Design Catalyst Calculator
Design Catalyst tuition is sliding scale, made possible by subsidization from our funders. Low-to-moderate income (LMI) participants receive a full tuition waiver. Participants whose annual income exceeds LMI criteria receive partial subsidy and pay tuition on a sliding scale basis determined by their income. You may easily calculate your tuition with this tool.
NOTE: When calculating tuition, please reference your gross annual income. Upon acceptance, income verification will be required to receive income waivers or sliding scale tuition.
What is "Low-to-Moderate income"?
Low-to-moderate income is defined by HUD as 80% or less than your county’s area median gross annual income. An example of income limits relative to county and household size can be seen here.
What is "Household Size"?
Household size refers to the number of people claimed on your most recent tax return—typically you, your spouse (if applicable), and any dependents. It includes anyone for whom you provide more than half of their financial support and who is listed on your tax filing.
For businesses with multiple owners
To qualify as an LMI participant and be eligible for a full tuition waiver and seed funding, all owners must be LMI.
Tuition for businesses with multiple owners is calculated as the average tuition of all business owners based upon their income, household size, and county. To calculate tuition, each owner should calculate their individual tuition with this tool. These numbers should be summed, then divided by the total number of owners.
Example:
Owner 1 tuition + Owner 2 tuition + Owner 3 tuition = 𝑥
𝑥 ÷ 3 = Full tuition your business will pay