Financial ACCESS

Throughout King School’s history, the school has sought to enroll the most capable and talented students.

At King School, we seek to make an independent school education affordable for families from a wide range of economic backgrounds. Some of our families pay a small percentage of the full tuition, while others can pay the majority of tuition. While considering King School as an educational opportunity for your child(ren), remember that it is our goal to make it possible for great kids to join our exceptional community.
 

Homecoming pep rally
 

At King School, we understand that affordability is relative, and each family situation is unique.


For this reason, we are committed to using a personalized assessment process to calculate tuition. We take into consideration families who may also pay tuition elsewhere, care for an elderly parent, or face other legitimate expenses. We seek to enroll bright and engaged children of working parents who can pay part of the King School tuition.

King offsets tuition by over $4 million; approximately 21% of students enroll at King with affordable tuition made possible through Financial Access.

Financial access applications must be submitted through our partner Clarity. Based on the financial information provided in the Clarity application, Clarity will recommend what a family can contribute towards their educational expenses. The Financial Access Committee uses the recommendations made by Clarity to inform an equitable financial access decision-making process.  In addition to partnering with Clarity, King School consults with Mission Enrollment, a confidential third-party company that supports our Financial Access Review Committee and helps optimize the fair and equitable distribution of financial aid.
 

Graduating students at commencement.


We welcome and encourage families to contact us about financial access – particularly those families who assume they will not qualify.

Please see the frequently asked questions below for more information about qualifications and eligibility.
 

Key Dates
  • October 1: Financial access application process begins
  • December 15: Admission and financial access applications due
  • February 13: Admission and financial access decision notifications
Financial Access Requirements and Timeline

Requirements and Timeline

  • September 1
    Families may begin the admission application. Learn more about the Application Requirements and Timeline.
  • October 1
    Families may begin the financial access application. Please go to Clarity and create an account. The application typically takes less than 30 minutes to complete and is mobile-friendly so you can complete it from anywhere. At the end of the application, there is a $60 fee to submit. Clarity will automatically grant fee waivers for those who qualify based on need. If you do not receive a waiver but feel you qualify, please contact our office at admission@kingschoolct.org.

    Non-custodial parents are required to complete a separate application unless a waiver has been submitted and accepted by the Director of Admission and Financial Access.

    Comprehensive guides to the financial access application are available in both English and Spanish. In-app support is available through the “Help” button in the lower-left corner of the application. Consider attending a Family Application Webinar held by Clarity in the fall. For additional assistance in both English and Spanish email support@claritytuition.com or call (206) 210-3752.
  • December 15: Financial Access and Admission Application Deadline
    The financial access application including relevant supplemental documents must be completed.
    Additional documents may be requested upon review of the financial access application.
  • February 13: Families will be notified of admission and financial access decisions via email.
  • March 10: Accepted applicants notify King School of their decision and return their enrollment contracts and grant-in-aid forms to King.

Please email Aishling Peterson at apeterson@kingschoolct.org for all questions pertaining to Financial Access.
Community Enrichment Scholarships

Throughout King School’s history, the school has sought to enroll the most capable and talented students from a wide range of economic backgrounds. Thanks to our generous donors, we are able to offer need-based scholarships to students who enrich our community in alignment with our strategic goals:

  • Academic Excellence
  • Athletics
  • Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion
  • Community Partnerships
  • Institutional Identity
  • Strategic Enrollment Management

Community Enrichment Scholarships are multi-year commitments in order to support a student through a certain division or until graduation. Every year, we seek to replace scholarships that are ending and create new scholarships to benefit the King School community.

Our current Community Enrichment Scholarships are:

