Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

For the 2007-2008 academic year, tuition for full time students is:

• $903.00 per credit hour
• $13,545.00 per semester
• $27,090.00 per year

Students are required to pay a $100 Commitment Fee upon registration. The balance of tuition, fees and housing (if applicable), is due in two equal payments during the sixth or tenth week of classes.

Merit Based Scholarships

CCS awards scholarships based strictly on academic excellence and artistic ability. Scholarships are awarded for the purpose of assisting students with tuition costs. Students receiving tuition assistance from their employers will have their actual tuition scholarship reduced accordingly. Applicants are automatically considered for scholarship money upon completion of admission requirements.

Merit Scholarships are awarded based on the portfolio review and academic achievement of the applicant. Notification is mailed with the applicant's acceptance letter. Recipients must maintain a minimum cumulative GPA of 2.5 to continue receiving these scholarships.

National Gold & Silver Key Scholastic winners will receive an additional $2000 and $1000 scholarship, respectively. Accepted students will be notified following the announcement of national winners in March.

Award of Excellence Competition in February determines the winners of our highest scholarships. Qualified applicants are nominated by either their high school or college art instructor, or their CCS Admissions Counselor. Details of the competition will be announced in December.

Need Based Grants and Scholarships

Eligibility for need-based grants financial aid is determined by an analysis of family resources for the most recent calendar year to assess a family's ability to contribute to college costs. To receive federal or state financial aid from CCS, students must demonstrate financial need, be accepted for enrollment in the degree program, attend the College on at least a half-time basis, maintain satisfactory academic progress and be a U.S. citizen or permanent resident. In addition, a student must be registered with Selective Service (or be exempt) and cannot owe a refund on previous Title IV funds received or be in default on any student loan.

Loan Programs

There are a limited number of Federal Work-Study Program, Michigan Work-Study Program and Student Employment Program positions available in various offices on campus. Check with the Financial Aid office for available positions.

A complete list of scholarship opportunities can be found on the website or by contacting the Financial Aid Office at 313.664.7495.

Yes, and it's not your typical dorm room. The residence hall at CCS, known as the Art Centre Building (ACB), provides 71 spacious non-traditional suites (263 beds). Residents live on the 1st–12th floors of the ACB, along with the mailroom, laundry facilities, spray room and fitness room. The size of each suite varies, ranging from approximately 700 square feet to approximately 1,200 square feet. CCS offers two basic styles: a 2 to 3 person suite (1 bedroom and 1 bathroom) and a 4 or more person suite (2 or more bedrooms and 2 bathrooms). The college also provides housing at Palmer Court Townhomes, located two blocks northeast of campus.

3 people or less: $4,500 per year ($2,250.00 per semester)

4 or more people: $3,700.00 per year ($1,850 per semester)

No, meals are not included in the cost of housing. All housing suites have a kitchen equipped with a stove and refrigerator, so students are able to do their own shopping and cooking.

The Office of Student Life can assist you in your search for off-campus housing in the surrounding areas. Their number is 313.664.7686. The University Cultural Center Association Website (www.detroitmidtown.com) provides listings for apartment and townhouse rentals near the Medical Center, Cultural Center, CCS, and Wayne State University.

While our residence hall is very popular, you are not required to live on campus as a freshman.

Located within five blocks of CCS are grocery, drug store and art supply stores, so a car is not a necessity. If you do choose to bring a vehicle, however, a secure parking structure is available.

1309 students were enrolled for the 2007 fall semester.

All efforts are made to assist CCS students with disabilities. Assistance in educational matters is provided through the Student Success Center. Other types of assistance for students with physical disabilities are provided through the Office of Student Life. Students with a physical and/or learning disability must provide the College with documentation of their disability before any assistance can be provided.

The average age of a student at CCS is 23.

The Office of Student Life provides a variety of social and educational programs and activities for students, including Welcome Week activities, Tuesday Music Series (local bands performing in the CCS cafeteria at lunchtime), open-mike competitions, movies, periodic free mini massage sessions, and a spring campus carnival. Students are also entitled to free general admission to the Detroit Institute of Arts. At the Student Activities Corner, located in the Academic Resource Center (ARC), activities such as knitting classes, lunch-time movies, drum circles, and yoga classes are held. A fitness room, complete with cardio and weight equipment and cable television, is located in the Art Centre Building (ACB). The fitness room is available for use by all students during the academic year, and health screenings and wellness programs are sponsored on campus.

Student Organizations include Black Artists Researching Trends (B.A.R.T.), Gay/Straight Alliance (GSA), Innovative, Diverse Educational Activities (IDEA), English Conversation Group, Multicultural Student Collective, Student Budget Committee and Student Government.

