Tuition & Financial Aid
2024-2025 Tuition
Pre-Kindergarten Half-Day Tuition: $28,045
Morning Program, 8:30 a.m. - 1:00 p.m., Monday - Friday
Full-Time Pre-K - Fifth Grade Tuition: $35,500
8:30 a.m. - 3:20 p.m., Monday - Friday
The Valley School Financial Aid Program
The Valley School Financial Aid Program advances the mission of the school by supporting the cultivation of socio-economically diverse classrooms and enabling interested families to afford the cost of a Valley education.
Financial Aid
Affording a Valley School Education
Valley’s Mission and Values steer our admissions and financial aid goals and policies, aimed at the creation of a vibrant, engaged, and diverse community of children and parents from the greater Seattle community. We aim to enroll students and families who will thrive in our mission-driven school, and to create classroom communities that include diverse children, each with unique qualities and characteristics. We seek to ensure that each class includes families who value the variety of backgrounds and experiences represented in our larger community. Admissions decisions are made without regard to the financial need of a family and are based on the school’s ability to serve the learning needs of the child and the family’s alignment with our educational philosophy and practice.
Our Financial Aid Program aligns with Valley’s strong and evolving commitment to Diversity, Equity, Belonging, and Justice.
Valley’s Financial Aid Program advances the School’s Mission and Values by supporting socio-economically diverse classrooms. While we believe that each family bears the primary responsibility for financing their child's education to the extent possible, Valley provides financial aid to enable interested families to afford a Valley education.
In the 2021-22 school year, Valley committed approximately $560 thousand towards the Financial Aid Program. Approximately one in four students at Valley receive tuition assistance in this school year with an average award per student of $19.3 thousand, or about 68 percent of full annual tuition. Valley’s Financial Aid Program also supports non-tuition programs, including extended day childcare, enrichment and tutoring programs, and summer camps.
The annual gross income of Valley families receiving financial aid ranges from $30 thousand to over $190 thousand for families with students enrolled in the 2021-22 school year:
| GROSS INCOME RANGE | RANGE OF AWARDS |
| UNDER $60,000 | $14,085 - $28,000 |
| $60,000-$130,000 | $1,085 - $27,460 |
| OVER $130,000 | $5,585 - $24,085 |
Financial Aid Application Process
Families requesting financial assistance go through the application process each year. Awards are based on each applicant family’s unique circumstances. Factors that might affect a tuition assistance decision include, in addition to family income, investments and other assets, the number of children in a family, parent/guardians caring for non-school-aged children or aging family members, debts, multiple households, medical expenses, siblings’ school tuition, and single-income households.
Valley families apply for financial aid through Clarity, a financial aid management service used by many local Seattle area independent schools, to expedite and bring consistency to the application process and calculation of financial awards. The application typically takes less than 30 minutes to complete, and is mobile-friendly so you can complete it from anywhere. There is a $60 fee to submit, and you can share your application with additional schools that accept the Clarity Application for no additional charge. Simply use the dropdown menu in the application to select those schools. If the fee presents a hardship for your family, contact Valley Director of Finance and Operations, Jamie Haydock, to receive a waiver for the fee.
Valley families apply for financial aid through Clarity, a financial aid management service used by many local Seattle area independent schools, to expedite and bring consistency to the application process and calculation of financial awards. The application typically takes less than 30 minutes to complete, and is mobile-friendly so you can complete it from anywhere. There is a $60 fee to submit, and you can share your application with additional schools that accept the Clarity Application for no additional charge. Simply use the dropdown menu in the application to select those schools. If the fee presents a hardship for your family, contact Valley Director of Finance and Operations, Jamie Haydock, to receive a waiver for the fee.
Click here to access the Clarity website and begin the process to apply for financial aid at The Valley School.
Accepted families who receive tuition assistance are offered an enrollment contract reflecting financial aid after all required financial aid documents have been received. For returning students, financial commitments to the school must be up to date for financial aid consideration for the following year.
CURRENT FAMILIES
| February 1 | Clarity Financial Aid Application and all required documents due |
| February 9 | School mails enrollment contracts with financial aid letters |
| February 26 | Signed enrollment contracts and financial aid agreements due to school |
NEW FAMILIES
| February 1 | Clarity Financial Aid Application and all required documents due |
| March 22 | School mails enrollment contracts with financial aid letters |
| March 29 | Signed enrollment contracts and financial aid agreements due to school |
Do I have to pay for tuition all at once?
No. Families have the option to pay full tuition upfront in one payment or spreading the full tuition payment over ten (10) monthly payments from June to March of each school year. There are no fees or interest charged for paying tuition over time.
Is the financial Aid application information kept confidential?
Is the financial Aid application information kept confidential?
Yes.
What happens when I apply for financial aid for the first time as a new applicant to Valley?
Awarding financial aid to new students is an important part of maintaining a diverse student population at Valley. To that end, the school strives to allocate financial aid to new students annually.
After receiving an award, do I have to reapply for financial aid each year?
Yes. Each year, applicant families from Pre-Kindergarten to 5th Grade must apply for financial aid through Clarity and The Valley School financial aid application process. Valley will consider the financial aid needs of returning students applying for financial aid before newly enrolling students. However, a returning family’s financial obligations to the School must be up to date for consideration for financial aid each year.
What if my family’s financial situation changes in a given year?
What if my family’s financial situation changes in a given year?
If a family’s financial situation changes from year to year, you may apply for financial aid as a returning family. Your enrollment contract may be revised if you qualify for financial aid. Financial aid is awarded to returning students applying for the first time only after the School meets the needs of families who were previous recipients of financial aid. A returning family’s financial obligations to the School must be up to date for consideration for financial aid each year.
Does Valley offer non-need based financial aid?
The Valley School Financial Aid Program is need-based, and awards are entirely based on each applicant family’s unique financial circumstances. The School does not provide academic or merit-based scholarships.
Is there a tuition discount or financial aid available to siblings?
There is no tuition discount for siblings. Families with multiple siblings must apply for financial aid through Clarity and will be considered as part of the normal financial aid application process.
What if the family includes a non-working parent?
What if the family includes a non-working parent?
When all children in the household are in grade levels at or above Pre-Kindergarten, income for a non-working parent will be imputed into overall family income.
How do I apply for financial aid if I'm separated or divorced?
How do I apply for financial aid if I'm separated or divorced?
All parents/guardians bear the primary responsibility for paying for their student’s educational costs to the extent possible. This obligation takes precedence over the School’s responsibility to provide financial assistance. If either parent creates a new family unit with new relationships, the natural (or adoptive) parents/guardians still have responsibility for educational expenses despite any legal agreements among them to the contrary. Therefore, the resources of all parents/guardians are considered pertinent.
All information submitted through the financial aid application process is kept strictly confidential. In the case of separated or divorced parents/guardians, each person submits a separate Personal Financial Statement and Valley will communicate with each family unit separately to maintain confidentiality. No information will be shared.
Do I have to pay back financial aid?
No.
No.
If you need support during the process of completing your Clarity Financial Aid application, email support at [email protected].
