Tuition and Living Expenses

Thanks to a generous $150 million gift made by the David Geffen Foundation in 2021, all full-time students in degree and certificate programs will receive 100 percent tuition support, in perpetuity. The foundation’s gift is augmented by many endowed scholarship funds and annual donations, and the School also provides scholarships for living expenses, books, and supplies to students with demonstrated financial need.

The tuition fee for 2023–2024 is $37,034.* Eligibility for tuition scholarship assistance is ordinarily limited to six terms of study for M.F.A./certificate programs; two terms of study for the Technical Internship program; and ten terms of study for the D.F.A. program; exceptions are extremely rare.

A reasonable estimate of the cost of attendance for training at the School and living off campus in the 2023–2024 nine-month academic year is between $55,880 and $60,194. It includes:

Tuition* $37,034
Books and supplies (estimated)† $876–$2,190
Estimated living expenses (includes Yale Health Hospitalization/Specialty Coverage fee) $23,208

*Tuition for Special Students is $37,034. Tuition for Technical Interns and for Special Research Fellows is $18,517. Tuition for D.F.A. candidates in residence is $1,000.

†Costs vary from one program to another. Includes $140 for required personal protective equipment for first-year students and technical interns.

All students enrolled at least half-time in a degree-seeking program receive Yale Health Basic Coverage services free of charge. They are also automatically enrolled in and charged a fee for Yale Health Hospitalization/Specialty Coverage. Students may waive the Yale Health Hospitalization/Specialty Coverage upon evidence that they have valid and sufficient alternative hospitalization coverage. See Health Services in the chapter Yale University Resources and Services.

The living expenses estimate is based on the Bureau of Labor Statistics moderate budget standard for this area. The School’s Financial Aid Office also reviews actual student budgets each year to verify that the living expense budget used is reasonable. Actual costs may vary depending on the individual. Expenses have risen consistently over the past few years, and it is safe to assume that both tuition and living costs for the 2024–2025 academic year will be higher.

Tuition Rebate and Refund Policy

On the basis of the federal regulations governing the return of federal student aid (Title IV) funds for withdrawn students, the rebate and refund of tuition are subject to the following policy.

  1. For purposes of determining the refund of Title IV funds, any student who withdraws from David Geffen School of Drama for any reason during the first 60 percent of the term will be subject to a pro rata schedule that will be used to determine the amount of Title IV funds a student has earned at the time of withdrawal. A student who withdraws after the 60 percent point has earned 100 percent of the Title IV funds. 2023–2024, the last days for refunding Title IV funds will be October 31, 2023, in the fall term and March 27, 2024, in the spring term.
  2. For purposes of determining the refund of institutional aid funds and for students who have not received financial aid:
    1. 100 percent of tuition will be rebated for withdrawals that occur on or before the end of the first 10 percent of the term: September 8, 2023, in the fall term and January 20, 2024, in the spring term.
    2. A rebate of one-half (50 percent) of tuition will be granted for withdrawals that occur after the first 10 percent but on or before the last day of the first quarter of the term: September 24, 2023, in the fall term and February 6, 2024, in the spring term.
    3. A rebate of one-quarter (25 percent) of tuition will be granted for withdrawals that occur after the first quarter of a term but on or before the day of midterm: October 20, 2023, in the fall term and March 5, 2024, in the spring term.
    4. Students who withdraw for any reason after midterm will not receive a rebate of any portion of tuition.
  3. The death of a student shall cancel charges for tuition as of the date of death, and the bursar will adjust the tuition on a pro rata basis.
  4. If the student has received student loans or other forms of financial aid, funds will be returned in the order prescribed by federal regulations; namely, first to Federal Direct Unsubsidized Loans, if any; then to Federal Direct Graduate PLUS Loans; next to any other federal, state, private, or institutional scholarships and loans; and, finally, any remaining balance to the student.
  5. Recipients of federal and/or institutional loans who withdraw are required to have an exit interview before leaving Yale. Students leaving Yale receive instructions on completing this process from Yale Student Financial Services.

Student Accounts and Billing

Student accounts, billing, and related services are administered through the Office of Student Accounts, located at 246 Church Street. The office’s website is https://student-accounts.yale.edu.

The Student Account is a record of all the direct charges for a student’s Yale education such as tuition, room, board, fees, and other academically related items assessed by offices throughout the University. It is also a record of all payments, financial aid, and other credits applied toward these charges.

Students and student-designated proxies can view all activity posted to their Student Account in real time through the University’s online billing and payment system, YalePay (https://student-accounts.yale.edu/yalepay). At the beginning of each month, email reminders to log in to YalePay to review the Student Account activity are sent to all students at their official Yale email address and to all student-designated YalePay proxies. Payment is due by 4 p.m. Eastern Time on the last day of the month.

Yale does not mail paper bills or generate monthly statements. Students and their authorized proxies can generate their own account statements in YalePay in pdf form to print or save. The statements can be generated by term or for a date range and can be submitted to employers, 401K plans, 529/College Savings Plans, scholarship agencies, or other organizations for documentation of the charges.

