PBI 2026 will take place from May 17-28, 2026

Applications for PBI 2026 Financial Aid will be accepted December 1-31, 2025.

General Applications will open January 1, 2026.

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Overview

PBI welcomes applications from all individuals at all levels of experience who have a special interest in book arts, bookbinding, conservation, papermaking or associated areas. The mixture of experience levels amongst participants is a large part of why PBI is such a rich and productive program. There are two applications. The first, for funding opportunities, opens on December 1 and closes December 31. The second application, for general admission, opens on January 1. The $1900 tuition includes room, board, and three workshops taught by world-class practitioners.

General Application

The application period starts January 1st. Applications received within the first two weeks of the application period will be given priority, so timely application is encouraged. We work to accept an equitable mix of alumni and newcomers, beginners and experienced practitioners. Acceptance letters are sent out starting in early February. Applications are accepted through April 15 or until all spots are confirmed and filled. Once all spots are filled, remaining applicants are put on a waiting list. Those placed on the waiting list are notified about openings as soon as one becomes available. The waiting list remains open until May 1.

Once accepted to PBI, a non-refundable deposit of $1000 is required within two weeks of accep­tance in order to reserve your place. The remain­ing bal­ance is due at reg­is­tra­tion upon arrival at Oxbow, in cash or check. PBI does not accept credit cards. Please see more about tuition below, under FEE STRUCTURE.

Fellowships, Scholarships, & Work-study opportunities

Please see our Funding Opportunities page.

Fee Structure

Tuition for the PBI program is $1900. This includes room and board for a shared room, work­shop tuition, basic class sup­plies and mate­ri­als. A small course fee may be added to classes with excep­tion­ally high mate­ri­als costs. This fee is indi­cated in the course description.

Tuition and Deposit: Once accepted to PBI, a non-refundable deposit of $1000 is required within two weeks of accep­tance in order to reserve your place. The remain­ing bal­ance is due at reg­is­tra­tion upon arrival at Oxbow, in cash or check. PBI does not accept credit cards.

Single Room Reservations: There are a limited number of sin­gle occu­pancy rooms available, which can be reserved for an addi­tional $350 fee, due upon arrival to PBI. You may request a single room on the online application. These rooms will be assigned through a lottery system, with priority given to individuals with special needs.

Institutional Support for Funding or Time Off

A PBI Co-director will be happy to supply a letter of support to applicants seeking funding or time away from their employers.