Tuition & Affordability

Our Tuition Assistance Committee reviews all completed tuition assistance files and makes decisions based upon each family’s demonstrated need using calculations from the tuition assistance application hosted by Clarity Tuition. The Committee may require additional documentation, such as bank statements and monthly budgets, if more information is needed in order to understand a family’s financial situation. 

A family needs to submit an tuition assistance application and required documentation to Clarity Tuition by the deadlines listed below: 

• December 22, 2023 - Current Families
• January 9, 2024 - Prospective Families

If the $60 application fee presents a financial hardship for your family, please don’t hesitate to email tuitionassistance@castilleja.org or call Laura Martinez at (650) 470–7732 to request a fee waiver.

To learn more, please register on Ravenna for the Tuition Assistance information session on November 14, 2023.

Tuition Assistance applications open early August.  To begin your tuition assistance application on Clarity, visit https://auth.clarityapp.com/en/signup/ 

Please note:
- Families who have several children applying to Castilleja only have to complete one tuition assistance application.
- In cases of separated or divorced parents, each parent needs to complete a tuition assistance application and send their own set of required documents.

Clarity Customer Support:
For questions please contact Clarity Tuition Family Support (English or Spanish):  suppport@clarity.com or (206) 210-3752.

Frequently Asked Questions

Will I still need to apply every year?
Yes, you will need to submit a Clarity application each year in order to qualify for financial aid; however, Clarity retains your information from previous applications, so it will be even easier to reapply.

Can I complete my Clarity application on my phone or tablet?
Yes! Clarity’s application is fully mobile-friendly so you have access wherever you are. 

When do I need to apply?
You must submit your full completed application by January 9, 2024.

Castilleja’s tuition assistance recipients represent a broad range of income levels, from less than $20,000 to over $500,000, and we realize that each family has a unique financial situation.

The following case studies are presented for illustrative purposes and are meant to encourage families from a wide range of financial circumstances to apply.

	Case 1	Case 2	Case 3	Case 4
Parents Employment	Both Parents Employed	Single Parent	2 Parents 1 Employed	Both Parents Employed
Number of Children	2 in private school	1 in private school	1 in private school	3 (2 in private school)
Total Income	$334,656	$84,800	$285,231	$535,912
Net Worth: - Home Equity - Savings / Investments	$641,380   $3,000	$0 $5,000	$688,233 $600,000	$1,444,227 $850,000
Award	$49,800	$56,000	$45,500	$19,500
Parent Contribution	$6,700	$500	$11,000	$37,000

 

• Castilleja considers tuition assistance to be the single most important vehicle to maintain an economically diverse student population. We recognize the increasing burden tuition places on families and the tuition assistance committee works to ensure that Castilleja is an affordable option.

• Tuition Assistance is distributed to qualifying families of students in grades 6-12. The School strives to meet 100% of a family's need as determined by Clarity Tuition and all other supporting documents.

• Tuition Assistance awards do not need to be repaid, but it is required that recipients re-apply for tuition assistance annually. In most cases, a student's tuition payment will remain at the same level, adjusting for tuition increases. In rare cases, usually due to a dramatic change in financial circumstances, do award amounts change substantially.

• A supplemental student activity and support budget exists to enable students to participate in all aspects of school life on an equitable basis.

• Castilleja will give priority to families who have previously received aid prior to making any new commitments.

• When a parent does not work and there are no preschool children or aging parents at home, the school will impute an annual income of at least $30,000 to the non-working parent/guardian.

• Parents with legal parental rights must submit all of the required financial aid application documents in order for their child to be considered for a tuition grant.

Families can be assured that all information concerning financial aid is held in the strictest of confidence by Castilleja School. Only those persons directly involved in the financial aid decision-making process or in its administration will review this information.