CMU provides a monthly payment option, managed by Nelnet Campus Commerce, designed to help students spread out tuition payments into manageable monthly installments. This plan also offers the ease of online enrollment. Should you be admitted and choose to join us, we recommend registering for this plan early to fully benefit from the range of payment options available.

Payment Plan in Action

Meet Jesse - he plans to start the program in the Fall (which includes two courses) and was awarded a $1,000 scholarship per course. Here's an example of what his tuition breakdown could look like with a payment plan:

By taking advantage of the monthly payment plan option, Jesse can break tuition into smaller installments that he can pay throughout the semester. 

Please note: Nelnet payment plans do not carry over from one semester to the next. Therefore, students must re-enroll and establish a new payment plan at the beginning of each semester. 

Students pursuing a graduate certificate are not eligible to receive federal financial aid. However, private loans are a viable alternative to consider with competitive interest rates and borrower benefits. See FastChoice, a free loan comparison service to easily research options.

Using your company's tuition reimbursement benefits can help significantly offset the cost of tuition, especially if you start in the Fall and your tuition benefits restart every calendar year.   

Tuition Benefits in Action

Meet Casey - she plans to start the program in the Fall (which includes two courses) and was awarded a $1,000 scholarship per course. Her company also provides $5,000 in tuition reimbursement per calendar year. Here’s an example of what her tuition breakdown could look like for the program with tuition reimbursement benefits:

As you can see, Casey is maximizing her tuition reimbursement benefits across two calendar years, resulting in a person contribution of $6,945. She can also use the payment plan to spread the cost out even further.

Make a Case To Your Employer

If your employer is hesitant about supporting the program, be sure to highlight the value and benefits of completing an online certificate at Carnegie Mellon. You can share that our program: 

• Is delivered completely online, which means you can take classes on your own time while maintaining your normal work schedule.
• Consists of 5 transcripted, credit-bearing courses taught by real Carnegie Mellon professors (not just continuing education units).
• Addresses the entire data science workflow. Not only will students acquire technical skills in statistical and computational thinking, they’ll also learn how to ask the right data questions and how to leverage those insights when making business decisions.
• Emphasizes experiential learning by including relevant, real-world data in the coursework and requiring a penultimate capstone project in which students work with real-world data to apply the skills and competencies they gain throughout the program.
• Will help you adopt a more data-centric mindset when approaching business problems and/or help you communicate more clearly with data scientists on your team or in your organization.

Not sure how to approach your employer? Need specific documents to proceed with enrollment? Contact a Program Specialist for assistance. If you’re ready to make more data-informed decisions, we’re here to help you make that a reality.

The Graduate Certificate in Foundations of Data Science is eligible for CMU tuition remission. Review the CMU tuition remission policy to check your eligibility.

Carnegie Mellon University provides services to veterans and their dependents who are eligible for Veterans Education Benefits under the Montgomery G.I. Bill®, Post-9/11 G.I. Bill, and Vocational Rehabilitation and Employment Program. Please note, our online graduate certificates are not currently eligible for the Yellow Ribbon program. 

The process starts with an application directly to Veterans Affairs and once approved, you will provide your Certificate of Eligibility to the Carnegie Mellon Veterans Affairs Coordinator. Contact Information and additional details about the process can be found here.

Students eligible for GI Bill funding may receive scholarship awards prior to full GI Bill funding confirmation. Scholarship awards will be adjusted to reflect GI Bill funding and cannot exceed the cost of tuition/fees.