Departmental Organizations include American Society of Interior Designers (A.S.I.D.),
Children's Book Society, Glass Odyssey Organized Society for Enrichment (G.O.O.S.E )
Industrial Design Society of America (I.D.S.A.), and SIGGMO, the CCS student chapter of SIGGRAPH

CCS is located in the Cultural Center of Detroit, also referred to as Midtown. We are conveniently located within blocks of most major freeways and the Medical Center, and within walking distance to the Detroit Public Library, Wayne State University and the Detroit Institute of Arts.

The College for Creative Studies has one of the safest college campuses in Michigan. The following are campus crime statistics. For a complete listing of crime statistics, please visit the Campus Information page.

The CCS campus totals 10.5 acres, with approximately 232,000 square feet of instruction space.

The new Walter B. Ford II Building is a state-of-the art facility wired with a single digital network to carry voice, data, and video. The building houses high-tech flexible classrooms, a stop motion animation lab, and experimental/traditional animation lab, render farm, 3 AV labs with HD capability, sound re-recording suite, a 250-seat auditorium, a clay modeling studio with a spray booth and a rapid prototyping machine. The building also provides space on each floor for the exhibition of student work. Students have access to the CCS computer labs (containing over 380 workstations), wood shop, metal shop, and foundry, photo labs, copy machines, lockers, mailroom services and fitness center. CCS is the only school in Michigan with a hot glass studio that pours iron, bronze and aluminum. CCS also offers an Imaging Center, Audiovisual Checkout Center, Library, Center Galleries and U245 Student Gallery.

The student to faculty ratio is 11:1

54%. The national average is 56.7 for private, 50.6 for traditional select.

CCS Experience Course

The CCS experience course is a one credit course designed to assist students in adjusting to campus culture, academic expectation and life as a college student. Topics include career exploration, time management, and community service, as well as campus technology, personal budgeting and presentation skills. This course is required for conditionally admitted students, and highly recommended for all students.

Student Success Center

The Student Success Center is a user friendly environment staffed by a learning specialist, master tutor and peer tutors. All of the services are free and provide every student with the possibility to boost classroom performance, build learning strategies, hone study and writing skills and develop confidence. The most popular service is the one-on-one tutorial assistance in all courses offered at CCS. Tutorials are tailored to each individual's learning style and academic needs. This individual approach often results in reduced student stress, improved productivity and better grades. The Student Success Center also offers a fully equipped computer lab with programs such as Maya, Alias, Illustrator, Photoshop and Flash. Students can work on their own or one-on-one with a peer tutor.

Students with learning challenges will discover a variety of supplementary services that will enhance productivity and reduce stress. Included are private test taking environments as well as assigned readers for dyslexic students. Student Success Seminars are provided for conditionally admitted students, and probationary students are encouraged to schedule visits to the Success Center throughout the semester.

Students are not required to have a computer, however, it is strongly recommended that students in Graphic Design purchase a laptop for their work. All technology needed to complete assignments is available on computers located in CCS computer labs or through AV checkout. The CCS Bookstore is an Apple Campus Reseller offering all Apple hardware and software products with educationally discounted pricing for students.

There are many resources nearby that sell a variety of supplies. The closest are the CCS Bookstore on campus and Utrecht on Woodward at Warren, just a few blocks away.

Career Services supports both current students and alumni in their search for full-time, part-time and freelance employment opportunities. On-campus recruitment events, workshops, and Career Day sessions are available to students. In addition, the online Job Book allows students and alumni to search job postings and available internships, as well as upload their resume and sample work for employers to review. The CCS Career Services Office prepares students for life after graduation by offering guidance on resume, cover letter preparation, interview skills, job search techniques and provides students with information about various career paths open to artists and designers.

For F1 students, work on-campus does not have to be authorized by the immigration and Naturalization Service. On-campus employment is limited to 20 hours per week while school is in session and is defined as work within the physical boundaries of the campus and paid by CCS. Some examples would be working in the library, the bookstore or serving as a resident assistant in the resident hall.

Upon admission, an enrollment deposit is required. In addition, the student must complete a financial statement verifying they have enough funds to finance their education at CCS. Once the student has been admitted and we receive both the enrollment deposit and the financial statement, an I-20 form will be issued.

While international students are not awarded U.S. Government aid, they are eligible to receive the merit-based scholarships that all students are considered for upon admission.

International students can find assistance with text interpretation as well as participate in conversation groups to help sharpen English speaking skills.