Cost and Financial Aid

Cohort Begins Fall | Credits 125 | 27 months | In-person, full time 

Cost and Financial Aid

Graduate school is an investment in your physician assistant career. Palm Beach Atlantic University strives to be transparent by displaying all of the estimated financial costs for your time as a student. You can plan now and feel fully prepared to begin your studies at PBA. 

If you have any questions about financial aid, contact the financial aid team at the  PBA Financial Aid Site or Veteran Information.

Class of 2026 (A3.12f)

Costs for Cohort Beginning Fall 2024
Year 1 cost
Year 2 cost
Year 3 cost
Fees paid to PBA
Tuition 38,000 38,000 9,500
Acceptance fee –

Will be applied toward tuition.

500

*2 weeks after acceptance

500

*2 weeks after accreditation received

University Graduate Student Technology Fee Included Included Included
Lab Fee Included Included Included
BodyViz Subscription (One Year) Included
Total Fees due for Program to PBA
$85,500.00
Student Responsibilities (not paid to PBA)
Laptop (required) 1,100 est
Medical Equipment (required) 1,100 est
Health Insurance (required and must be obtained by the student) 4,984 est 4,984 est 4,984 est
Certiphi subscription 113.25
·         Background Check Included in the Certiphi price
·         Drug Screening Included in the Certiphi price
·         Fingerprint Check VECHS Included in the Certiphi price
Drug Test (required for clinical rotations) 29 29
Background check (required for clinical rotations) 20 20
Fingerprint Check (required for clinical rotations) 44.25 44.25
Professional Exam (PANCE) (Required for graduation) 500
Printed Textbooks (optional) 1560 est 1560 est 1560 est
BodyViz Subscription for 2nd and 3rd year

(optional)

100 100
Supplies 1,266 1,266 1,266
Personal expenses estimate (allotted for Financial Aid)
Room and Board 23,653 23,653 23,653
Transportation 4,368 4,368 4,368
Food 5,760 5,760 5,760
Miscellaneous 4,158 4,158 4,158

Information Coming Soon

Palm Beach Atlantic University has joined forces with College Pads to introduce an innovative off-campus housing platform catering to both students and community members. Effective May 24, 2023, College Pads’ service offers a comprehensive solution for navigating the off-campus housing landscape.

Through intuitive software integrated into the University’s website, Palm Beach Atlantic students gain access to a wealth of resources aimed at fostering informed decision-making. From aiding in the search for suitable accommodations to facilitating roommate connections and sublet opportunities, the platform serves as an invaluable educational tool. Designed to support the diverse needs of undergraduate and graduate students, faculty, and staff, this initiative represents a significant enhancement to the PBA community’s housing experience.

At off-campus.pba.edu, students will find a user-friendly interface aimed at increasing engagement and empowering them to select their ideal living arrangements. College Pads is committed to promoting the platform extensively to ensure widespread student adoption, thereby benefiting students, parents, faculty, staff, as well as local property owners and managers.

Moreover, the platform features educational modules tailored to equip students with the necessary knowledge for a seamless transition to off-campus life. Offering personalized services such as a roommate and sublease portal, College Pads aims to streamline the rental process and enhance student success.

Excited to serve the Palm Beach Atlantic market, College Pads looks forward to fostering strong relationships with property owners and managers while upholding the university’s commitment to student service. While Palm Beach Atlantic remains separate from the off-campus market, College Pads acknowledges and respects the university’s values and strives to provide students with the information needed to make informed decisions.

Listings on the platform, curated by College Pads’ staff, ensure high-quality content for property owners and managers who purchase advertising space. Collaborating closely, Palm Beach Atlantic University and College Pads will host both on-campus and virtual events to further support partners within the Palm Beach Atlantic marketplace.

We invite members of the PBA community to explore the platform, confident that it will serve as a valuable resource in navigating off-campus housing options.

Link to the College Pads Site.

