Tuition, Loan and Scholarship Details
We believe that the Karen Pryor Academy Dog Trainer Professional program is a terrific value, given all of its unique features and benefits.
If you are comparing the cost of our program to the cost of programs where you stay in the teaching facility, be sure to include the costs of travel, lodging, and food as well as material costs in your comparison. If you are comparing our program to online-only programs, consider the value of live workshops conducted by Karen Pryor Academy faculty members. Be sure to compare our business training, our classroom skills training, and our alumni business and marketing support with those of any other program.
We think you'll agree that the Karen Pryor Academy Dog Trainer Professional program is competitively priced, and that its lifetime value is unmatched.
Option 1: We offer a five-installment no-interest loan. Here’s how it works:
Your first installment of 1/5 of your tuition is due upon enrollment. Then you sign a contract with and make the subsequent four payments at 30-day intervals to TFC Finance, our payment processor.You do not have to fill out a loan application or submit a credit report. You will need to provide your Social Security number (or SIN) for the contract. Note: there is a one-time $60 administrative fee for this option.
Option 2: We also have a traditional loan option that lets you spread your payments out as long as 12 months with good credit and up to 18 months with excellent credit.
The down payment varies depending on loan terms and typically ranges from $1500 to $1800. The interest rate also varies depending on factors like your credit score, and also how long you spread out your payments.
The process is pretty simple: you submit a loan application, provide us access to your credit report, andthen we provide you with a loan option. Note: there is a one-time $60 administrative fee for this option.
B.F. Skinner Scholarship
Karen Pryor Academy has a limited number of B.F. Skinner Memorial scholarships to the Dog Trainer Professional program. The scholarships, each in the amount of $300, honor and celebrate the life and work of B.F. Skinner.
According to Skinner Foundation president Julie Vargas, “The Foundation supports the basic science underlying humane educational practices from Autism to Zoology. Karen Pryor's Dog Trainer Professional program is a fine example of those humane and effective practices. The Foundation is pleased to join with the Academy in furthering the positive-only training made possible by practitioners in the dog-training world.”
Dog Trainer Professional Program $300 scholarships will be awarded on an individual basis, although the Academy reserves the right to limit awards in a particular location in order to help create geographic diversity. Applicants will be notified of scholarship awards along with their acceptance to the Academy. Please inquire about the Skinner scholarship during your Academy interview.
Note that students receiving other sources of financial aid are not eligible for these scholarships. Scholarships cannot be applied to the World Program, UK, or Australia versions of the Dog Trainer Professional program.
Scholarships for People who are Black, Indigenous, or otherwise of Color
We offer scholarships for Karen Pryor Academy dog training courses, from introduction to professional trainer certification, as part of our effort to expand our community’s inclusiveness. Whether you are an experienced professional or just getting started, we encourage people who are Black, Indigenous, or otherwise of Color (BIPOC) to apply.
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The Faith Scholarship honors veterinary technicians who show a commitment to veterinary behavior and are interested in furthering their education by pursuing a certification in dog training through the Karen Pryor Academy Dog Trainer Professional program.
The scholarship was created by Julie Shaw, RVT, VTS (Behavior), KPA-CTP (and one of the founding members of Society of Veterinary Behavior Technicians) in memory of “Faith”, the first service dog that she trained, using clicker training, for her son Dylan. Faith passed away of lymphosarcoma at the too young age of six, however through the recipients of the scholarship, Faith’s memory will live on.
The Faith Scholarship is generously supported by the SVBT and is awarded up to three times yearly to recipients who have demonstrated a commitment to advancing the role of the veterinary technician in the discipline of veterinary behavior and desire to or are actively pursuing a Veterinary Technician Specialty Behavior. Since its creation in 2008, the Faith Scholarship has been awarded to 24 veterinary technicians, several of whom have gone on to obtaining their VTS (Behavior).
The Faith Scholarship is valued at $2500, with $2000 paid directly to KPA by the SVBT and $500 discounted directly from your tuition by KPA. The scholarship recipient is then responsible for the remaining $3100 in tuition.
Application Process:
- Apply to the Karen Pryor Academy Dog Trainer Professional program, specifying that you wish to be considered for the Faith Scholarship.
- Upon notification that your application to Karen Pryor Academy has been accepted, request a scholarship application fromthe KPA Program Director.
- Submit application packet directly to KPA following the instructions in the application.
- Your scholarship information will then be forwarded to and reviewed by the SVBT Scholarship Committee. You will be notified no later thantwo months prior to the series enrollment date whether you have received the scholarship.
Application Requirements:
- Must be accepted into the Dog Trainer Professional Program at Karen Pryor Academy before applying for the Faith Scholarship.
- Must be a credentialed veterinary technician in the state you work in.
- Must be registered and in good standing with the veterinary board in which you work in.
- Must be a SVBT member in good standing for a minimum of one year.
- Must have been in practice as a veterinary technician for a minimum of two years.
- Must submit a Faith Scholarship application at least 3 months in advance of application deadline.
- Must be working towards and able to show a commitment to becoming a VTS-Behavior (see www.avbt.net for more information).
- Complete application packet:
- Faith Scholarship application (request this from KPA)
- A letter describing why you feel you should be a candidate for the "Faith" Scholarship
- Your Curriculum Vitae
- Two letters of reference from veterinary professionals (DVMs or credentialedtechnicians)
- Two letters of reference from clients you have worked with specifically in animal training or animal behavior
- A letter or printout from your state veterinary board that you are currently licensed/registered and are in good standing with the board
- Proof of SVBT membership