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Summer Registration Information
If you wish to register for spring or fall classes click here.
Related pages:
Application Forms
Registration Frequently Asked Questions
Fees
Scholarships
Studio Assistants
Studio Information
Penland Housing
For more information, call 828-765-2359.
Registration is by mail, or fax. Application forms here.
Applications must be received by February 12 to be in the lottery.
Penland welcomes serious students of all levels of experience—absolute beginners to professionals. We seek a diverse student population representing varied experiences, backgrounds, races, professions, and age groups (minimum age 19). Some classes are tailored for beginners and some require prior experience; most welcome a range of skill levels.
Lottery
To give a greater number of people a chance to enroll in the most popular classes, applications received by 5:00 pm on February 12 will be placed in a lottery and treated equally. (For example, if a class has twelve spaces and we receive fifteen applications by February 12, we will take all fifteen names and randomly select twelve of them.) After February 12, applications will be processed on a first-come/first-served basis.
Processing Fee & Deposits
A nonrefundable $45 processing fee is charged when you apply (see note under Waiting Lists regarding applications after May 1). You may apply for several classes at once.
A deposit of $250 per class is required to secure a place in each class that you wish to be enrolled in. Scholarship applicants pay a processing fee but no deposit at the time of registration.
Your application will be processed provided we have received your registration form, processing fee, and appropriate deposits. If a class is full, you will be placed on a waiting list, and your deposit will be returned. The balance of your fees (including room and board) is due on April 20. If payment is not received by this date, you may lose your space in the class and be charged a cancellation fee. If you register after April 20, full payment is due with your application.
We do not accept registration by phone. Please mail or fax your registration form (registration fax: 828-765-8174).
If you apply in January, February, or March, you will be notified of your status by mid-March.
Cancellations & Refunds for Summer Classes
Penland makes a substantial investment when planning a class, and vacancies can be hard to fill even if there is a waiting list, so we must charge cancellation fees to offset the cost of these vacancies. If you cancel any time up to thirty days before the beginning of a class, you will receive a full refund minus a $100 cancellation fee and the $45 nonrefundable processing fee. If you cancel later than thirty days before the beginning of the class, there is no refund. This policy also applies to work-study scholarship students.
Cancellation & Refund for Fall and Spring Classes
This page is about summer, but just in case you landed here by mistake to check on the cancellation policy for fall and spring classes it goes like this:
If you cancel forty-five days or more before the beginning of a class, you will receive a refund minus a $250 cancellation fee. If you cancel later than forty-five days before the beginning of the class, there is no refund. This policy also applies to work-study scholarship students. If it is necessary for Penland to cancel a class, students will be notified and offered another class or a full refund. We cannot be responsible for nonrefundable airline tickets.
If it is necessary for Penland to cancel a class for any reason, students will be notified and offered another class or a full refund. We cannot be responsible for nonrefundable airline tickets.
Waiting Lists
Waiting lists are maintained for all filled classes. Any applicant for a full class will be placed on the waiting list. All applications received before February 12 and not selected in the lottery will be placed on the waiting list in random order. After that time, waiting lists are kept in order by the date that applications are received. Applicants will be contacted by phone if space becomes available. No deposit (other than the $45 processing fee) is necessary to hold a space on a waiting list.
If you apply after May 1 and you are placed on a waiting list, your application fee will not be processed unless you are enrolled.
Local Stand-By
Penland offers half-price tuition to residents of certain nearby counties in Western North Carolina when they take unfilled spaces less than two weeks before the beginning of a class. This offer is also available to all k–12 teachers, regardless of where they live. For details contact the Penland registrar or see this page.
Off-Campus Students
Students who live in the area or prefer to find their own lodging are welcome to enroll as off-campus students and may participate in all activities of the Penland session. Off-campus students should select a meal plan when enrolling. A list of nearby accommodations is available on this page.
Accessibility
Penland’s historic campus is located on terrain that is steep and uneven. We are working to make our campus more accessible and we have several units of housing that conform to the Americans with Disabilities Act. We provide accessible parking for the dining hall, housing, and most studios. Penland will make every effort to provide appropriate housing and program access to people with known disabilities to the degree possible without posing an undue hardship on the organization. People with disabilities are responsible for requesting appropriate accommodations and may be asked to provide medical documentation to verify disability and to help the school assess how best to assist them. Please contact the registrar to discuss housing and access to studios and other facilities.
