We aim for SotA to be a space that isn’t just for one kind of person. Historically, this programming has appealed to folks who have felt restricted by traditional institutions, and who want a space to explore educational ideas outside of academia. Folks who are curious, and want to live collectively in a space that prioritizes care. 

Other than being over 18, there are no prerequisites to study or teach at SotA. We are lucky to have had a huge range of participants, in terms of place of origin, age, education, race, class, experience, and more. But our intentions are always to open our doors wider as we grow.

At SotA, everyone has the opportunity to hold every role: we all perform work service, faculty and staff attend classes, and as a student, you can teach pop-up classes. Our programming is self-directed: you choose which classes you want to take!

The cost to attend School of the Alternative is $575 for a 9-day session. 
We are very grateful to those who can pay for their stay in full, as this allows us to offer need-based financial aid to talented students who would be unable to attend otherwise.

We also offer a Justice Rate of $775. This not only covers the break-even cost of your being at SotA, but contributes to meeting our operational deficits incurred from keeping our tuition as accessible as possible. This rate for folks who are able to pay more helps keep SotA sustainable. 

Scholarships:

NEED-BASED SCHOLARSHIPS: Scholarships have been built into our budget since our very first year, and we have continued to sustain our scholarship program with our Annual Fundraisers. We know that the financial barrier is prohibitive to many who want to attend SotA, and we are committed to offering scholarships each year.

BLACK EQUITY SCHOLARSHIPS: SotA aims to offer an alternative to the undeniable financial, bodily, psychological, metaphysical, and myriad other effects that white supremacy has. One of the ways SotA actively dismantles systems of oppression is by making this space more accessible to Black students. In stating our commitment, we hold ourselves accountable to build an inclusive and equitable community, where all feel welcome and safe(r) to create, dream, collaborate, discover, and breathe.