FAQ's About Us

It is our pleasure to welcome you as a prospective student to the Colorado Springs School of Massage. Since our school began in 1982, we have hosted 100 classes (as of Jan 2025) of some of the most accomplished graduates that are operating successfully all over the world. Our alumni can be found in the senior leadership positions and head trainer slots in many of the elite spas in Colorado and throughout the United States. 

Our mission is to help you reach your goal in Massage Therapy.

Our school is located on the east side of Colorado Springs at

5729 Constitution Ave, Colorado Springs, CO. 80915

SCHEDULE

Evening classes begin three times a year. April, August and December. Our formal class sessions are held one evening per week from 6:15 to 10:15pm and will run for 32 weeks. You will have many daytime class requirements that you can schedule around your daytime responsibilities.

PROGRAM

Our 700-hour program is an accelerated program. We seek out the best candidates, the motivated self starters that are ready to put in the work and effort to be successful with our program. If this describes you then this program will be a good fit for you. It was designed with the working person in mind; therefore, the Anatomy & Physiology (A&P) reading assignments are your responsibility and you will be tested weekly for comprehension of that material and the completion of a 15-hour mentorship, 15 chair massages, 60+ full body required table massages, and at least two marketing event are all done outside of “formal” class time. Students are credited 21 hours each week for “Supervised Independent Study Hours”. These outside hours are all coordinated with the student to fit their schedule. The sum of class time and the above requirements meets (and exceeds) the Colorado State 650-hour requirement for state Licensing. With the limited in-class time, students are strongly encouraged to schedule their vacations, family outings, and elective surgeries outside of the course time-frames. Do your best to miss as little class time as possible, as all the hands-on instruction is done in those limited hours. You will be required to make up the missed time.

CLASS SIZE

Our class size is kept to a maximum of 10 students, to allow more one-on-one contact with your instructors, as well as to be able to better connect and bond with your fellow classmates. For that reason, we do encourage pre-registration as far in advance as possible to ensure your position in the class is held. We have a thorough screening process where not all candidates make it into this program. So bring your "A" game and be ready to put in your best effort. Applicants will be accepted on a first-come basis.

DRESS CODE

While in the classroom in a training environment our students are encouraged to wear comfortable loose-fitting attire that is tasteful and not distracting. Jeans, slacks, scrubs are all proper attire as are almost any loose-fitting top preferably with short sleeves.

When in student clinic or at marketing events… or anytime a student is interacting with the public… then presentable jeans, slacks or scrubs and their school sponsored polo shirt would be required.

TUITION & FEES

A $50 application fee will start your process towards enrollment. Our tuition is $10000 and includes all textbooks, manuals, worksheets, and your initial issue of classroom supplies (i.e. linens, massage lotion, polo shirt, handouts), membership to ABMP (Associated Bodywork and Massage Professionals) will provide liability Insurance while our student, and enrollment in the ABMP Exam coach and 5-minute muscles. We also provide your first year of professional liability insurance coverage. There are no hidden costs. 

ADDITIONAL COSTS 

Massage lotion: Approx $8.50 per refill as required (10 to 15 refills depending on use)

Massage table linens: range from $8 to $30+ per set (suggest student maintain 10 sets)

Massage table blankets: range from $10 to $30 and up (suggest student maintains 8) 

Student business cards (part of the business assignment)

Wise Shopping will help you minimize out of pocket expenses

Please be aware that although we do issue your first bottle of massage lotion, it will certainly not last you 8 months so you will be expected to replenish your lotion as required. Refills are available through our school store at very reasonable prices.

The same holds for linens and blankets, we issue you your first set of linens which will suffice through module one of training, but you are expected to purchase sufficient linens to supply your needs during student clinic. This will likely require you to purchase up to 10 additional sets of linens which are available at local department stores at varying prices from $8 to $30+ a set. We strongly suggest you consider sets that are of Cotton Polyester blends as these last longer and perform better than micro-fiber or flannel sheets. We can often supply massage table linens at $20 a set when available. You will also be asked to maintain 8 twin sized blankets for use in the student clinic. 

There are outside of class assignments that will likely incur an expense. Self-care 1 and 2 will ask you to go out and receive some form of self-care that you have not yet experienced, and you will pay out of pocket. Choosing wisely will keep costs low. And you will pay out of pocket once you graduate to get your license with the State of Colorado. Currently it is costing close to $600 to get licensed.

Some of our students prefer to own a second polo shirt so they don’t have to wash their initial issued one so often. These are available at $35 each.

OPTIONAL ITEMS FOR THIS COURSE

There are so many optional items that you might put on your wish list, but these are totally a personal choice and NOT required as part of our program… 

We have been asked about: small dumbbells to increase arm strength… gym memberships to increase upper body strength… uniforms for clinic… massage tables… massage chairs…  

These are “nice to haves” but honestly… you will build upper body strength as you go through our course. We provide everything you will need to be successful in our program. Having some massage equipment at home might make your practice easier on family and friends, but not required.

FINANCIAL AID

We keep our classes small enough, and tuition low enough, so that our school does not need to offer GI Bill or federal financial aid in the form of federal student loans. However, for military spouses, we are a MyCAA authorized school, and you can apply for vocational assistance through your military education office. Many of our former students have also taken advantage of the following community program for tuition assistance. 

