Financing Your Culinary Education
We are pleased to offer several funding options for those pursuing Programs in Food & Wine at Boston University’s Metropolitan College.
For details about any of the opportunities listed here, please email foodwine@bu.edu.
Julia Child Kitchen Assistant Award
Funded through support from The Julia Child Foundation, the Julia Child Kitchen Assistant Award is given out each semester to one outstanding graduate of the Certificate Program in the Culinary Arts. The recipient works 30 hours per week for 14 weeks as the kitchen assistant to the program during the subsequent session.
Urban Grape Wine Studies Award for Students of Color
Established June 22, 2020, the Urban Grape Wine Studies Award for Students of Color provides support for at least one BIPOC student a year to attend the four-level Certificate Program in Wine Studies offered by the Elizabeth Bishop Wine Resource Center at BU MET, as well as three paid internships in the wine industry. Learn more about the Urban Grape Wine Studies Award for Students of Color.
Rebecca Alssid Award in Culinary Arts
Named for the founding director of Boston University’s Certificate Program in the Culinary Arts and Master of Arts in Gastronomy, the Rebecca Alssid Award is made possible by a generous gift from Mary Ann Esposito and the Mary Ann Esposito Foundation. Awards are available in amounts up to $1,000.
To be eligible, candidates must have completed the Certificate Program in the Culinary Arts. In addition, candidates must follow these steps to qualify:
- Study a key region of Italy.
- Produce and submit a 10-page scholarly work dedicated to the history, agriculture, traditions, and recipes of their chosen Italian region.
- Develop and present a four-course meal representing their findings, paired with wine.
The winner, or winners, will be decided by the Programs in Food & Wine director in consultation with the award committee.
The Rebecca Alssid Scholarship for Wine Studies
Established through the sponsorship of the Boston Bailliage of La Chaîne des Rôtisseurs and the US Chaîne Foundation, the Rebecca Alssid Scholarship for Wine Studies is given to a student who has completed Wine Studies Level 3 with distinction, and with the approval by the faculty. The Scholarship comes with a certificate and an award of $250 to be applied towards tuition for Wine Studies Level 4.
Education Loans
Students enrolled in the Certificate Program in the Culinary Arts are not eligible for federal student loans or deferments on existing student loans. However, you can qualify for private, credit-based loans.
When considering a credit-based loans, we urge you to compare credit-based loan information and terms carefully to determine the best fit for your particular circumstances and we suggest using Credible.com to do so. Credible is a free online loan selection tool that allows you to compare prequalified rates*, terms, and eligibility rules side-be-side in just a few minutes. You can filter your search to sort on key factors most important to you. With your approval, Credible will pull a soft credit inquiry, which will not affect your credit score but will enable you to compare interest rates you qualify for at multiple lenders.
Requesting prequalified rates on Credible is free and doesn’t affect your credit score. However, applying for or closing a loan will involve a hard credit pull that impacts your credit score and closing a loan will result in costs to you. Credible assures users that it is secured with 256-bit encryption technology. The Credible privacy policy can be found here. You are not required to borrow from any of the lenders listed in the Credible marketplace. Only you can decide which loan program is best for you. You are not required to borrow from any of the lenders suggested by Credible and there is no penalty for selecting a different lender, if you prefer.
Enrollment is not guaranteed without payment or confirmation that a loan has been approved and will be disbursed.
* Prequalified rates are based on the information you provide and a soft credit inquiry. Receiving prequalified rates does not guarantee that the Lender will extend you an offer of credit. You are not yet approved for a loan or a specific rate. All credit decisions, including loan approval, if any, are determined by Lenders, in their sole discretion. Rates and terms are subject to change without notice. Rates from Lenders may differ from prequalified rates due to factors which may include, but are not limited to: (i) changes in your personal credit circumstances; (ii) additional information in your hard credit pull and/or additional information you provide (or are unable to provide) to the Lender during the underwriting process; and/or (iii) changes in APRs (e.g., an increase in the rate index between the time of prequalification and the time of application or loan closing. (Or, if the loan option is a variable rate loan, then the interest rate index used to set the APR is subject to increases or decreases at any time). Lenders reserve the right to change or withdraw the prequalified rates at any time.