Textile classes are taught in second- and third-floor walk-up studios.
Cost of Materials
Tuition does not cover the cost of materials used for students’ own production (hot glass tuition does cover glass in the furnaces). Many materials and tools can be purchased at the school. Most classes require that you bring certain materials and tools with you. Although some shared supplies are included in tuition, there may also be a studio fee for supplies used by the group and some classes incur a hazardous waste disposal fee. We will make every effort to notify students in advance if we anticipate a studio fee in excess of $50. Look for this information with your class materials list four weeks before your class.
Studio Safety
Students should be aware that in many classes they may be working with tools which, if improperly used, can cause injury. A safety tour and information about the proper handling of relevant tools and materials is part of our classes; however, students assume the risk of working with tools and materials provided by the school.
College & Teacher Credits
Undergraduate and graduate credit may be earned at Penland through Western Carolina University. Charges ($100 per undergraduate credit; $125 per graduate credit) are in addition to Penland’s fees. Students must check with their institution to make sure these credits are transferrable. A certificate of course completion is also available. Teachers interested in receiving Public Education Certificate renewal credits for Penland classes should contact their local school board.
Arrival & Departure
Penland is located in the Blue Ridge mountains near Spruce Pine, NC, 53 miles northeast of Asheville. Here's a map. The easiest way to get here is by car, but van service to the Asheville airport and bus terminal is available at the beginning and end of each session for a fee. Plan to arrive at Penland in time for a 5:00 pm orientation session on Sunday (work-study and studio assistants arrive in time to work on Saturday morning). Sessions end on Friday at noon (except 5th session, which ends on Tuesday, and 7th session, which ends on Saturday). Plan to leave no later than the next morning (work-study and studio assistants stay a day later).
Life at Penland
Each class is structured by the teacher, but most are a mix of demonstrations, lectures, individual studio work, and field trips. A stay at Penland also offers daily movement classes, evening slide shows, visits to nearby studios, volleyball games, dances, walks in the beautiful countryside, or swimming in the Toe River.
An on-campus coffee house provides hot and cold drinks, snacks, Internet access, a wireless hot spot, and a place to meet and relax. The school supply store features a variety of hand tools and craft materials along with UPS shipping, books, postcards, snacks, drinks, and other items. Most students live at Penland and all students may participate in activities on a twenty-four-hour basis. (We can only house students enrolled in classes.) The Pines dining room provides three delicious meals each day. There are always choices for vegetarians, but we cannot accommodate special dietary needs.
The nearest medical facility is the Spruce Pine Community Hospital, a fifteen-minute drive. The nearest pharmacy and laundromat are also located in Spruce Pine.
At Penland, you can expect to work hard, learn a lot, make friends, and forget about the rest of the world in an isolated setting without the distraction of phones, television, or daily newspapers. You can expect to have fun, eat good food, and get the kind of rest that comes from immersing yourself in something you love.
Penland Housing
Penland housing is quite simple. Buildings are not air-conditioned—the climate is moderate and you can count on cool temperatures at night. Furnishing is basic: a bed and a place to put your clothes. Dormitories are housing units with between four and thirteen beds per room (no bunks). Some of our housing is located one-half mile from the center of campus. Many folks welcome the extra walk, but please let us know if this will present a physical hardship for you.
Several buildings in the center of campus were recently constructed or renovated, and they provide a greater level of comfort than our other housing. These housing units are listed as preferred housing—and we charge a little more for them. NOTE: As of March 20, demand for preferred housing has exceeded supply. We will not be able to fill any more preferred housing requests for this summer. We do our best to match students with the type of housing they request, but this is not always possible. Housing assignments are made shortly before the session begins.
Click here to see photographs of examples of Penland housing.
Policies
Drugs and Alcohol--Alcohol is not permitted in the studios. The legal drinking age in North Carolina is 21. The use of illegal drugs while at Penland is strictly prohibited. We cannot tolerate behavior that jeopardizes your safety or the safety of others.
Personal Property--Penland is not responsible for the security of property belonging to students, instructors, or staff. Lockers are available.
Pets--Students are not permitted to have pets with them while at Penland.
Unacceptable Behavior--Penland reserves the right to dismiss any student, without refund, for behavior that is disruptive to the community learning and living environment.
Penland accepts students regardless of race, religion, nationality, gender, or sexual orientation.