The fee of $7,200 for the entire 15-month cycle covers the two residencies [Opening/Closing] (6 days and 8 days respectively) which include room and board as well as the tuition fees and materials for all 8 online courses and 6 residency classes and practicum sessions. The total program cost covers all the course materials (excluding textbooks), online learning tools (excluding software programs), and stipends for our online/residency faculty, mentors, and program staff.
Below is the [approximate] summary breakdown of the SSD cost:***
$ 3,500 (Residency Expenses)
- $ 2,000 – lodging and food
- $ 1,500 – tuition fees and materials for 6 residency classes/practicum sessions
$ 3,700 (Online Expenses)
- tuition fees for 8 online courses
- technology, instructors, one-on-one/group mentoring costs
The detailed breakdown is as follows:
Residency:
$2,000 covers lodging and food*
- $800 for the Opening Residency (6 Days/5 Nights Stay)
- $1,200 for the Closing Residency (8 Days/7 Nights Stay)
*Based on our best approximation of overnight stay fees and other room costs which would vary from one retreat center to another, not to mention rate increases.
***All allotted approximations are subject to necessary modifications/adjustments due to the current pandemic situation.
$1,500 covers the residency tuition fees ($750 for each residency) plus admin and honorarium expenses for speakers
- 6 residency classes and practicum sessions (3 per residency)
- 10-12 hours of mentor-facilitated small group dynamics, group spiritual direction and supervision sessions
Note: The above does not include worship, spiritual practices, personal quiet time, formal and informal one-on-one, small, and large group interactions, helpful feedback, supportive and encouraging fellowships with cohort and other residency participants (on which it is hard to put a price tag!).
Online:
$3,700 covers online tuition/instruction for 8 courses and mentoring costs
When compared to other spiritual direction programs, SSD is fair and reasonably priced. Whereas a local 9 or 12-month program over two or three years may offer less over more time, our SSD program offers more in less time. By way of analogy, many universities offer a January term in which a semester’s worth of work is compressed into one month. The tuition fees of these month-long intensives are typically equal to semester-long classes. When evaluating the cost of SSD, it is important to note that our program is similarly compressed and not equivalent to a local one-year program. In fact, the contact hours involved in our two residencies as well as in our 8 online courses of 4-6 weeks each (through instruction, facilitation, supervision, regular interaction with instructors, mentors, and other cohort members) is comparable to (if not even higher than) many two or three year local programs and is, therefore, very reasonably priced.