Tuition and Fees
Program cost
Residential program: $12,495
Commuter program: $9,595
Application Fee (non-refundable): $60
Tuition details
Tuition includes housing and dining costs for residential students in shared accommodations, access to RISD Health Services for all students, and access to participate in all planned Pre-College activities. Students are responsible for any personal purchases during these activities, as well as travel to and from campus, art supplies, and personal laptop.
The residential program costs include shared residential accommodations. A shared accommodation consists of double- or triple-room occupancy. There are a limited number of single rooms available. Students may request a single room accommodation during the housing application process, which begins in March. If a student requests and is placed in a single room, an additional housing cost of $200 will be added to the student’s account and must be paid in full by May 30. For any questions or concerns, contact the Residence Life office at precollegehousing@risd.edu or 401 454-6650.
The commuter program cost includes a dining plan of 25 meals.
Additional costs
Short-term health insurance: $259
Medical insurance is mandatory for all students at RISD, including Pre-College students. The college requires all students to carry valid medical insurance to help cover the extra expenses of medical treatment that is not covered by RISD Health Services. All medical insurance policies must be from a US domestic insurance company and accepted in the state of Rhode Island.
If you do not have medical insurance from a US domestic insurance company and/or your insurance is not accepted in the state of Rhode Island, you may purchase a five (5)-week short-term medical insurance policy. The short-term medical insurance fee is paid directly to University Health Plans. To assist in obtaining coverage, University Health Plans Insurance Program offers a Pre-College Student Health Insurance Plan.
Art supplies: $800–1000 (estimate)
You will need a variety of art supplies and presentation materials along with appropriate carrying cases. We will provide a general supply list of commonly used items. In addition, you will have separate supply lists for each course. Depending on your major and assignments, supplies can sometimes cost in excess of $1000.
Laptop requirement: $300–500
All Pre-College students are required to bring a personal laptop. Basic printing and word processing capabilities and a browser that can access Canvas LMS are required. Mobile devices (i.e. smartphones and tablets) are not supported. For those who do not have a laptop that meets the minimum system requirements, a limited number of loaner laptops will be available. For more information, contact precollege@risd.edu before February 15, 2026.
Minimum system requirements:
- Preferred web browsers: Chrome, Firefox, Edge (latest version recommended)
- An office suite installed like MS Office or LibreOffice, or use an online office suite like Google Apps or Office 365.
Typical cost of a personal laptop that meets minimum system requirements: $300–$500.
Typical cost to purchase required software: $0–$70.
Travel: cost dependent on need
Expenses related to travel to and from campus at the start and end of the program (and during verified absences) are not included.
Payment information
Program deposit
Upon acceptance you’ll receive a decision letter on the student applicant dashboard. At that point you will be prompted to pay the $1,100 deposit in the applicant dashboard. The non-refundable deposit must be paid within five business days after acceptance. Deposits must be paid with a credit card.
Program balance
After you’ve paid the deposit, you will receive further instructions about paying the remaining balance. The deadline to pay your full balance is Wednesday, March 11, 2026. Those who are admitted after March 11, 2026 must pay all tuition and fees in full within five business days after paying the deposit.
You may make payments in any amount at any time up to the payment deadline.
Credit card payments are the preferred method of payment. Acceptable payment methods include:
Credit card
You and authorized users may make payments on your behalf via credit card through our electronic payment system. Visa and Mastercard are accepted.
529 payments
If using a 529 plan, consult with your account administrator to confirm the program is eligible. If this is eligible, a check can be sent to RISD Continuing Education, 20 Washington Place, Providence, RI 02903. The check must contain the student’s full name.
Check
Checks may be mailed to Continuing Education at 20 Washington Place, Providence, RI 02903. Checks should be made out to RISD Continuing Education. Payment date will be determined by the date the check is received in the mail. Be sure to include the student’s full name on the check.
A returned check for insufficient funds or other reasons will be assessed a $25 returned check fee.
International wire transfer
Our recommended payment method for international wire transfer is Flywire. Flywire offers favorable foreign exchange rates, the ability to pay in your home currency, and in most cases is more economical than traditional banks. You’ll be able to track your payment via Flywire’s dashboard and will receive notification once we have received your payment.
Once you receive an invoice with a balance due after being accepted, payments can be made at risdce.flywire.com. Flywire is the only international payments partner authorized to process international payments on behalf of RISD Continuing Education.
Withdrawals and refunds
To officially withdraw from Pre-College prior to the start of classes, submit written notification to precollege@risd.edu. Failure to properly withdraw from the program results in a failing grade. See the "Leaving Campus Early" section of the Student Handbook for more details. Students who do not complete the required vaccinations and health requirements before arriving on campus may be denied entry to the program with no refund provided.
Refunds for voluntary withdrawal after the student has been accepted are granted according to the following schedule. The percentage of the tuition and housing/dining fees refunded, not including deposits, depends on the date the written request is received in the Continuing Education office.
- On or before March 11, 2026: 100% (minus deposit)
- Between March 12–March 31, 2026: 50% (minus deposit)
- On or after April 1, 2026: 0%
For students admitted after the payment deadline, you must submit your deposit within 48 hours of acceptance. Your remaining payment balance is due within five days of your deposit payment. Please note that after April 1, 2026, ALL payments are non-refundable including late admitted student payments made after the payment deadline.
Application fees are non-refundable. No refund or reduction in the total charge will be made for a student who arrives to the program late, leaves the program early, or is dismissed due to a violation of school policies or regulations. The Pre-College Student Handbook more fully describes these regulations.
Refunds take up to six weeks to process. Refunds will be issued in the form of original payment. If the original form of payment was via check, a refund check will be made payable to the primary parent as listed in the student application. For payments made via FlyWire, an applicable refund will be returned in the manner in which it was paid.
Payment deadline: March 11, 2026
Program deposits are due within five days after your acceptance.
On March 11, 2026, all balances are due. If you apply after this date, you must pay full tuition and fees within five business days after acceptance. You may make payments in any amount at any time up to the payment deadline.