New York Film Academy (NYFA), USA

New York Film Academy : Courses, Rankings, Admissions, Fees and Scholarships

New York Film Academy – School of Film and Acting, often referred to as NYFA, was founded in 1992 by Jerry Sherlock. Sherlock is a former film, television, and theatre producer. It is a for-profit film school based in New York City, Los Angeles, and Miami. 

NYFA offers master, bachelor, and associate degrees. There are also one-and two-year conservatory programs, short-term workshops, and youth programs and summer camps in filmmaking, acting for film, photography, fashion photography, documentary filmmaking, 3D animation, and visual effects, game design, producing, screenwriting, digital filmmaking, cinematography, broadcast journalism, musical theatre, music video, digital editing, graphic design, virtual reality, and English as a Second Language (ESL), at various locations throughout the world.

The New York Film Academy follows the “learning by doing” approach. According to Jerry Sherlock, he opened this school after hearing from parents of aspiring students how much practical approach was lacking in this field. NYFA has been a proud home of luminaries in the film industry including Kevin Kline, Pierce Brosnan, Susan Sarandon, and Tim Robbins, Bono (U2), directors Stephen Frears, Peter Bogdanovich, Roger Donaldson, and James L. Brooks. Also, the family welcomes honored men from the industry to impart their wisdom from time to time as guest speakers, including Kim Cattrall, Seth Rogen, Kevin James, Glenn Close, Bryan Cranston, Rachel Maddow, Jamie Lee Curtis, J. K. Simmons, Mira Nair, Russell Hornsby, William Wegman, and many more.

NYFA has partnered with innumerable film festivals including National Coalition Against Censorship (NCAC) Film Forum, Brooklyn Film Festival, 10-Day Challenge Festival, All American High School Film Festival, Havana New York Film Festival, NAFSA Film Festival, Dammam Film Festival (Saudi Arabia), GI Film Festival (GIFF), and the Dominican Republic Environmental Film Festival (DREFF). This school is also A partner with many art and culture institutions including The New York Public Library, Lincoln Center, Metropolitan Museum of Art, Guggenheim Museum, Whitney Museum, and the NYC Parks & Recreation Commission.

With a 100% acceptance rate, New York Film Academy is considered best because of its hands-on training approach. Its home for students’ representing over 120 different nationalities and diversity. This gives a boost to the creativity in the atmosphere of NYFA. 

What makes NYFA unique? 

• New York Film Academy (NYFA) is accredited by the WASC Senior College and University Commission (WSCUC).
• NYFA is Approved by the Bureau for Private Postsecondary Education (BPPE) to operate as a degree-granting institution in the state of California.
• NYFA’S main motto has been Learning By Doing. Students work on live projects, make movies to learn how to make them. 
• Students handle personal and group projects which help in personal and group working skills 
• Students are given Hands-On Experience behind the camera, with the equipment from day one.
• Faculties are professional experts very well-acknowledged in their field. 
• NYFA is offering up new courses to keep up with the entertainment industry.

NYFA Campus

NYFA is truly a global institute as stated by its campuses spread worldwide. Each campus provides a variety of workshops to give students the best possible education in the field. 

• New York City Campus 
• Los Angeles Campus 
• South Beach, Florida
• Gold Coast, Australia
• Harvard University
• Florence, Italy Campus
• Paris, France
• Beijing, China
• Shanghai, China
• Moscow, Russia

Rankings

Collegefactual states NYFA as the

• Most Focused Master’s Degree Colleges for Film & Video Production
• Most Focused Master’s Degree Colleges for Playwriting & Screenwriting in the Far Western US Region
• Most Popular Master’s Degree Colleges for Acting in California
• Most Popular Colleges for Drama & Theater Arts in California

‘Niche rankings’ ranked NYFA as the

• 44th Best College for Film and Photography in America
• 67th Best among Colleges for Performing Arts in America
• 235th among Colleges with the Best Student Life in America
• 27th Safest College Campuses in California
• 31st among Colleges with the Best Student Life in California

New York Film Academy Programs and Courses

NYFA offers degree programs, conservatory-style programs, short-term workshops, and summer camps. 

There are numerous areas of study available for specific degrees. All of the degrees and specific areas of study available in NYFA have been listed below. 

Workshops

The NYFA offers hands-on workshops and opportunities for students to work with professionals from the industry. This gives students exposure and offers opportunities to work on original projects. Short-term workshops are available on topics like filmmaking, acting for film, photography, producing, screenwriting, documentary filmmaking, broadcast journalism, 3D animation, digital editing, game design, virtual reality, and musical theatre.

Special Projects offered at the NYFA

The NYF Academy has partnered with many companies and organizations like RED Digital Cinema, the Metropolitan Museum of Art, and Lincoln Center to offer both students and the general public the chance to enroll in several specialized workshops. 

Admission Requirements for international students

• All applicants must have a high school diploma or equivalent. There is no minimum GPA required for the application.
• Prospective international students can apply via Gyanberry Admission Assistance
• Applicants must speak English and express a passion and desire to explore the art and craft of visual storytelling. Applicants have to go through an interview process in English by an Admissions Committee member via phone or in person.
• The applicant needs to mail all documents to the specific academy offices.
• The ESL School at NYFA also offers English language classes to prepare non-English speakers for their program.

