VSA Tuition & Financial Assistance

Jump to: Overview | Tuition Timeline | Financial Assistance & Scholarships | Payment Plans | Cancellation Policy | Program Cancellation Policy 

Overview

Payment for Vanderbilt Summer Academy has three primary components:
(1) Application Fee, (2) Deposit, and (3) Tuition.

(1) Application Fee: A $50 ($100 for international applicants) nonrefundable application fee is due at the time of application submission. Online applicants will submit the application fee via credit card or electronic check during the online application submission process.

(2) Tuition Deposit: If a student is placed in a course, a 20% nonrefundable tuition deposit is due one week after the notice of admission email is sent to hold a spot in the course. Details on how to pay the tuition deposit by check or online will be provided through the emailed admissions notification. The tuition deposit for applicants who apply for financial aid will not be due until financial aid materials have been processed and the aid amount communicated to the family. For individuals who receive financial aid, the tuition deposit is 20% of the remaining tuition balance after aid has been applied.

(3) Tuition: Tuition is comprehensive. It covers course costs, materials, housing, meals, and residential outings and activities. Please see the Tuition Timeline section below for more information about tuition deadlines.

**If a student is flying into the BNA airport alone, VSA provides required shuttle transportation to Vanderbilt University. The cost for round trip service is $75 (There is no discount for one-way service).

* During June 22-28, 2025, VSA will offer a rising 11th grade only session and a rising 12th grade only session.

Tuition Timeline

Programs for Talented Youth understands the need for families to plan ahead when thinking about financing summer experiences. Tuition is due March 3, 2025 for the VSA Two-Week session, for students admitted prior to February 15. Tuition is due March 14, 2025 for VSA One-Week Sessions, for students admitted prior to March 1.

PTY has developed rolling tuition and refund deadlines based on when a student receives an admissions notification for a session after March 3. These students can expect admissions notifications to be sent within three weeks of application submission. For admission notifications sent after March 3, tuition is typically due one week after the admissions notification is sent.

While PTY encourages applicants to submit an application during the Application Priority Window, VSA continues accepting applications throughout the winter and spring. All students who submit an application during the priority window can expect to hear from VSA according to the dates listed on the VSA program timeline.

Please note, students may be admitted off waiting lists at any point, at which time families will receive an admissions notification. Families may have different tuition deadlines if they apply to multiple sessions and are admitted off waiting lists on different dates.

Need based financial assistance and payment plans are available. Please contact our office for more information.

Methods of Payment

Credit card and bank account payments can be made online through your SchoolDoc Account.

For technical support making a payment, please visit the SchoolDoc Support Hub.

Financial Assistance

Vanderbilt Programs for Talented Youth is committed to making programs available to academically advanced students regardless of a family’s ability to pay the full tuition. Therefore, some need-based financial aid is available based on income for families with an Adjusted Gross Income of $105,000 or less, or with a severe hardship.

The PTY application review process is need-blind and does not consider financial status when placing students in courses.

When to apply for financial assistance

If you plan to apply for financial assistance, please indicate this on your application. Once indicated, you will be automatically asked to complete the financial assistance application as part of your program application.

Please note, your program application is not considered complete if you indicate that you are applying for financial aid and you do not upload the required documentation or provide the required information. We are unable to process your application until both the program and financial aid application are complete. Please plan accordingly.

What documents are needed to apply for financial assistance?

All financial aid applications must include a signed copy of your most recent federal income tax return.  If you are divorced, only the custodial parent tax forms are required. During the application, families are required to upload one of the following forms: Form 1040, 1040A, or 1040EZ.

If you believe your 1040/1040A/1040EZ does not provide an accurate or complete picture of your family’s financial need, you may include additional tax forms, including: W-2 Forms, Form 4562, Schedule A, Schedule C and/or F, Schedule D.

We ask that you remove all SSNs from any documents you upload in your application.

How is financial assistance determined?

All financial information provided is reviewed thoroughly with specific attention to adjusted gross income and number of dependents in the household. While we understand that there may be more factors affecting a family’s ability to pay tuition, at this time, these are the primary factors determining eligibility for financial assistance.

Other important information about PTY financial assistance

For PTY to provide program opportunities for as many students with financial need as possible, financial assistance awards for individual students will be limited to two courses per season. PTY has two operational seasons: academic year and summer.

