How to Afford GA
Potential is not defined by financial status — opportunity should be no different. At General Assembly, we believe everyone should be able to access a high-growth tech career. Investing in education is a big step, that’s why we offer a range of financing.
Options at a Glance
Financing should never prevent you from starting a fulfilling career. Regardless of where you are in your education journey, our financing options were designed with you in mind. Here is a breakdown of our options:
Income Share Loan (ISL)
Defer tuition payment and repay as a percentage of your income once you land a job earning at least $40,000/year.¹
Installment Plan
Spread out your tuition payments over the duration of your course with installments.
Loans
Apply for a loan with one of our industry-best lending partners.
GI Bill® Benefit
Veterans can use their GI Bill® benefit to learn at select U.S. campuses.
Scholarships
Social impact programs and tuition discounts level the field for underrepresented communities.
Employer Sponsorship
Have your employer cover the cost of your program with workplace education benefits.
Which Financing Option Fits Your Goals?
We want to give you a fair start. Traditional upfront education costs bar many from taking that first critical step — and the benefits that learning unlocks. We’re disrupting that model with a variety of programs that accommodate different learning paths.
Catalyst ISL Program
Learn now, pay later.
How it works: The Catalyst ISL program made available through Stride Funding² lets you take an Immersive course with little upfront cost. Make no tuition payments until you land a job earning at least $40,000/year, pay as a percentage of your income, and never pay more than 1.5x the original funding amount.
Best if you want to: Reduce upfront costs, defer payments until after you’re hired, and be protected when you’re not earning.
Availability: Select U.S. markets only; Immersive courses only.
0%-Interest Loan
Make manageable monthly payments.
How it works: We work with industry-leading partners to help you secure an education loan. Approved applicants are eligible for zero interest for 18 months for Part-Time courses and 24 months for Immersive courses!
Best if you want to: Make monthly payments with no interest.
Availability: U.S. borrowers/cosigners; Immersive, Part-Time, 1-Week courses.
Employer Sponsorship
Have your boss pay.
How it works: Does your company have a dedicated budget for professional development? If so, you might be eligible to learn and get reimbursed by your employer! In fact, over 45% of our part-time students are employer sponsored.
Best if you want to: Receive partial to full reimbursement from your employer for job-relevant skills.
Availability: Full-Time, Part-Time, and 1-Week courses.
Full Tuition Payment
Pay early, pay less.
How it works: Covering your education upfront is a big investment, but it pays off in the long run. We offer students a $450 discount when they pay full tuition upfront for any Immersive course, and a $250 discount for any Part-Time or 1-Week program.
Best if you want to: Use savings and minimize overall tuition.
Availability: Select U.S. markets only; eligible for all programs.
Installment Payment Plan
Pay as you learn.
How it works: With a payment plan, you can spread tuition payments over the duration of your course, conveniently split into two, three, or four installments. This is one of the most popular financing options at GA.
Best if you want to: Pay with installments and avoid fees or interest.
Availability: Select U.S. markets only; eligible for all program types.
Loan Providers
Student loans from industry-leading lenders.
How it works: We work with some of the top lending partners in the industry to help you secure education loans at affordable rates. Qualified borrowers can pay interest only or defer payments while in class.
Best if you want to: Make smaller monthly payments.
Availability: Varies per region. Apply to Ascent (U.S.), Climb Credit (U.S.), Meritize (U.S.), zipMoney (Australia), Study Loans (Australia) or EdAid (UK) to learn more.
GI Bill® Benefit
We proudly accept GI Bill® funding.
How it works: GA helps veterans put their GI Bill® benefit to work to gain skills in today’s high-growth career sectors.
Best if you want to: Apply your GI Bill® benefits toward an Immersive course.
Availability: U.S. only; Immersive courses only.
GI Bill® is a registered trademark of the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA). More information about education benefits offered by VA is available at the official U.S. government Web site at https://www.benefits.va.gov/gibill.
Scholarship Programs
Breaking barriers, building pathways.
How it works: We’ve partnered with nonprofits, governments, and companies to provide access to GA courses for over 78,000 students with low income or insufficient representation in tech.
Best if you want to: Overcome barriers to education.
Availability: Connect with our Social Impact team to learn more.
Diversity Tuition Discount
To be eligible to receive $1,500 USD (£1,500 GBP, 1,500€ EUR, $1,500 AUD or $1,500 CAD) toward your tuition of a full-time immersive course by General Assembly, you must meet the following criteria:
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You’re 18 or older.
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You self-identify as a woman, transgender person, genderqueer, gender non-conforming, or nonbinary person.
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Your current income is less than $40,000 USD (£28,000 GBP, 30,000€ EUR, $40,000 AUD, $40,000 SGD, or $40,000 CAD) per year.
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You’ve been admitted to one of the following courses: Software Engineering Immersive, Data Analytics Immersive, Data Science Immersive or UX Design Immersive.
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Ineligible for NY residents.
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Tuition discount can not be used in conjunction with any other General Assembly tuition discount or offer.
Military Tuition Discount
To be eligible to receive $1,595 USD (£1,500 GBP, 1,500€ EUR, $1,500 AUD or $1,500 CAD) toward your tuition of a full-time immersive course by General Assembly, you must meet the following criteria:
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You’re 18 or older.
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You’ve been admitted to one of the following courses: Software Engineering Immersive, Data Analytics Immersive, Data Science Immersive or UX Design Immersive.
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You are an active military member or veteran, or partner of a military member or partner of a veteran.
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Ineligible for NY residents.
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Tuition discount can not be used in conjunction with any other tuition discount.
Break the Glass Tuition Discount
Receive a tuition discount.