-Division of Vocational Rehabilitation

DVR believes that anyone with a disability who wants to work can work, regardless of the type or severity of their disability. DVR provides a wide variety of individualized services for people with disabilities to allow you to reach your employment goals.

These services can include vocational guidance and counseling, short- or long-term training, job seeking skills, job development and job coaching, assistive technology and needed accommodations to participate with DVR and on the job.

They encourage you to watch their orientation video, learn how to get started with DVR, research DVR programs, and see if DVR is right for you. If it is, you can connect with a local office. https://dvr.colorado.gov/

PAYMENT PLANS

We also offer 3 different payment plans. We require a minimum of $5000 deposit for each plan. Only our in-house plan is at zero % interest. Larger deposits will lower your monthly payment or shorten the length of the plan. 

Our In-House Payment Plan

- Our 8-month plan is our "in-house" payment plan and will require a $5000 deposit and 8 monthly payments of $625. This is a 0% interest plan. 

Our TFC Lending Partner Plans

- Our 12-month plan requires a $5000 deposit, a $200 application fee to our lending partner, and 12 monthly payments of $444.24 to complete your tuition payments. This is a 12% interest plan, and you will accrue $330.88 in interest.

- Our 18-month payment plan requires a $5000 deposit, a $200 application fee to our lending partner, and 18 monthly payments of $304.91 to complete your tuition payments. This is also a 12% interest plan, and you will accrue $488.38 in interest.

Prepayment is allowed, and encouraged with no prepayment penalty.

INSTRUCTORS

You will meet your teachers at orientation. Our staff is genuinely interested in your success as a student in our program. We also have several guest speakers that are experts in their field of study. During orientation, you will learn how to utilize the syllabus, how to use your textbook and the EXAM Coach, and how the flow of the class goes. We will also discuss the “rules of the road”, these are the expectations for you as a student and an explanation of what the rules are. Best to know them up front so there are no surprises later.

OUR COMMITMENT

The Colorado Springs School of Massage is committed to giving students a complete education in massage therapy, teaching many types of body work and introducing business practices, so you can be successful in this growing field. It is our philosophy that massage is a viable alternative healthcare to people with musculoskeletal pain, nerve disorders, emotional pain and chronic systemic issues. We also teach the philosophy and physiology of how massage therapy facilitates the body’s own healing process and how to work and interact with health care professionals. Our students learn how to keep S.O.A.P. notes and how to start and run a business.

ACCREDITATION

As a private occupational school, we are approved and regulated through the Colorado Department of Higher Education, Division of Private Occupational Schools. Upon completion of our program, you will receive your graduation certificate and then are eligible to apply for licensing through the Colorado Department of Regulatory Agencies (DORA). We are NOT a state or federally accredited school. Accreditation has to do with a school’s ability to offer federal student loans and accept credits from other schools. We have opted away from accepting federal funding and prefer to offer a cash basis price. Please note that we are a military family run business and do not advocate starting a brand new career with any student loan debt. For our military friends and family we would urge you to save your GI Bill for your college and/or university expenses where you can better use those benefits. 

TAX TIME AND DEDUCTIONS

Because we are not a federally accredited school you will not be able to claim the education credit on your taxes. However, you can use your school receipts and use them to claim a business deduction for schooling expense. Please check with your tax specialist for more details and how to properly file your taxes.

Tours of our training facility are available by appointment so we can better prepare for your personal tour. Please call to set up a time. Come get your questions answered. Call 719-310-9297 for more info, dates and to register.

Below you will find an explanation of our Topics of Study. If you feel our school is a good fit for your needs, please visit our website and submit your application with the application fee via Pay Pal.

FOR MORE INFORMATION:

Email: info@csschoolofmassage.com

Thanks for taking the time to contact us! 

Sincerely,

CSSM Student Support Team

Colorado Springs School of Massage

719-310-9297

TOPICS OF STUDY

ANATOMY, PHYSIOLOGY, PATHOLOGY

This is the study of the structures of the body and the functions of living. 

SWEDISH MASSAGE & TRANSITIONAL STROKES

Swedish massage is the basic massage and basis for almost all other massages. This includes learning all of the basic strokes and how to put them to use for a professional massage. We also incorporate deep tissue massage as part of our course as this is the most requested type of massage. We are more than a medically oriented massage program. We strongly emphasize the importance of the “Whole Person” concept as we are more than just a physical construction of muscles and bones, we are a bio-energetic creature with energetic and emotional qualities that must never be ignored.

HEALTH & HYGIENE

The importance of working in a clean environment and maintaining cleanliness before and after each massage as well as maintaining one’s own health while treating clients.

HYDROTHERAPY

Hydrotherapy involves the use of water for soothing pains and treating diseases.

HOW TO START A BUSINESS/BUSINESS LAW & ETHICS

We want every student to be well equipped with the knowledge to begin their own massage therapy business.

LICENSING LAWS & REGULATIONS

Each state and/or city is different. Most areas of the United States have licensing Laws.

Colorado requires you to pass the national MBLEX examination, a background check, complete the state licensing application and maintain professional liability insurance. 

We want our students to become familiar with many types of bodywork; therefore, we incorporate components of Neuromuscular Massage, Reiki, Aromatherapy, Healing Touch and/or Reflexology into our program. These methods are offered elsewhere in complete courses of study. This additional material is extensive, but we do our best to make sure you have a working knowledge of these methods and how to use the subject matter in your practice.