Tuition and Financial Aid

Online undergraduate degree tuition is $63,000 for 120 credits for all undergraduate majors except the Music Composition, Guitar, Piano, and Voice Performance majors. Students taking 10 courses per year can complete the degree in four years at a cost of $15,750 per year. Individual courses (3 credits per course) cost $1,575. Our degree programs also include a one-time comprehensive fee of $350.

Tuition and course fees for the Music Composition, Guitar, Piano, and Voice Performance majors is $68,750. Students pay the same per course rate, and one-time comprehensive fee as above. Students will also be charged a $600 private lesson fee for each private lesson course.

Full-Time Cost of Attendance

The cost of attendance comprises charges billed directly to the student by Berklee Online as well as indirect costs that go along with attending school. For students receiving financial aid, the total cost of attendance reflects the maximum amount you can receive in scholarships, grants, and loans. Students attending full-time can complete the degree in 10 semesters (three years).

Itemization of Charges for All Majors*

Full-Time Charges

All Majors Except Music Composition, Guitar, Piano, and Voice Performance

Music Composition, Guitar, Piano, and Voice Performance Majors Only

Indirect Costs for All Majors

Indirect costs are expenses related to going to school that will not appear on a student's bill.

*Tuition and fees are subject to change.

**Students pursuing the Music Composition, Guitar, Piano, or Voice Performance major are required to complete 9 levels of private lessons. Each private lesson is 2 credits with a $1,050 tuition charge per course. A $600 private lesson fee will be charged in addition to tuition for each level.

Students providing proof of military status are eligible for a reduction in tuition.

There is a $150 late payment fee assessed per semester by the finance department for all payments submitted after the tuition due date.

The comprehensive fee is a one-time fee charged to all entering students. The fee is assessed to cover costs associated with supporting online learning technology that augments the students’ academic experience.

Berklee Online Degree Tuition Payment Plan Policy

As a courtesy to our degree students, we offer a flexible payment plan each semester through our partner Nelnet Campus Commerce (Nelnet). This plan allows students and families to pay their tuition and fees in smaller installments. The plan requires a $30 enrollment fee and a deposit of one-third of the payment plan balance upon enrollment as well as automatic payments for subsequent installments.

Nelnet accepts payments from US-based checking and savings accounts, and from US-issued credit and debit cards.

Steps to Enroll in the Tuition Payment Plan Policy

1. Log in to your student account.
2. Navigate to the Financial Information menu and select, "Student Finance," then select "Monthly Tuition Payment Plan."
3. First, create a Nelnet account, then select, "Set up a Payment Plan."
   • Note: If a family member or sponsor is paying on your behalf, you can select, "Add an Authorized Party," and your payer will receive an invitation to create a Nelnet account.

Federal Financial Aid

Berklee Online undergraduate degree students who are US citizens or eligible noncitizens are strongly encouraged to apply for federal financial aid by submitting the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). The FAFSA is an online application used to determine your eligibility for federal student aid, including federal grants, loans, and some state funds.

All students should plan ahead and develop a sound financial plan that they can implement regardless of the outcome of their federal financial aid application. Federal financial aid is designed to supplement your own contribution to your education, and the more sources of funding you have available the more successful you will be in financing your entire degree program.

How to Apply for Financial Aid

Log in to studentaid.gov to begin filling out your application.

Use Berklee’s federal school code—002126—when prompted. For assistance with completing the FAFSA, please contact the studentaid.gov Student Support Center or their Customer Service at 1-800-433-3243, or go to studentaid.gov/fafsahelp.

Types of Financial Aid

Federal Grants

The Federal Pell Grant and the Federal Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grant (SEOG)* are federal grants awarded to eligible undergraduate degree students with high financial need who have not already earned the equivalent of an undergraduate degree or higher. 

A student’s SAI (Student Aid Index) is an automatic calculation, based on tax and income information, that is used to determine Federal Pell Grant eligibility. Please note that a student’s SAI and Federal Pell Grant amount can change during the file review and verification process.

Federal Pell Grants are awarded based on your course load in a given semester, and may not be available to eligible students who enroll in less than a half-time course load (6 credits).

