Funeral Service – Campus

Tuition and fees. Tuition will be determined according to the modality of enrollment (Online or On campus). The on campus tuition rate is $189 per quarter credit hour. If the general education courses are taken at CIFS, then the total tuition and fees will be $18,622. This total includes a $50 application fee due with application, a $50 graduation fee due 30 days prior to graduation, and $18,522 tuition (98 quarter credit hours multiplied by $189).

If you transfer your general education. If all general education courses are transferred to CIFS, then the total tuition and fees will be $13,519. This total includes the $50 application fee, the $50 graduation fee, and $13,419 tuition (71 quarter credit hours multiplied by $189).

Books are included. All required textbooks are included in the cost of tuition. All students who pay tuition are entitled to one set of textbooks as required by classes. In some cases, these may be ebooks. On-campus students may pick up their books on the first day of each quarter or sooner if tuition and academic requirements have been met.

Payment plans. Tuition payments are due by the first day of the quarter for on-campus students. CIFS offers quarterly and monthly payment plans to assist students in financing their education. The default plan is to pay tuition on a quarterly basis – for each academic term. For students who choose to enroll in the monthly payment plan, payments are expected to arrive the first day of each month. Students in the final quarter of enrollment will only be allowed to split their tuition into two monthly payments. CIFS accepts credit cards, debit cards, cash, money orders, cashier’s checks, and personal checks. Commonwealth Institute does not charge out of state tuition.

Other charges. If the monthly tuition is paid after the 5th day of the month, then a $15.00 late fee will be added to the account balance of the current month. There is a $50.00 Non-Sufficient Funds (NSF) fee for any returned check. Termination of enrollment, for any reason, will incur a $100 administrative fee. The fee to replace a lost, damaged, or stolen ID card is $25. Licensure examinations are governed by entities other than CIFS: the National Board Examination is $570.00 ($285.00 per section), payable to the ICFSEB, and the Texas Mortuary Law Examination is $89.00, payable to the TFSC. A CIFS Challenge Examination is $250.00, payable to CIFS.

Federal financial aid. Commonwealth Institute of Funeral Service participates in the Title IV Federal Student Financial Aid Program. Financial aid programs available to students are the Federal Pell Grant, a need-based federal grant; the Direct Subsidized Loan, a need-based federal loan whose interest is deferred while in school and during a 6-month grace period; the Direct Unsubsidized Loan; and the Direct Parent PLUS Loan, a credit-based loan available to qualifying parents of dependent students. To be eligible, a student must be enrolled and accepted in the Associate of Applied Science Degree in Funeral Service and enrolled at least ½ time.

How to apply for aid. The applicant must have been accepted to CIFS before any financial aid is processed. Complete a Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) at studentaid.gov and use CIFS school code 003556 to have the application routed to the school, at least two (2) months prior to your scheduled enrollment date. All financial aid documentation and a signed and dated CIFS Award Letter must be completed two weeks prior to the first day of class. The college publishes a Net Price Calculator at https://commonwealth.edu/financial-aid-net-price-calculator/.

Veterans and rehabilitation benefits. Commonwealth Institute of Funeral Service is approved by the Texas Veterans Commission for VA educational benefits. Veterans requesting educational benefits work with the Registrar, and the applicant should have all paperwork completed and accepted by the school two months prior to enrollment. Chapter 33 is paid directly to the school. VA Rehabilitation vouchers must be submitted to the Registrar’s Office 60 days prior to enrollment, and Texas Rehabilitation Commission (TRC) vouchers approved and presented 45 days prior to enrollment.

Scholarships. The college lists the R.L. Waltrip Scholarship, Dr. George Poston Memorial Scholarship, Houston Funeral Directors and Morticians Association Scholarship, Houston Metropolitan Funeral Directors Association Scholarship, Southeast Texas Funeral Directors Association Scholarship, Texas Sales Club Scholarship, 100 Black Women of Funeral Service Scholarship, Texas Funeral Directors Association Scholarship, American Board of Funeral Service Education Scholarship, International Conference of Funeral Service Examining Boards NBE Scholarship, various state association scholarships, Select Educational Trust Second Career Scholarship, SCI Mortuary Science Scholarship and NorthStar Memorial Group Scholarship.

Cancellation and refunds. A full refund will be made to any student who cancels their enrollment within 72 hours of the first day of the academic term for which the enrollment agreement has been signed. After the first 72 hours, the school may retain not more than $100 in any administrative fees charged. A student may not collect a refund if the student has completed 75 percent or more of the total number of hours in the portion of the program for which the student has been charged on the effective date of termination.

Where graduates work. Graduates of this program may find entry-level employment as an apprentice/intern/provisional licensee with funeral homes, embalming services, cemeteries, and affiliated funeral service companies. Individuals seeking these credentials must also meet the requirements of the appropriate state licensing agencies.

Published program outcomes. The college publishes its program information on its Accreditation & Approvals page. For 2025: 562 students enrolled, 166 graduated (161 of the 166 within 1½ times the designated program length), a cohort graduation rate of 83%, 93% employed overall and 67% employed in funeral service. For 2024 the graduation rate was 79%, with 86% employed and 67% in funeral service; for 2023, 82%, with 95% employed and 70% in funeral service.