How it works: GA’s Break the Glass program is geared toward opening new opportunities to underrepresented groups pursuing careers in software engineering or data science. Eligible individuals can apply to receive $1,500 USD, £1,500 GBP, 1,500€ EUR, $1,500 AUD, $1,500 SGD, or $1,500 CAD toward select courses.
Best if you want to: Save money while diversifying the tech talent of tomorrow.
Availability: Software Engineering Immersive, Data Science Immersive or Data Analytics Immersive.
* Ineligible for NY residents
Study Pay Deferred Payment Plan
Learn now, pay later.
How it works: Offered in partnership with Study Loans, our Study Pay Deferred Payment Plan lets students in Australia take a course with little upfront payment.
Best if you want to: Reduce upfront costs and make manageable monthly installments.
Availability: AUS only; Immersive courses only.
Skills Checkpoint Contribution Matching
Receive up to $2,200 AUD to learn at GA.
How it works: Eligible workers in Australia 45–70 years old can receive up to $2,200 AUD toward their GA course with help from the Skills Checkpoint contribution-matching program.
Best if you want to: Save money while making a late-career change.
Availability: AUS only; Immersive courses only..
*The Skills Checkpoint Program is an initiative of the Department of Employment, Skills, Small and Family Business. More information is available here.
Subsidized Training for Temps
Progress your career.
How it works: Eligible temporary workers in Switzerland can receive up to CHF 5000 from the Signatories of the Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) for GA courses.
The program also offers up to CHF 2250 for loss of wages while undergoing coursework.
Best if you want to: Move your career forward as a temp while saving on training costs.
Availability: Switzerland only.
“GA gave me an opportunity to change my life… I couldn’t afford going to college or attending GA on my own — the Opportunity Fund was the only way that I would be able to afford coming to GA.”
Dominic Prescod, Opportunity Fund recipient and Web Development Immersive graduate
How Do GA’s Financing Options Compare?
| Available for Full-time Courses? | Available for Part-time Courses? | Out-of-Pocket Costs | |
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Catalyst ISL Program (only available in the U.S.) |
✔ |
X |
Program deposit: $250 Program deposit: $250. Remaining balance paid as 1.6-10% of income after you leave the program and secure employment earning over $3.333.33/month.² (Full-tuition Catalyst Program funding available for students who receive a deposit exception.) |
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0% Monthly (Only available in U.S.) |
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(excludes SEIR Flex) |
Program deposit: $250 Remaining balance paid in monthly payments of $206 over 18 months. |
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Employer Pay |
✔ |
✔ |
No upfront cost. |
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Full Tuition (With Pay Upfront Discount) (Only available in select U.S. markets) |
|
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Full-time programs: Receive $450 off gross tuition. Part-time programs: Receive $250 off gross tuition. |
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Installment Plan |
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Program deposit: $250 Remaining tuition fee due before the end of the program. |
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Loans (Not offered in SIA and LDN) |
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(Only in U.S. and AUS) |
Program deposit: $250 Remaining balance paid in monthly installments after grace period expires. *Full-tuition loan funding available for students who receive a deposit exception approval. |
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GI Bill Ⓡ (Only available in U.S.) |
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No upfront cost. |
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Skills Checkpoint Program (Only available in Australia) |
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Co-contribution*: Up to $2,200 AUD Remaining tuition balance. *From either the student or their employer; must be equal to the amount paid by Verto. |
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Break the Glass Tuition Discount |
(SEI, SEIR, and DSI only. Ineligible for NY residents.) |
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$1,500 off gross tuition. |
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Social Impact |
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No upfront cost. |
* Note: Catalyst is only available in select U.S. markets. Our Admissions team is always available for financing guidance and assistance — feel free to get in touch at +1 (917) 722-0237.
GA Financing: In Depth, in the Real World
How GA’s Social Impact Programs Pave a Path to a Diverse, Vibrant Tech Community
In 2017, we expanded social impact programs to break down barriers for underrepresented groups to pursue careers in tech. Read about their stories here.
Opportunity@Work and GA: Piloting the Learn and Earn Program
We launched a 14-week web development bootcamp program for students who are typically underrepresented in the tech community and otherwise unable to afford education.
An Employer Guide to Investing in Talent
Prepare workers to adapt to the shifting demands of our digital world. Learn to leverage federal policy in order to gain funding to upskill and retain employees.
1 Loans may be issued by Stride Funding, Inc or FinWise Bank, a Utah-chartered bank, Member FDIC. All loans are subject to individual approval and adherence to underwriting guidelines. Program restrictions, other terms, and conditions apply.
2The effective Income Share Percentage (“ISP”) on your Income Share Loan (“ISL”) is a fixed percentage of your monthly gross-income and will range between 1.60% and 10.00%, for a period of 48 months after the beginning of your payment term. Monthly payments are required and will vary greatly in amount because they depend on your specific ISP and your reported monthly gross-income. Monthly repayment amount is based on your designated ISP and monthly gross-income, not an Annual Percentage Rate (“APR”); the APR you actually pay will be dependent on your actual ISP and gross-income for the entire duration of the loan repayment period. To illustrate how much you might pay on your ISL, assuming you are earning $40,000.00 gross-income per year ($3,333.33 per month), with an ISP of 10%, amount financed of $16,200.00, 48 months repayment period, and 21 months until graduation plus 3 months grace period, you will be required to make 48 monthly payments of $333.33 for total payments of $15,999.84. For this example, your total monthly payments would end after 48 months even though you would not have reached the Maximum Implied Annual Percentage Rate of 21%, because you have reached your required number of Maximum Monthly Payments first, assuming that you have no deferrals or other pauses to your payments. You may repay more or less than the amount you received, depending on your specific circumstances. Your loan has a maximum payment period (96 months) inclusive of any months where monthly payments are made as well as any months that are deferred months after you leave or graduate from your program.