements to continue receiving financial aid.

Students must meet the minimum cumulative GPA requirement according to the number of credit hours that have been attempted.

Students must be on track to complete their undergraduate degree in fewer than 189 credit hours and have earned at least 67 percent of the credit hours attempted in the previous semester.

SAP is reviewed at the end of every academic year.

Warning Status

In the first semester you do not meet SAP standards, you are assigned a “warning” status. Students will still remain eligible for financial aid during their “warning” semester. If you do not meet the SAP requirements at the end of your “warning semester” that student will not be eligible for federal financial aid in the future semester. Students have the right to appeal this decision.

Contact Us

Financial Aid Advisor, Morgan Kinder

finaid@acba.edu
Phone: 843-577-5245

Monday - Friday
8 a.m. - 4 p.m.

Office of Financial Aid
649 Meeting Street
Charleston, SC 29403

Tuition and Fees

Tuition: $9,936 per semester
Shop Fees: $350 per semester
Matriculation Deposit: $300 (applied to Fall tuition bill)
Application Fee: $50
Graduation Fee: $100
Part-time Tuition: $828 per credit hour

Estimated Additional Costs

Tools make up the most significant additional cost for students. Most tool costs are incurred during the first semester of the first year, and costs vary by craft specialization. Students are given a set of tools during orientation with the costs, by craft specialization, outlined below. ACBA purchases tools for the students in bulk to receive the lowest cost possible.The drafting supplies are purchased by students. Incoming students will be sent a link to purchase their supplies prior to the fall semester. These typically cost $250.


Additional Information