Expenses: Tuition Fee, accommodation, and cost of attendance 

Tuition fee

The undergraduate tuition fee at New York Film Academy is 33,834 USD (124270 AED) and for graduate school, the tuition and fees are 35,457 USD (130231 AED) for the academic year 2020-2021.

Accommodation

Some NYFA campuses do have accommodation available while at some places the student might have to search for accommodation outside the campus. Different options at different campuses have been discussed below.

New York City

Student resident housing fees are based on the length of their program and average approximately 1800 USD a month per person. The average cost for a furnished shared apartment in the New York City area generally ranges from 1000 – 2500 USD per month per person. Furnished studio apartments can start at 2200 USD per month. Hostels and hotels are available for short stays starting at 80 USD and up per night.

Los Angeles, CA

NYFA does not have on-campus housing or dorm options. The Housing Department helps students find an apartment or residential option for both long-term and short-term stays. These apartments can range in price from 1,700 USD /month for an unfurnished Studio, up to 2,800 USD /month for an unfurnished 2-bedroom.

South Beach (Miami), FL

These apartments can range in price from 1,300 USD /month for an unfurnished studio to a starting figure of 1,800 USD /month for an unfurnished two-bedroom. Furnished one and two-bedroom apartments are also options, starting at 1,300 USD.

Harvard (Dormitory)

Rooms are shared suites with shared bathrooms available at 820 USD for one week. No meals are included. Students may Expect to spend 250 USD and up per week on food.

Florence, Italy

A double room for a semester costs 4500 USD  while a single room costs 6000 USD. Students may expect to spend 250 USD and up per week on food.

Paris, France

Week Double Room charges are 958 USD. Students may Expect to spend 250 USD  and up per week on food.

Cost of Attendance

Though the cost of attendance varies with real-life expenses, a student should expect to spend 25 to 30 thousand USD per month. This includes housing, food, books and supplies, transportation, etc. Also, the expenses might vary according to the city and personal choices.  

New York Film Academy Scholarships

Need-Based Tuition Assistance

• Designed for applicants with financial needs to reduce the cost of education 
• Available for long-term programs including the One-year and Two-year Conservatory Programs as well as the AFA, BA, BFA, MA, and MFA degree programs.  

Talent Based Tuition Award

• Designed to identify applicants with exceptional aptitude for their program of study.
• Based on an applicant’s audition or portfolio and determined by the Admissions Department during the admissions process. 

Merit Based Tuition Award

• Provides financial assistance to qualified candidates of the college’s Bachelor of Arts and Bachelor of Fine Arts Programs.
• Applicants must demonstrate a history of academic achievement in addition to leadership, community service, and a commitment to the arts.

Matthew Modine Masters Scholarship

• Provides financial assistance to outstanding candidates of the school’s Master of Fine Arts (MFA) programs in Filmmaking and Acting for Film. 

Rising Artist Scholarship for Teen Camps 

• Awarded to extremely passionate and talented visual and performance artists in the teen camp or workshop. 
• The awardee will have the option to attend in-person at our New York or Los Angeles campus or complete the program online. 

Federal Pell Grant (Pell)

• Awarded to eligible undergraduate applicants or students who have not earned a bachelor’s or professional degree. 

Francis D. Lyon Graduate Fellowship

• Offered by The Phi Delta Theta Fraternity, annually to graduate students in filmmaking and related majors including theatre and writing.

Black Women Film Network Scholarship

• Scholarship for women of color pursuing a career in film and television.

Islamic Scholarship Fund

• Scholarship for Muslims or students active in the Muslim community. 

Jack G. Shaheen Mass Communications Scholarship

• The American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee offers a scholarship to Arab-American students studying Mass Communications at the undergraduate and graduate school levels.

Against the Grain Artistic Scholarship

• Scholarship for Asian-American students pursuing a major in performing and visual arts. 

NBC Universal/LNESC Scholarship

• Offered to undergraduate Latino students attending a U.S. post-secondary institution with an interest in the media and entertainment industry.

Haz La U Scholarship

• Colgate-Palmolive and the Hispanic Heritage Foundation offer a scholarship to graduating high school seniors of Hispanic or Latino descent. The applicant must be a U.S. citizen.

CINTAS Creative Writing and Visual Arts Fellowship

• Offered by the CINTAS Foundation 
• Two separate fellowships to students who have Cuban citizenship or are direct descendants studying creative writing, photography, video, and media arts.

Avonte Oquendo Memorial Scholarship for Autism

• The Perecman Firm offers a scholarship for students living with autism or whose close family member lives with autism.

The Point Foundation LGBTQ Scholarship

• Lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ) students can apply.

Federal Education Loans

• Any form of student loan is a financial obligation that must be repaid. 

Private Education Loans

• These loans are borrowed by students who are not eligible or do not qualify for federal loans or who have exhausted their federal loan eligibility. 
• Private loans often carry higher interest rates and fees than federal loans and may have less advantageous repayment terms.