Refund Schedule for PA Graduate Students (A1.02k)

*NOTE: The following refund schedules apply only if the student withdraws from all courses. 

Withdrawal requests must be submitted to the Academic Support Office. In the case of a request for a medical withdrawal, please be sure all proper paperwork is filed with Health and Wellness and the Academic Support Office. Please refer to the published academic calendar for each term’s census date and sub-term start and end dates. The following refund schedule is based on the student’s last date of attendance (LDA), which the Registrar’s Office determines upon completion of the withdrawal process. 

Graduate Courses: 

Last Date of Attendance  Tuition Refund 
On or Before the Census Date  Full Tuition and Fees 
One Week after the Census Date  75% of Tuition only- fees not refundable 
Two Weeks after the Census Date  50% of Tuition only – fees not refundable 
Three Weeks after the Census Data  25% of Tuition only – Fees not refundable 
Greater than Three Weeks after the Census Date  No Refund 

*NOTE: For PA Medicine students, please contact the PA Medicine Program for questions about the beginning and end of each semester. The withdrawal deadlines listed above apply per semester even if the student is not assigned an actual rotation during the first week of the rotation block. 

For more information, see the Withdrawal: Refund Schedule for PBA Graduate & Pharmacy Students section in the PBA Graduate Catalogue. 

Student Bills, Refunds of Tuition and Fees FAQ (A1.02k)

You will pay your bill on your NelNet Campus Commerce account. All one-time or monthly payments will be made here.

Yes! PBA has partnered with NelNet Campus Commerce to offer up to 5-month payment plans. You may enroll in the payment plan of your choice on your NelNet Campus Commerce account. You will need PBA network credentials to access your account. If you have additional questions you may contact the Student Accounts Office at 561-803-2152 or emailing Student_Accounts@pba.edu

Withdrawal Refund Schedule for Tuition:

*NOTE: The student’s last date of attendance (LDA) will be determined by the Registrar’s office based on the latest date of attendance as reported by the student’s professors.  Please note that these refund amounts are only applicable to students who complete a Withdrawal from the University.  Failure to officially withdraw will result in the full cost of tuition being owed to the University, even if the student stopped attending courses.

Last Date of Attendance Tuition Refund
On or Before Census Date Full tuition & fees
One Week after Census Date 75%
Two Weeks after Census Date 50%
Three Weeks after Census Date 25%
Greater than Three Weeks after Census Date No Refund

See the PBA Tuition and Fees Page

Disbursement of financial aid occurs according to federally mandated regulations. Students are expected to receive their refunds approximately 3 to 4 weeks after the end of “Add/Drop” period. If you are enrolled in courses in multiple subterms, the amount of your first refund will be effected by your enrollment. You can view the expected refund dates on your myPBA account .

All student account refunds will be issued via direct deposit to your bank account or a physical check.  If you do not select a payment method, the default option will be a check mailed to the legal home address on file; however, please note that physical checks take longer to process.  The fastest way to receive your funds is to select Direct Deposit.

To select a refunding preference, log into your NelNet Campus Commerce account and click the “Refund” tab

Financial Aid and Resources

Continuing your education is more than a time investment.
Below are a few resources that may help you finance your master’s degree with Palm Beach Atlantic University 

Financial aid

PBA’s Financial Aid Officecan provide more information about loans for the PA program.
Policies and procedures for refunding tuition and fees can also be found in the Palm Beach Atlantic University’s PA Graduate Catalog. 

FAFSA

Students may be eligible for federal and/or state financial aid.  

To determine your eligibility, you must:  

  1. Complete the  FAFSA. with Palm Beach Atlantic University institutional code: 008849. 
  1. After acceptance into your program, Palm Beach Atlantic University’s financial aid office will assist you with processing student loan documents. 

About My Loans FAQ

You will accept your loans through myPBA under Financials.  After accepting your loans make sure that you have completed mandatory Entrance Counseling and signed your MPN (Master Promissory Note) on the studentaid.gov website to complete the process.