*Note: the FSEOG is a limited fund, issued based on fund availability, with preference given to students who file their FAFSA early and demonstrate high need.

Federal Loans

Any degree student who files a FAFSA (and is a US citizen or eligible noncitizen) will be automatically considered for federal loan eligibility. There are two types of federal loans: subsidized and unsubsidized. Both are considered self-help financial aid that must be paid back with interest.

• Federal Direct Subsidized Loan: This is a loan for which the government pays the interest while you are in school at least half-time, during the first six months after you leave school (referred to as a grace period), and during any deferment periods. Subsidized loans are available to undergraduate students only.
• Federal Direct Unsubsidized Loan: This is a loan for which you are responsible for paying all the interest that accrues from the date of the first disbursement until the loan is paid in full.

These loans are available to students attending at least half time (6 credits) in an undergraduate degree program. Students who enroll in less than half time (5 credits or less) will not be eligible to receive federal loans. Federal loans will be reduced in direct proportion to the equivalent percentage of full-time enrollment, and will be adjusted throughout the year as enrollment levels change.

After being awarded, first-time borrowers of federal loans must complete an online Master Promissory Note (MPN) and an Entrance Counseling session in order to receive the loans. 

To determine estimated payments, you can use a repayment calculator. Please note that the amount of repayment depends on the type of loan you received, the amount you borrowed, the interest rate, and the length of the repayment plan.

Please note: students are not required to accept any federal student loans offered to them. You have the right to decline (turn down) the loan or request a lower loan amount. You should only borrow what is needed. To decline or reduce your federal student loan amount please complete Berklee’s Loan Reduction/Declination form.

Federal PLUS Loan

If you are the parent of a dependent undergraduate student and have completed a FAFSA with Berklee, you can be considered for Federal PLUS loan eligibility by applying on the Student Federal Aid site. Independent undergraduate students are not eligible for the Federal PLUS loan.

Federal PLUS loans often help cover the gap after any FAFSA-based funds are applied. These programs are offered by the U.S. Department of Education and may (relative to some private loan lenders) offer lower interest rates. Borrowers must pass a credit check to be approved for a Federal PLUS loan. Students must be enrolled half-time in a minimum of 6 credits to be eligible to receive a PLUS loan. Students who enroll in less than half-time (5 credits or less) are not eligible to receive any federal loans. Federal PLUS loans are capped at $20,000/year, with a $65,000 lifetime limit per student.

Please familiarize yourself with the current federal loan interest rates.

First-time borrowers of federal PLUS loans must complete an online Master Promissory Note (MPN) and an Entrance Counseling session in order to receive the loans. Borrowers who have initially been denied a PLUS loan and appeal the decision, or who later get approved for a PLUS loan with a co-signer may also be required to complete PLUS Loan Credit Counseling.

Please note: parents who have borrowed a PLUS loan and wish to cancel or reduce their loan should email onestop@berklee.edu with their request, from the email they used to apply for the loan.

Financial Aid Policies and Procedures

Aid Distribution

Undergraduate degree students will have their total yearly federal financial aid evenly divided between a maximum of three semesters of study in an academic year. Berklee Online undergraduate degree students are initially awarded federal financial aid assuming a half-time (6 credit) course load. Students must be enrolled in a minimum of 6 credits to be eligible to receive federal loans.

*Berklee Online academic years run from fall of one year to summer of the next, for four total semesters. Starting your program in Winter, Spring, or Summer makes your academic year and distribution of aid three, two, and one semesters respectively (see illustration below).

Aid Distribution Based on Start Date - Undergraduate

Maximum Federal Aid Limits

Students who are continuing their education and have previously received Federal Pell Grants or borrowed federal loans should log into their Federal Student Aid dashboard to ensure they are within their lifetime Federal Pell Grant and loan limits. If you are close to your limits, please develop a sound financial plan to meet the remaining costs of your program. Students who are close to or meeting their lifetime limits will be notified by the Office of Student Financial Services once the FAFSA is received and file review completed.

Students who are pursuing a second bachelor’s degree and have borrowed federal loans previously may have limited remaining eligibility for loans, and are ineligible for a Federal Pell Grant. Students can consider alternative (private) loans as an option. We encourage you to explore all other financing methods.

