Courtney Grace
Making the decision to change your career isn’t one to take lightly. That’s especially true when you’re pursuing further education to do so.
Bootcamps like ours are one of many ways you can learn the skills needed to transition into the tech industry. Traditional schooling like earning a bachelor’s or a master’s is another option. While there are also a number of free or affordable programs that take more of a DIY-approach, there’s something to be said for having a built-in network of professionals whose sole purpose is to help you land a job. That comes at a cost.
Unlike traditional universities and colleges, App Academy condenses the skills you need into an immersive format that gets you from beginner to industry-level programmer in the quickest amount of time. Our tuition costs reflect both the condensed time frame and the immersive nature of the course, rendering our programs more cost-effective and often more successful than earning a bachelor’s or master’s degree.
Let’s take a closer look at the different ways you can pay for App Academy, broken down by their respective programs:
Campus-based Software Engineering Bootcamp Programs: Tuition Plans
Our typically takes place in person at our San Francisco and New York campuses. Because of this, our tuition plans look slightly different from those of our online courses. We require a deposit or the entire tuition payment upfront to ensure our students are as committed to the program as we are.
Deferred plan.
Students on the deferred plan will pay $3,000 as a deposit to start the program. This deposit is refundable. The rest of tuition is not due until you get a job, and the $3,000 deposit is rolled into that cost.
The remaining balance is $25,000, paid out over 9-13 months (depending on compensation). Similar to our income share agreement for our Online courses (which, however, does not require a deposit), this payment option is great for those who want to align their own success with App Academy’s. If you don’t find a job, you don’t owe the rest of your tuition and your deposit is refunded.
Upfront.
Students can pay $17,000, in full, to take our course with no job search requirements. If you have the money to pay upfront and don’t want to continue making monthly payments once the course is over and you find a job, it may be worth considering.
Upfront with living stipend through Climb.
Climb is our financial partner that gives students the option to take on a living stipend loan as they complete this course. Our Campus Hybrid Programs are full-time immersive1, so students aren’t able to work during traditional 9-5 hours and are encouraged to not take on work during nights or weekends that should be reserved for studying.
Through Climb, students can pay the upfront tuition costs and take a loan to help cover rent, food, and other living expenses during the duration of the course.
Hybrid.
Our Hybrid tuition plan allows students to pay a larger portion of their tuition upfront ($9,000) and pay the remainder ($14,000) after they find a job. It’s an option for anyone who has the cash to pay for the course in full but wants to split that payment up into two parts.
Software Engineering Online Immersive (24-Week) Bootcamp Tuition Plans
Our Online Immersive Bootcamp is available to everyone, everywhere (including international students, should they be able to attend our live lecture times). There are a few different options for payment here; some look similar to our campus-based programs, while others are unique to our Online students (in both full-time and part-time courses).
Upfront.
Like our campus-based programs, students can pay their tuition in full so they will not have the same job search requirements our deferred plan and income share agreement students have following graduation. They will, however, receive the same attentiveness and support from our Placements team and Career Coaches! The tuition for our Upfront plan for this program is $20,000.
Deferred plan.
California residents only are eligible for this plan that allows students to start with zero deposit and zero tuition down. Once a student lands a job, they will pay back $31,000 in monthly installments over 18-36 months (depending on their level of compensation).
Income share agreement.
In short, an income share agreement is a financing option between a school and a student where the school covers the upfront cost of the student’s education, and in exchange, the student agrees to pay back the school a percentage of their income for a fixed number of years — only if their salary is over $50,000.
For our Online Immersive course, students will pay back 15% of their monthly salary for three years or until they hit the ISA maximum of $31,000.
An income share agreement is a really attractive option for anyone who doesn’t want to or can’t pay the upfront tuition cost. It also puts more responsibility back on the school to give you the best possible education that will land you a job. If we don’t succeed, you don’t succeed. If you don’t succeed, we don’t get paid — it’s as simple as that.
Software Engineering Online Part-Time (52-Week) Software Bootcamp Tuition Plans
Our Part-Time course is rolling out this Fall, and we’re excited to offer a flexible program that allows students to continue working (daytime shifts or traditional 9-5 hours) while pursuing a new career as a software engineer.
As such, the program spans 52 weeks, not including peak holiday times. It will include the same curriculum, the same App Academy experience, and the same outcomes in terms of job placement on a part-time schedule.
Our payment options are a combination of similar options to our full-time program at different price points that are reflective of the length of the course.
Upfront.
Because of the duration of the program, our upfront tuition costs a little more than our full-time tracks. Students can pay $22,000 tuition, in full, to have the course paid for prior to starting.
Income share agreement.
Like our Online Software Immersive, we offer an income share agreement for those in our part-time program. An additional benefit to this course is that students can continue working while deferring their payment until after they find a new job. Not only will students have the opportunity to save money during the course, the income share agreement will be broken up into monthly installments of 15% of your salary for 36 months or until the ISA maximum of $36,000 is reached. The only difference between this ISA and our full-time ISA is this program requires a $3,000 deposit to ensure students are serious about seeing the course through its duration.
How should you pay for App Academy?
When it comes to choosing a payment plan for your respective program — a choice that doesn’t need to be made until you’ve been accepted to the program and you’ve figured out your start date — there are a few considerations worth making.
Current and future financial statuses.
Prospective students come to us with all sorts of financial situations. The cost is lower for those who can pay upfront, so you’ll spend less in total should you have the cash upfront. However, for those who don’t have a significant chunk of money stowed away, our deferred plans and income share agreement options are perfect for those who want to pursue this career track plus the studies necessary without paying until the outcome of getting a job is met.
Where you plan to live or find a job after your bootcamp.
With a new career in the booming tech industry, there will be a ton of opportunities as you move up the ladder and become a skilled software engineer. Obvious places like San Francisco, Austin, and New York typically have more opportunity (and money to go around), but they also have a higher cost of living.
Other tech hubs are popping up around the country, and programming roles are notoriously remote-friendly. Those who choose an income share agreement will also pay back an amount that’s determined by their salary coming out of the course, so it’s worth considering where you’d like to settle down and find a job when it comes to not only choosing the program that’s best for you, but choosing the payment option for that course, as well.
Do you want to align your success with ours?
An income share agreement isn’t just for those who don’t have the upfront cash; it’s a strategic choice for those who want to marry their own success with ours. If you don’t get a job and start earning money, you don’t owe us any money for your course. However, we’re committed to every student’s job placement success, whether they pay upfront or select an income share agreement.
Conclusion
Our Admissions team is here to help you figure out the course and the payment plan that works best for you. Take this quiz to find the best course for you or schedule a call with admissions to have your questions answered.
Footnotes
1. Campus Program Names – NY: Full-Time Software Engineering Track, CA: Full-Time Software Engineering Program