Please note: If your financial situation significantly changes after being placed in a course for a program, but before the tuition deadline for the program, you may contact the VSA office (vsa.pty@vanderbilt.edu) in writing to request the possibility of submitting a late financial aid application. Requests are considered on a case-by-case basis when there are significant and unpredictable life events that drastically change a family’s ability to pay tuition.

PTY is unable to offer financial assistance to international students at this time.

Payment Plans

In addition to providing need-based financial assistance options, PTY also offers all families the option to set up a monthly payment plan for their student’s summer tuition. A student does not have to apply for financial assistance in order to set up a payment plan option. After receiving an admissions notification, families interested in setting up a payment plan can do so in their SchoolDoc account. More information will be provided in the admissions notification email.

Payment plans allow families to pay equal installments each month leading up to the Payment Plan Tuition Deadline of June 1, 2025. Payment plan options are not available for those who receive an admissions notification after May 1, 2025. If on a payment plan, no refunds are provided for previously paid installments if a student requests a cancellation.

Payment plans are not available for fall and spring programs.

Scholarships

Programs for Talented Youth works with organizations, companies, foundations, and individuals who are interested in directly supporting students’ attendance through named scholarships. Scholarships are based on criteria defined by the supporting organization, company, foundation, or individual and vary year-to-year. Scholarships, along with criteria, are located on the scholarship page. Scholarships range in monetary aid and eligibility requirements, with select scholarships offering full tuition.

Click here to view VSA 2025 Scholarship Opportunities

Interested in helping support students through a named scholarship or in connecting us with a company, organization, or foundation? Please contact our office to learn more!

Cancellation Policy

The $50 ($100 for international applicants) application fee is nonrefundable for all applicants. Once the student is admitted and placed in a ranked course, an email notice will be sent. A nonrefundable 20% tuition deposit is due within one week of receiving notification of admission and is required to hold the spot for the admitted student. If no tuition deposit is paid during this time, the student forfeits their space in that course. A student who has been admitted into the program but not placed in any course will remain on the waiting list and will not be asked to submit a tuition deposit unless placement in a course can be offered. If a deposit is not paid by the communicated deadline, a student’s enrollment will be cancelled, and they will be removed from all other waiting lists unless they specifically reach out to the VSA office and request to remain on waiting lists for other courses.

A student who withdraws from the program after submitting the 20% nonrefundable tuition deposit will receive a tuition refund for any amount paid above the deposit amount if VSA is notified before the tuition deadline. No refunds will be granted after the tuition deadline for the session, including if a student must leave early from VSA. Please visit the VSA Tuition and Financial Assistance webpage for specific dates and deadlines.

Program Cancellation Policy

If Vanderbilt University determines that it is in the best interest of VSA participants to delay or cancel the VSA program, VU staff will issue a timely statement to participants via email and the PTY website to advise of the delay or cancellation. No tuition reimbursements will be given for delays. If a cancellation is announced prior to the program start date, tuition paid, less the nonrefundable application fee, may be applied to a future program of the family’s choosing, or if preferred, a tuition reimbursement may be issued. In the event of a cancellation during a program, VU may, in its sole discretion, elect to provide partial tuition reimbursements. As is the VSA application policy, the application fee and deposit are nonrefundable. VU is not responsible for any expense or cost incurred by you in preparing for or arising or resulting from a delayed or cancelled program, including without limitation, the cost of non-refundable airfare, other transportation, lodging, and meal expense and the cost of any additional or alternative arrangement you elect or are required to incur or make as a result of a delayed or cancelled program.

Inclement Weather Policy

Weather cancellations are unfortunate for all involved, but the safety of our students and families is top priority. Should it be in the best interest of our students and families that we delay or cancel our program due to inclement weather, we will issue a timely statement to our participants via email and also on our website. If a program cancellation is announced, tuition paid may be applied to a future program of the family’s choosing, or if preferred, a tuition reimbursement may be issued. If, however, the program commences as planned, we are unable to offer a refund to individual students who do not attend. As is our policy, the application fee is nonrefundable. No matter the official program decision, it is always most important that each family make the safest travel decisions in regard to their own situation and program attendance.