  • Amadeo Family Scholarship
    Established in 2021 by the Amadeo family to support an academically and STEM-focused student entering in Grade 6 annually until graduation.
  • The Fullerton Scholar-Athlete Scholarship
    Established by the Fullerton Family to support an Upper School scholar-athlete, recommended by King Coaching Staff, for 4 consecutive years.
  • King School Athletics Scholarship
    Established by multiple King families to support Upper School scholar-athletes, recommended by King Coaching Staff.
  • The King School Opportunity Scholarship
    Established by an anonymous donor in 2020 to support 4 consecutive years' tuition for a scholar-athlete who identifies as a student of color entering Grade 9.
  • Kurbanov Family Fund
    Established in 2018 by the Kurbanov Family to support tuition assistance as well as the Department of Teaching and Learning for 5 years.
  • The Mirza Family Scholarship
    Established in 2020 by the Mirza Family to provide financial access to a Grade 9 student (or students) through graduation who would not have otherwise been able to attend King School.
  • Mizhen Family Scholarship
    Established in 2021 by the Mizhen family to provide financial assistance to a deserving student.
  • Suzanne and Brian O'Callaghan Scholarship
    Originally established in 2020 by Suzanne and Brian O'Callaghan, this scholarship provided the tuition for a student athlete for two consecutive years. In 2022, the O’Callaghans continued the scholarship for a new student for an additional two years.
  • The King School Athletic Opportunity Scholarship
    Established anonymously in 2023, this scholarship will provide need-based financial access for students of color, as recommended by the King coaching staff.
  • The Adam Boaz Opportunity Scholarship
    This scholarship was established in 2024 in memory of our beloved teacher and community member Adam Boaz. The funds will be awarded to a qualified student of color who would not otherwise have the chance to attend King School.

All students applying for Financial Access are considered for Community Enrichment Scholarships. No additional steps are required.

 

$33,168

Average amount of financial aid

156

Number of students participating in financial access

22%

Percentage of students participating in financial access

$5.2 million

Financial Access Budget



Frequently Asked Questions

Should we apply for financial access?

Independent School tuition represents a significant investment for any family.

There is no specific income level at which a family no longer qualifies. The following items are taken into consideration:

  • Income
  • Assets (investments, home equity, automobile, etc.)
  • Family size
  • Number of children attending tuition-charging institutions
  • Age of parents
  • Current debt (credit cards, mortgages, other loans, etc.)

After an allowance is made for basic living expenses and taxes, the remaining funds are considered discretionary income, a portion of which is assumed available for education.

Although we would like to provide firm guidelines to help you decide whether or not to apply for assistance, we have found that each family’s combination of circumstances is unique. If you are unable to afford our full tuition, you should apply for financial access.
Who determines eligibility and financial access?
The Financial Access Committee, composed of the Head of School, the Director of Admission and Financial Access, the Associate Director of Admission, Middle School and Financial Access, and the Chief Finance and Operations Officer, uses the recommendation of Clarity in addition to supplemental information, to determine eligibility and tuition contributions.
Are allowances made for siblings attending independent or religious elementary, secondary, or post-secondary school?
King makes allowances for siblings in independent or religious schools through college or age 24. However, we do not make allowances for siblings in graduate school.
If we pay full tuition initially, can we apply for financial access in subsequent years?
If we pay full tuition initially, can we apply for financial access in subsequent years?
The financial aid budget is set on a multi-year basis according to current participation and planned new enrollment. Therefore, families enrolling at King paying full tuition are expected to do so in subsequent years. In the case of a dramatic change in family circumstances, families may apply for financial access. However, we cannot guarantee that we will be able to meet the financial needs of all families.
Does financial access include other school expenses?
Families paying partial tuition are eligible for assistance with school programs and optional travel opportunities. Some families may also qualify for supplemental funding that supports fees, transportation, and after-school childcare. Please contact the Director of Admission and Financial Access for more information regarding eligibility requirements.
Will our contribution to tuition change in future years?
If your circumstances do not change significantly, you can expect your contribution to remain about the same from year to year. In setting our budget, priority for financial access goes to returning students. Each family’s level of contribution is re-assessed each year to ensure that we are meeting current demonstrated capacity. If a family’s financial profile improves, they may be expected to contribute at an incrementally greater proportion. Likewise, if a family experiences a financial setback, their tuition contribution may be adjusted to take their new circumstances into consideration.
Will we be expected to pay back the amount of reduced tuition?
No, we provide financial access to qualified students to enrich our community. This is not a loan or a grant. We do hope that you will make King School your philanthropic priority when you consider charitable donations.
What about separated, divorced, or never-married parents?
King considers the income and assets of any adult who plays a significant role in a student’s life. Every living biological parent and legal guardian will need to submit their information for an application to be considered complete.
Will my application for financial access affect my child’s chances for admission?
No. Admission decisions are based on individual merit, not on the ability to pay. However, due to the limitations of our budget, King is not able to offer financial access to every student who qualifies. Students who have applied for financial access and are accepted to the school, but are not offered tuition assistance, will receive a letter with this information.
How can I get more information?
Your admission interview is the first place to have questions answered. You may also contact Aishling Peterson, Associate Director of Admission, Middle School and Financial Access, at apeterson@kingschoolct.org or (203) 322-3496, Ext. 4490.
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