Maintaining Federal Financial Aid Eligibility

To remain eligible for federal financial aid in a semester, undergraduate students must be enrolled in at least 6 credits that fulfill requirements of their degree program and meet Satisfactory Academic Progress guidelines. Students who fall below 6 credits, or enroll in courses outside of their degree requirements, will not be eligible for federal financial aid for that semester, will need to complete Exit Counseling, and may go into loan repayment.

Learn more about Federal Financial Aid.

College Transcripts

Students who previously attended another college or university will need to submit those official transcripts to Berklee Online as part of the application process. In the event that a student does not submit all transcripts and the FAFSA is flagged for Unusual Enrollment History, the Office of Student Financial Services will need to obtain those missing transcripts before the file review can commence and further aid eligibility be determined.

Federal Verification

The U.S. Department of Education or Berklee may select certain FAFSA records for a process called verification. If your FAFSA record is selected, there are additional requirements necessary to verify the accuracy of the FAFSA information and confirm your financial aid eligibility. You will be notified if you have been selected for verification by the Department of Education in the Student Aid Report (SAR) after you file your FAFSA, or via email if Berklee selects your record. These requirements typically include tax and wage documentation, but may require proof of identity or other information to complete verification.

It is important to provide any requested documents as quickly as possible to ensure the timely processing of your aid, as your file will not be processed until all information is received.

Students who are selected for verification will have their verification processed by our partner, Inceptia. Please click here for more detailed information on the Berklee verification process.

Exit Counseling

Berklee is required to send a notice of exit counseling to all students who have received a subsidized, unsubsidized, or Graduate PLUS loan under the Direct Loan Program and meet one or more of the following criteria:

• Drop below half-time enrollment in a semester
• Graduate
• Leave school or do not otherwise enroll
• Fully withdraw from a semester

Exit counseling provides important information to prepare you to repay your federal student loan(s).

Loan repayment generally begins after a six-month grace period. If you re-enroll in school at least half-time before your grace period expires, you will not go into repayment and your grace period will reset. If you re-enroll after you have already used the entire six-month grace period, then anytime you meet one of the criteria above your loans will immediately enter repayment.

Other Aid Opportunities

State Grants

Almost every state education agency has at least one grant or scholarship available to residents, and many have a long list of student aid programs. Select your state to find out what financial aid programs may be available to you through your state education agency. Verify that you are eligible to receive the funding if you are in an online program.

Alternative Loan Options

Many private lenders offer educational loans to students and families to assist with bridging the gap between your available resources and your total educational costs. These loans are credit-based, with variable interest rates, and should be considered once all other sources of funding have been exhausted. You can explore these loans on ELM Select, which contains a curated list of lenders that Berklee has identified as offering excellent interest rates, customer service, and approval rates. Students may borrow from any private lender they wish, and are not limited to lenders on our list. Berklee is no way affiliated with, nor accepts gifts or benefits from, any lenders.

Employer Tuition Assistance

Some companies or schools will pay the tuition for their employees to take a course or program. Please contact a representative within your company or school district to learn more about this benefit.

Tuition assistance forms or a purchase order from a school or employer may be accepted. The tuition assistance form or purchase order needs to include the following items:

• Student's name
• Course or courses covered
• Tuition amount covered
• Semester and dates covered
• Name and address where invoices will be sent
• Student signature if applicable
  

Tuition assistance forms can be emailed to finance@online.berklee.edu.

These forms must be received by the end of the enrollment period of the upcoming semester. After reviewing the forms submitted, if they are approved, the amount the employer is paying will be applied to the tuition and fees due. If there is a balance remaining the student will be responsible for paying this amount prior to the start of the course. Once this balance is paid, you will be officially enrolled in the course. You will receive an email that your enrollment has been approved.

The student will be responsible for any approved amount that is not paid by their employer. Student services could be suspended for failure to pay tuition in a timely manner. Questions should be sent to the Finance Department at finance@online.berklee.edu. We are also available to help you at 1-866-BERKLEE or 1-617-747-2146 if outside the US, Monday through Friday, 9 AM-5 PM, US Eastern Time.

*Tuition assistance can only be used for tuition and registration fees. Tuition assistance cannot be used for books or required software.