Earn & Learn

Save on Tuition While You Build Your Résumé

Scholarship recipients will work a fixed number of hours in roles specifically chosen for their professional-level experience. You’ll gain on-campus work experience while reducing your tuition costs—receiving up to $2,625 per semester in tuition credit.

Text logo with the words "EARN & LEARN" in green and orange. Below it, a subheading reads: "The CIA Tuition Offset Scholarship" in smaller, blue text. This program is designed to help you earn and learn simultaneously.

Benefits of the Program

A chef addresses a group of restaurant staff, dressed in uniforms with vests and ties. They stand attentively in the dining area, notepads in hand. The room features neatly arranged tables and chairs, ready for guests. The chef emphasizes how they will "earn and learn" together on this culinary journey.

Gain valuable skills while supporting student dining, public-service restaurants, catering, and more.

A woman in a beige blazer is talking to three chefs in white uniforms and tall chef hats, pointing at a table with various plated dishes. The setting appears to be a culinary classroom where chefs earn and learn, with other chefs working diligently in the background.

Hold the same position for the semester, allowing you to grow and learn under the leadership of professional chefs and managers.

Three people in a professional setting are gathered and having a discussion. One person, wearing a vest, appears to be listening attentively. Another, in a blue blazer, looks on with interest. The third, a man in a suit, is showing something on a tablet—a clear opportunity to earn and learn together.

Receive an evaluation from your manager—supporting your professional development and growth as a future leader.

Who is eligible? You must:

  • Be enrolled full-time in a qualifying degree program at one of CIA’s domestic campuses.
  • Complete the $HEF general application and CIA Earn & Learn program application on CIA’s $HEF scholarship website.
  • Maintain satisfactory academic progress as described in the Academic Catalog (individual positions may require a higher GPA).
  • Not have financial aid, including loans, grants, scholarships, and federal work study, that exceed your cost of attendance.

Current and accepted students, are you ready to apply? Visit the Student Work Programs page of CIA Main Menu for more information, or contact the Office of Student Work and Service Programs at 845-451-1275 or StudentWorkPrograms@culinary.edu.

Also in this section

CIA Scholarships

We offer Culinary Institute of America scholarships and grants through our New York, California, and Texas campuses for qualified students.

Grants, Loans, and Work-Study

There are several ways to fund your CIA education. In addition to scholarships, your financial aid package might also include federal aid—such as grants, loans, and work-study—and other state aid options.

Veterans Aid

As a veteran, you can use the Post-9/11 GI Bill® to help finance your Culinary Institute of America education.

College Calculator

Your CIA education is an investment in your future as a food industry professional. It’s important to know how you’re spending every dollar.

Code of Conduct

CIA prohibits a conflict of interest with the responsibilities of an officer, employee, or agent of CIA regarding Title IV loans.

Forms and Publications

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Student Work and Service Programs