Financial Aid for Cooking & Culinary Arts Schools

By Mary Ann Matysik, CookingSchools.com Contributing Writer

With enough persistence you can learn to julienne a carrot, and still have perfect fingers. And with enough persistence you can find a way to finance the classes that will teach you how to do that and more. Despite the cost, there is always a way!

Schools, and the people who can help pay your way through them, agree that basic preparation and persistence are -- in this case -- the keys to the kitchen. Preparation includes having at least a high school diploma or GED; the financial and tax information you'll need for loans; at the minimum a short list of your preferred schools and, before you can complete the process, an acceptance to the school of your choice. Oh, yes -- and time. The application processes for the school, loans and scholarships can be time-consuming and the window of opportunity may be a very small window indeed. What's important is to open every window, looking for financial help.

"There's more out there than a lot of folks imagine," says Anne Byrd, Treasurer of the Board of Trustees of the James Beard Foundation. A lot of parents say, "My son (or daughter) is interested in cooking school, but they have no idea what's out there." The James Beard Foundation is a prestigious organization that in 2003 administered scholarships valued at more than $320,000. The awards were donated by specific schools, by the Friends of James Beard, and by the foundation itself.

What is out there runs the gamut from the standard college loans to a full-tuition scholarship at Le Cordon Bleu in London for the 10-week Basic Cuisine Course (includes uniform and equipment, but excludes airfare, accommodations and insurance). The London scholarship is administered by The James Beard Foundation and is worth approximately $7,500 at the current exchange rate. There are similar opportunities for Le Cordon Bleu facilities in Canada, Australia, Mexico and Paris, France. Most of the financial-aid packages are smaller, though, and a single source is not going to be adequate. Now persistence becomes important.

Time spent on the Internet, matching your interests and resources to the hundreds of schools listed, is a good investment. Despite the number of schools, it's relatively easy to compare locations, fees and financial aid and to download the appropriate forms. The same is true of loan applications.

Scholarships require even more research. Are you a career-changer entering the Institute of Culinary Education? A college sophomore or junior from the "Southern Living" readership area, interested in food journalism? Financial Aid for Culinary Arts DegreesAn Oklahoma resident with one year of culinary experience? Or simply a culinary student entering a specific program? The financial aid counselors at your school of choice can often steer you in the right direction. They know the school and they know the resources. The application processes will differ, and may require a personal interview, written references, culinary experience, an essay justifying your request, or any combination of the above, but each one will bring you closer to your goal. And if you don't get your scholarship the first time, try again next year, because you may be in a different pool of applicants.

It's all about numbers, according to Trina Gribbins, Director of Administration at the Culinary Trust (an arm of the International Association of Culinary Professionals, formerly the International Association of Culinary Professionals Foundation).

"Apply for everything," she says. "Don't just plant one seed, hoping it will grow. Plant 10 seeds, and maybe five will grow!"

Internet Sources

Culinary Scholarships

 

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