Accreditations, Approvals and Authorizations
The Neighborhood Playhouse School of the Theatre is fully accredited by the National Association of Schools of Theatre (NAST).

The school is also approved by New York State Education Department including the training of veterans.

The school meets the eligibility requirements to receive financial aid assistance for needy and qualifying students from some of the Title IV programs of the U.S. Government Department of Education. Title IV assistance is available only to U.S. citizens with only very special exceptions. Students interested in applying for financial assistance should notify the school of this interest when they make application.

What kind of federal Financial Aid is available to eligible students at the Neighborhood Playhouse School of the Theatre?
(School Code No. 00902900)
Need based on financial aid: Eligible students can receive Pell Grants and Subsidized Direct Loans.
Non-Need based financial aid: Eligible students can receive Unsubsidized Direct Loans.

Direct PLUS Loans are also available to eligible parents to further aid the education of their children.

Who is eligible to make application for Federal Financial Aid?
U.S. citizens and certain eligible non-citizens in special circumstances.

How does one apply?
Fill out a FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid) on the internet at www.fafsa.ed.gov. Printed FAFSA's are also available from the school: Contact - Christopher Duncan, Financial Aid Officer at (212) 688-3770 or from the Federal Student Aid Information Center, P.O. Box 84, Washington, DC 20044 or telephone: 1-800-FED-AID. FAFSA's are also available at local libraries.

Where can I get help regarding Financial Aid?
Contact Christopher Duncan, Financial Aid Officer at the school (212-688-3770), or telephone: 1-800-FED-AID.

Other Sources of Financial Aid

• The Neighborhood Playhouse School of the Theatre does have some limited Institutional Scholarships/loans available for returning 2nd Year Students. Returning students should contact the Director.
• There are no State based financial aid programs available
• Foreign Students should investigate sources of aid for study in the USA in their home countries.

Return of Title IV
(Federal Financial Aid Due to Student Withdrawal)
The return to the Federal Government of Title IV funds not earned by the student due to withdrawal from the program before completion are subject to the Reauthorization Regulations of the U.S. Department of Education which came into complete effect October 7, 2000.

These revised policies effect only the funds that are to be returned to Title IV. Further information in this regard is available to all enrolled students in the Student Handbook which is distributed at Orientation each year. This handbook also includes information on the policies governing Dates of Withdrawal and their Determination and the policies concerning Leaves of Absence.

Gainful Employment (GE) Disclosure Requirements
(The Neighborhood Playhouse School of the Theatre is considered a GAINFUL EMPLOYMENT Program under the Title IV - eligible programs of the U.S. Department of Education.)

This disclosure is made to provide information about the program at the Neighborhood Playhouse School for interested applicants and especially for first time, full time would-be student applicants looking for more detailed descriptions of the program through examples from past students experiences in the two year program 2009 to 2011.

PROGRAM NAME & LENGTH
Dept of Ed CIP: 50.0506 - Acting (replaces former 50.0501- Drama & Dramatics)
Title: 2 Year Program in Dramatic Arts - Acting
Definition: A 2 Year full time program (September to May - Mon to Fri for 64 total weeks) that prepares the actor-in-training for entry into the competitive professional world of Show Business.
Level of the Program: 01- Undergraduate Certificate
Program Length: 18 months (64 weeks over 2 years)
Related Occupations: Actors - Stage, Motion Pictures, Television & Radio; Directors, Entertainers, Agents, Producers, Talent Directors and Drama Teachers.

COST
Two Year Total: $27,680.00 (based on Sept 2009 to May 2011 if completed in normal time.)
Cost of Required Books: $300 (estimated)
Room & Board: The school does not offer on-campus living. See HOUSING in the main section of this website.

NUMBER OF STUDENTS
Number of students completing the program: Between July 1, 2010 and June 30, 2011: 24
Of these 24 above, 10 students completed with a Median Cummulative Federal Loan Debt of $16,617.00
1 of these students also completed with a Private Loan Debt of $8,672.00.
There was also 1 student who completed with an Institutional Debt of $4,000.00.
All 24 STUDENTS completed the program in normal time (18 months).

Job Placement:
The specific nature of the acting profession job placement in the field to which the young actor from the Neighborhood Playhouse School of the Theatre enters upon graduation does not allow for comparative placement figures and percentages. These actors are trained for 2 years in order to enter the highly competitive world of Show Business in which they must upon graduation begin to market themselves through auditions and ways of showcasing their abilities in order to be considered for casting. The majority of these young actors, while engaged in this presentation of themselves to producers, directors, agents and casting directors in search of acting work, end up taking "survival" jobs outside the field in order to pay the rent, feed themselves and pay back Student Loans for the first few years after graduation. Direct financial meaningful job placement is an extreme rarity for our young graduates who must make their presence and abilities known to potential employers first.

Special Scholarships and Loan Programs
(open to application by eligible second year students only)

• The Anne Meachum Memorial Scholarship in memory of Anne Meachum
• The National Actor's Theatre Scholarship in memory of Tony Randall
• The Matt McCoy Scholarship
• The Paritz-Clopton Memorial Scholarship
• The Frank Gregory Memorial Fund
• Neighborhood Playhouse Scholarship in memory of Sanford Meisner
• Neighborhood Playhouse Scholarship in memory of Paul Morrison
• Neighborhood Playhouse Institutional Scholarship-Loans