Money · Funding
How the $500-down payment plan works
Tuition math should never be a mystery. Here's exactly how paying for the in-person program works — both options, real numbers, no fine print surprises — plus a calculator that shows your payment schedule before you commit to anything.
The two options, side by side
Option one: pay in full. $3,000, once, done. This is the lowest total cost — you save $500 compared to the plan.
Option two: the payment plan. $3,500 total. You put $500 down to hold your seat, then pay the $3,000 balance in simple weekly or monthly payments (up to about 12 months). Your certificate is issued once tuition is paid in full. That's the entire structure — no interest rate mysteries, no balloon payment at the end.
Carrying payments over months has real administrative cost, and we'd rather price it honestly up front than hide it in fees. If you can pay in full, do — it's the better deal. If you can't, the plan exists so a lump sum never has to be the thing standing between you and a career.
See your schedule (pick what works)
Choose how many payments you'd want the $3,000 balance split into. This is the same math checkout uses.
6 payments of $500.00 — totals exactly $3,500 with the down payment.
Want it mapped onto actual dates? The free tuition planner builds your exact week-by-week or month-by-month schedule.
What the $500 down actually does
It holds your seat. Classes are capped at eight students, so a seat held is a seat someone else can't take — the deposit is what makes your spot real on our roster, triggers your welcome materials, and starts your enrollment paperwork. It also counts toward your $3,500 total; it's not a fee on top.
If neither option fits your budget yet
Don't quietly walk away — there are real funding routes. Texas Workforce Solutions vouchers and WIOA funding cover training costs for eligible students, and we accept GI Bill benefits. Start with the step-by-step voucher guide or the WIOA overview. And checkout offers split-pay options (Klarna, Afterpay, Affirm) if those suit you better. What we'll never do: invent a discount to pressure you. The price is the price, for everyone.
The self-paced online program is $397 right now (regularly $997), starts any day, and the full $397 transfers as credit toward in-person tuition within 90 days if you decide you want the hands-on experience. A low-risk way to start today.
Compare it to the alternatives honestly
Community college programs can be less per semester but stretch over a year or more with prerequisite courses — and time out of the workforce is a cost too. We put the full comparison in school cost vs. community college and what dental assistant school really costs, so you can run your own numbers.
$500 holds your seat. The rest fits your budget.
Build your exact payment schedule in two minutes with the free tuition planner.
Open the tuition planner →Keep reading: What school really costs · WIOA funding guide · Saving your first $500