National Board pass rates. In 2025 CIFS students passed the National Board Examination Arts section at 83% (national 78%) and the Sciences section at 70% (national 71%); in 2024, 83% (78%) and 72% (73%); in 2023, 75% (78%) and 70% (69%). National Board Examination pass rates, graduation rates, and employment rates for this and other ABFSE-accredited programs are available at www.abfse.org in the Directory of Accredited Programs.

Becoming licensed. Students completing the Associate of Applied Science Degree must take both sections of the NBE as a requirement for dual licensure in Texas (and many other states). At present, the computer-based NBE consists of two sections (embalming sciences and funeral directing arts) containing 170 questions each, administered by appointment at Pearson VUE testing sites. Students must be certified by Commonwealth Institute in order to sit for the NBE, which requires a score of 80% or higher on EACH section of the CIFS Certification Exam.

Licensure in Texas. Texas requires applicants for licensure to be at least 18 years of age, hold a high school diploma or GED certificate, pass a criminal background check, graduate from an accredited mortuary college, score a minimum scaled score of 75% on each section of an approved licensing examination, score a minimum of 75% on the Texas Mortuary Law Examination, and complete a period of provisional licensure for a maximum of 24 consecutive months in which the provisional licensee must perform 45 cases under the direct supervision of an approved funeral director and/or embalmer.

Other states. The college’s state disclosure lists the AAS Degree as fulfilling state educational requirements for licensure, certification, and/or eligibility for licensure examinations in all 50 states and the District of Columbia, with caveats in some: Colorado (licensure requirement begins in 2027), Hawaii (embalmer only), Minnesota and Ohio (+ bachelors degree), and Idaho, Indiana, Iowa, Nebraska, New Hampshire, New Jersey, North Dakota, South Dakota and Wyoming (+ additional college). There are no uniform licensing laws governing funeral service in the United States; each state sets its own requirements, and it is the responsibility of the student to ensure that licensure requirements have been met.

Career services. The Commonwealth Institute Career Center maintains a database of prospective employers concerning job positions for current students and graduates, for both full and part-time employment. The Career Center also provides resume building/critique, interview help, and assistance with LinkedIn profiles. Current job openings are posted on the school website under the Alumni section, and employers are invited to attend Career Fairs, held at CIFS each year, where they can recruit prospective employees and conduct interviews. CIFS does not guarantee employment to any student or graduate, as this is a decision which must always be made between employer and prospective employee.

Outlook. The college’s Job & Career Info page states that overall employment of funeral service workers is projected to grow 4 percent from 2020 to 2030, slower than the average for all occupations, and that about 4,000 openings for funeral service workers are projected each year, on average, over the decade.

The campus. Commonwealth’s campus includes 3 large classrooms, 2 dedicated clinical laboratories, an arrangement conference room, a computer lab, a secure testing center, the Dr. George Poston Memorial Library and Learning Resource Center, a student lounge, and faculty and staff offices. Commonwealth also shares the educational complex at 415 Barren Springs Drive with the National Museum of Funeral History.

Restorative art laboratory. In this setting, students apply the theoretical knowledge gained in restorative art lecture courses to wax modeling and reconstruction of facial features as well as mortuary cosmetic application. The Institute’s clinical program provides that vital link between theory and practice and helps to integrate and apply knowledge gained in restorative art, pathology, anatomy, and microbiology; as well as the theory of embalming itself.

The library. The Dr. George Poston Memorial Library and Learning Resource Center features collections to support Commonwealth Institute’s educational programs with texts, eBooks, and videos, archived magazine titles and current professional funeral journals, with reading and study areas, a group study area, computer access stations, and video-viewing equipment. The college library is open Monday through Thursday, 8:00 AM to 1:30 PM.

Security and your ID card. The entire complex is monitored by 24-hour security personnel on site. Students are given a campus ID/keycard to access the school facilities during their tenure; campus students receive this during orientation. The ID card is REQUIRED to enter the campus building.

Attendance. Instructors check and record attendance in each class hour. To be counted as present, the student must be in attendance for the entire period. Absences are NOT classified as excused or un-excused. Any campus student who accumulates absences of more than 10% of their scheduled class hours in a quarter, will have their enrollment with CIFS terminated.

Grades and progress. All courses require a minimum passing grade of “C” or 70% in order to progress to the next academic term. Due to the timely nature of our profession and the duration of instruction, CIFS does not allow any make-up examinations or assignments. CIFS requires students to earn a 2.0 cumulative grade point average (on a 4.0 scale) to graduate, and a student has up to three attempts to successfully complete and pass all courses.

Dress code. Funeral service is generally a conservative field, and CIFS expects you to take pride in your personal appearance. For daily classes, business casual clothing is acceptable. Hats and sunglasses are not permitted in the classroom. On days of field trips and guest speakers, students are expected to dress in the mode of contemporary funeral service practitioners: navy or black suits, white shirt or blouse, dark shoes, conservative ties.

Student life. Students from each class cohort participate in the Commonwealth Institute Student Council, and the National Funeral Service Honor Society is represented on the campus, by invitation, for students enrolled full-time with a GPA of 3.5 or higher. New graduates receive a one-year membership in the Alumni Association at no cost.

Housing and parking. CIFS does not provide on or off campus housing, and students must make their own arrangements for housing. Ample student parking is provided on the east side and in back of the school complex.