Students can grant others proxy access to YalePay to view student account activity, set up payment plans, and make online payments. For more information, see Proxy Access and Authorization (https://student-accounts.yale.edu/understanding-your-bill/your-student-account).

The Office of Student Accounts will impose late fees of $125 per month (up to a total of $375 per term) if any part of the term bill, less Yale-administered loans and scholarships that have been applied for on a timely basis, is not paid when due. Students who have not paid their student account term charges by the due date will also be placed on Financial Hold. The hold will remain until the term charges have been paid in full. While on Financial Hold, the University will not fulfill requests for transcripts or provide diplomas and reserves the right to withhold registration or withdraw the student for financial reasons.

Payment Options

There are a variety of options offered for making payments toward a student’s Student Account. Please note:

  • All bills must be paid in U.S. currency.
  • Yale does not accept credit or debit cards for Student Account payments.
  • Payments made to a Student Account in excess of the balance due (net of pending financial aid credits) are not allowed on the Student Account. Yale reserves the right to return any overpayments.

Online Payments through YalePay

Yale’s recommended method of payment is online through YalePay (https://student-accounts.yale.edu/yalepay). Online payments are easy and convenient and can be made by anyone with a U.S. checking or savings account. There is no charge to use this service. Bank information is password-protected and secure, and there is a printable confirmation receipt. Payments are immediately posted to the Student Account, which allows students to make payments at any time up to 4 p.m. Eastern Time on the due date of the bill, from any location, and avoid late fees.

For those who choose to pay by check, a remittance advice and mailing instructions are available on YalePay. Checks should be made payable to Yale University, in U.S. dollars, and drawn on a U.S. bank. To avoid late fees, please allow for adequate mailing time to ensure that payment is received by 4 p.m. Eastern Time on the due date.

Cash and check payments are also accepted at the Office of Student Accounts, located at 246 Church Street and open Monday through Friday from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

Yale University partners with Flywire, a leading provider of international payment solutions, to provide a fast and secure way to make international payments to a Student Account within YalePay. Students and authorized proxies can initiate international payments from the Make Payment tab in YalePay by selecting “International Payment via Flywire” as the payment method, and then selecting the country from which payment will be made to see available payment methods. International payment via Flywire allows students and authorized proxies to save on bank fees and exchange rates, track the payment online from start to finish, and have access to 24/7 multilingual customer support. For more information on making international payments via Flywire, see International Payments Made Easy at https://student-accounts.yale.edu/yalepay.

A processing charge of $25 will be assessed for payments rejected for any reason by the bank on which they were drawn. In addition, for every returned ACH payment due to insufficient funds made through YalePay, Flywire will charge a penalty fee of $30 per occurrence. Furthermore, the following penalties may apply if a payment is rejected:

  1. If the payment was for a term bill, late fees of $125 per month will be charged for the period the bill was unpaid, as noted above.
  2. If the payment was for a term bill to permit registration, the student’s registration may be revoked.
  3. If the payment was given to settle an unpaid balance in order to receive a diploma, the University may refer the account to an attorney for collection.

Yale Payment Plan

A Yale Payment Plan provides parents and students with the option to pay education expenses monthly. It is designed to relieve the pressure of lump-sum payments by allowing families to spread payments over a period of months without incurring any interest charges. Participation is optional and elected on a term basis. The cost to sign up is $50 per term.

Depending on the date of enrollment, students may be eligible for up to five installments for the fall and spring terms. Payment Plan installments will be automatically deducted on the 5th of each month from the bank account specified when enrolling in the plan. For enrollment deadlines and additional details concerning the Yale Payment Plan, see https://student-accounts.yale.edu/ypp.

Bill Payment and Pending Military Benefits

Yale will not impose any penalty, including the assessment of late fees, the denial of access to classes, libraries, or other facilities, or the requirement that a student borrow additional funds, on any student because of the student’s inability to meet their financial obligations to the institution, when the delay is due to the delayed disbursement of funding from VA under chapter 31 or 33.

Yale will permit a student to attend or participate in their course of education during the period beginning on the date on which the student provides to Yale a certificate of eligibility for entitlement to educational assistance under chapter 31 or 33 and ending on the earlier of the following dates: (1) the date on which payment from VA is made to Yale; (2) ninety days after the date Yale certifies tuition and fees following the receipt of the certificate of eligibility.

Interruption or Temporary Suspension of University Services or Programs

Certain events that are beyond the University’s control may cause or require the interruption or temporary suspension of some or all services and programs customarily furnished by the University. These events include, but are not limited to, epidemics or other public health emergencies; storms, floods, earthquakes, or other natural disasters; war, terrorism, rioting, or other acts of violence; loss of power, water, or other utility services; and strikes, work stoppages, or job actions. In the face of such events, the University may, at its sole discretion, provide substitute services and programs, suspend services and programs, or issue appropriate refunds. Such decisions shall be made at the sole discretion of the University.