Making ACPE Accredited CPE More Accessible
Many students ask why ACPE-accredited online hybrid CPE programs often cost more than other forms of Clinical Pastoral Education.
Traditional hospital-based ACPE programs are frequently subsidized through healthcare systems and residency structures. In many cases, students or residents serve within the hospital system itself while completing training.
Online hybrid ACPE programs operate differently. They are designed for working ministers, chaplains, caregivers, and career transitioners who need flexibility without relocating or leaving existing ministry and professional responsibilities.
ACPE also maintains rigorous standards for educator training, supervision, and curriculum development. ACPE Certified Educators are trained not only in supervision, but in designing cohort-specific formation processes that respond to the actual developmental needs of students rather than relying on standardized curriculum models.
At CISF, high-quality supervision and formation require time, attentiveness, and meaningful educator investment. Our model is designed so educators can focus deeply on teaching, supervision, curriculum development, and individual student formation.
At the same time, CISF is committed to making ACPE training more financially accessible than many online hybrid ACPE programs. Because CISF operates within the broader Spiritual Care Collaborative ecosystem, we are able to maintain lighter infrastructure, share resources across programs, and focus our investment primarily on educator quality and student formation rather than institutional overhead.
While non-ACPE programs may sometimes offer lower tuition, many hospitals, healthcare systems, residency programs, and board certification pathways continue to view ACPE as the long-established gold standard in clinical spiritual care education.
Our goal is to offer a more accessible pathway so students can pursue accredited ACPE formation without compromising educational depth, supervision quality, or professional credibility.
Flexible payment plans are available for students who need them.
Payment Plans
Total tuition per CPE unit: $2,800
There is no application fee.
Applications are accepted on a rolling basis. Students accepted into the program must submit a $300 non-refundable deposit within two weeks of acceptance to reserve their seat.
The remaining $2500 balance may be paid in installments. Students who pay in full will be refunded according to the same schedule that applies to payment-plan participants. Upon withdrawal, the student remains responsible for all installments that would have been due under the payment plan through the date of withdrawal. Any remaining prepaid tuition will be refunded. The registration fee is non-refundable. Students using a payment plan are not eligible for refunds of payments already made unless those payments exceed the amount that would have been retained under the equivalent full-payment refund schedule.
Payment Plans for Fall Unit (16 Weeks)
Term Dates: August 31, 2026 – December 20, 2026
Tuition for 16 week units may be broken up into five non-refundable payments.
Due Date
Check / ACH
Credit Card
Deposit (due upon acceptance)
$300
$315
August 15
$1000
$1030
September 15
$500
$520
October 15
$500
$520
November 15
$500
$520
Pay in Full
Payment Method
Total due
Check / ACH
$2800
Credit Card
$2885
Payment Plans for Fall/Winter Unit (22 Weeks)
Term Dates: August 31, 2026 – February 28, 2027
Tuition for 22 week units may be broken up into seven non-refundable payments.
Due Date
Check / ACH
Credit Card
Deposit (due upon acceptance)
$300
$315
August 15
$850
$880
September 15
$330
$345
October 15
$330
$345
November 15
$330
$345
December 15
$330
$345
January 15
$330
$345
