EVE Fiction

In Source a timeline is laid out as follows: Prerequisite testing (medical, IQ, and the requirement for a degree in a technical field) which doesn't seem to take too much time, "book-learning" phase (on capsuleer technology, running a ship and crew, maintenance, etc.) which lasts 1-2 years and ends with a six-hour oral exam, then physical training (implant installation, conditioning for space travel ["deprivation tanks, zero-G environments, and shock simulations"]) lasting two years, then two years of advanced command and technical training (one year flying simulations, one year capsule-fitted frigates), after this the final test is to voluntarily undergo euthanasia into a cloned body. So in total the training takes five to six years and requires a degree beforehand.

As to cost the Source only says "provided no grants or scholarships are in the picture, an enormous sum of money [is required]." We can assume that on top of the equivalent cost of a world class 5-6 year education there are also material costs (testing facilities, implants, ships) that add a substantial financial burden on top of what is required for traditional educational paths. Without a knowledge of income disparity in the Cluster it's hard to estimate how much the lifetime accrual of 10,000 ISK is actually worth and then to calculate what an advanced post-secondary education (really graduate or doctoral level education) would cost. However, knowing that capsuleer implants and small ships are required in the later stages of the process then we can assume that an absolute bottom cost for becoming a Capsuleer must be in the hundreds of thousands or millions of ISK. While out of reach of the majority of the population it is reasonable to assume that individuals that meet the physical and mental criteria will often have access to funding from national or corporate interests (considering the rarity of Capsule compatible individuals and their potential value).