In order for the loans to show as anticipated aid on your billing statement, you should accept your aid by the week of June 14th.  To avoid late fees accept your loans before the billing due date.  Once you accept your loans, myPBA can see that you have anticipated aid and that aid is forthcoming.

Once you accept your loans, myPBA can see you have anticipated aid and your billing statement will calculate the amount you need to pay.  If you have accepted enough to cover your bill then you will not have to pay.  myPBA will send bills for the fall term the week of June 21st with a due date of the first business day in August.  For the complete billing schedule, visit PBA’s Financial Website.

Many students do not know what their budget will be at the time loans are accepted.  If you are unsure, we recommend you take out the full amount of loan you have been offered. Students have up to 120 days from the date the loan is disbursed to return unneeded funds. There is no interest accrual or penalty if returned within the 120 days.  Once you select accept, you may also decrease the amount yourself if you would like to borrow less.  Keep in mind the total of your loans will disburse over the number of semesters in your academic year.

Email the Financial Aid office indicating the amount you would like to return.

Once the loan has been adjusted, you will see the balance due on your myPBA tab-account activity.  You can make an e-check payment via the myPBA site.

Sign into your Direct Loan account at https://studentaid.gov/ .

Outside Scholarships

Reporting External Scholarships

Does your hometown have clubs, organizations, community foundations, fire departments, police departments or churches that award scholarships? It never hurts to ask! Many organizations give scholarship money to students from local high schools, and often these opportunities are not advertised.

The Outside Scholarship page on your myPBA account is another avenue that you can use in your search for scholarship opportunities. These options have presented to our office and have been approved by our office for authenticity!

Please note: this option is only available to PBA students as you are required to have valid myPBA login credentials.

Apply with the outside scholarship foundations of your choice! It is important to apply to more than just one scholarship since, after all, the secret to winning is applying!

Once you hear back from the foundations you applied with, your next step is to notify our office that you have been awarded an outside scholarship! Depending on how the outside scholarship funds will be received use the information below to help you proceed:

If you have already received a scholarship check, you can mail it to us, or stop by the Financial Aid Office, so it can be applied to your account. Please mail all scholarship letters and checks to the following address:

Palm Beach Atlantic University

Financial Aid Office

Attn: Mariah Welch

P.O. Box 24708

West Palm Beach, FL 33416-4708

If your scholarship funds will not arrive before payment is due, please provide us a letter from the scholarship organization stating the amount they will be sending and how the scholarship should be split. If this is not specified in the letter provided, the scholarship will automatically be split between the Fall and Spring semesters.

Military Benefits

If you’re a veteran or active in the military, you’re welcome at Palm Beach Atlantic and we’re grateful for your service. Palm Beach Atlantic University participates in the Yellow Ribbon Program. Contact the registrar’s office to learn more about your GI Bill ® benefits. 

GI Bill ® is a registered trademark of the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA). More information about education benefits offered by VA is available at the official U.S. government website at https://www.benefits.va.gov/gibill.  

Visit our Tuition Assistance Page for more information

 

 

Accreditation (A3.12a, D1.02c)

Anticipating ARC-PA approval, PBA will begin interviewing for the inaugural class in the fall of 2023 and matriculate the first class on October 1, 2024. 

Palm Beach Atlantic University PA program has applied for Accreditation–Provisional from the Accreditation Review Commission on Education for the Physician Assistant (ARC-PA). PBA PA program anticipates matriculating its first class in October 2024, pending achieving Accreditation–Provisional status at the June 2024 ARC-PA meeting. Accreditation–Provisional is an accreditation status granted when the plans and resource allocation, if fully implemented as planned, of a proposed program that has not yet enrolled students demonstrate the program’s ability to meet the ARC-PA Standards or when a program holding accreditation-provisional status appears to demonstrate continued progress in complying with the Standards as it prepares for the graduation of the first class (cohort) of students. 

Note: In the event accreditation is not obtained, all deposits will be refunded to cohort members.