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Art School Confidential: How to Pay for Art School

By Milan Art Institute on February 24, 2021

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Photo caption: For many aspiring artists, art school is the key to becoming professional artists. Image by photosforyou from Pixabay.

Many artists go to art school in the hopes of turning their talent, hard work and drive into a career in art. However, many would-be professional artists turn away from art school, because they’re afraid of how much it will cost to go to art school.

This is unfortunate, because artists who invest in their art education have the power to become exceptional artists and to eventually change the world with their art. What is fortunate, however, it is possible to pay for art school without going broke if you know what to do.

Milan Art Institute coach and mentor Miranda Gamel wrote a book about funding an art school education. Read on to get some tips for paying for your art school education and to learn how you can prepare for art school in the meantime.

Normal Art School Costs

According to some estimates, art schools, including some art schools in Georgia, where MAI is located, can cost between $32,000 and $39,000 a year.

Much of these costs can be attributed to the cost of room and board, books and of course, to tuition. Additionally, some costs can be associated with a degree program. Additionally, a bachelor of fine arts program may cost more than a bachelor of arts program.

Aside from this, many art school students have some concerns about borrowing money to pay for their art education.

But the question shouldn’t be “How will I pay for art school?” Rather, it’s maybe more empowering to ask, “Do I need to go the traditional route and get a degree, or is there an alternative?”

Fortunately, the answer is yes, there is an alternative to a traditional degree program and even a way to pay for it!

How to Pay for Art school

Paying for art school often comes down to hard work, determination and a change of mindset, as Miranda Gamel explains. She advocates for paying for art school yourself, because mentally, it ups the stakes and makes you more determined to finish art school.

What you have to earn, you appreciate in many cases, and for Miranda, this turned out to be true. Here are three things she said helped her take this important step.

1. Empower Yourself With Power Statements

The words you use have the power to change your life, allowing you to achieve your dreams and to leave your mark on the world. This is the first thing that Miranda advises for paying for art school.

Consider power statements such as:

I was born to be an artist
I am a successful artist
I inspire people with my unique story
I am capable of achieving greatness

While it may not deal directly with the money aspect, it’s still an important part of the process. When you feel empowered, you believe that you can earn the money you need to go through art school. Miranda’s a big believer in power statements for making dreams happen, including finding the money necessary to pay for an art education.

2. Learn How to Sell

If you’re planning on becoming a professional artist, you must learn how to sell art. In programs like the Mastery Program, students learn how to sell their art and make a living doing it. In fact, many students in the program pay for their education by selling their student work.

Sell on Social Media: Consider selling your student work on your social media account. Let your network know that your sales will go directly to your art school fund.
Teach a Class: Everyone has a skill that someone else would like to learn, so why not get paid to share it. Whether it’s baking, making jewelry, or taking photos, this is a good way to make extra money for your art education.
Pet Sitting Services: This is a fun one. Consider putting up flyers or posting on platforms like Rover.com to make some extra money and spend time with furry friends.

Miranda herself started studying at MAI when she was 17 and has been earning a living as an artist since graduating from the school. These skills definitely help. For more ideas on selling, check out her book here.

3. Learn to Manage Your Time

In order to succeed as a professional artist, you must treat your art career like any other job. You must put in the time to paint. You must plan marketing campaigns. The only way to do that is to learn to budget your time. Without this, it will be more difficult to have the art career you dream of.

Final Words on Paying for Art School

Paying for your art education means you are willing to invest in yourself and the value of your dreams. It’s also important to have the right mindset and to be willing to work hard and to be persistent. This kind of mindset allows you to transcend the obstacles that sometimes crop up on the road to your dreams and to do so courageously.

Finally, it’s helpful if the art school you choose offers a high-quality art education at a reasonable price. If you’re interested in learning more about such a program, check out the Mastery Program.

This college-level certificate program teaches students how to become professional artists in just one year. It has allowed artists like Miranda Gamel to realize their dreams of becoming professional artists. Get a free copy of Miranda’s book to get more tips on how to pay for art school.