We recognize that a Waterford School education is a significant investment and do not want the cost of attendance to be the sole barrier to your consideration. We are committed to building a community of learners that is talented, driven, and from a broad range of backgrounds independent of their financial circumstances.
To fulfill this commitment, the School maintains a Financial Assistance Program. Need-based financial aid can make Waterford more affordable for families who demonstrate financial need.
The Waterford School Tuition Assistance program is designed to make a Waterford education possible for all families based on demonstrated financial need and the availability of funds. Waterford is proud to use the Clarity application to determine a family’s level of financial need based on the information that families share in the application which includes assets, income, expenses, and debts.
To get started, please go to the Clarity application and create an account. The application typically takes less than 30 minutes to complete. The Clarity application is also mobile-friendly so you can complete it from anywhere. You are also able to save your progress and return at any time. At the end of the application, there is a $55 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.
The deadline for completing the financial aid application including relevant supplemental documents is December 1 for returning families and January 31 for new families.
If you need support during the process of completing your application, there is in-app support available as well as email support at support@claritytuition.com in both English and Spanish. The application itself is also fully translated into Spanish.
Below are some frequently asked questions. If you don’t see your question here, feel free to chat with us or schedule a time to talk with a member of our Admission team.
The deadline is December 1 for returning families and January 31 for new families, annually.
This guide will walk you step-by-step through the Clarity application for the 2024-2025 academic year. Guía de Aplicación Para Las Familias
Waterford’s financial aid budget is limited. As a need-aware school, we are mindful in considering each family’s level of financial need in the awarding of tuition assistance. Waterford School is proud to use Clarity to determine a family’s level of financial need. Clarity is a third-party organization that assesses financial need on the basis of family composition, household income, assets, expenses, and debts.
Currently, 17% of our student body receives some level of tuition assistance.
Yes, please contact us directly at admissions@waterfordschool.org for that information.
Families who submit their financial aid application after the applicable deadlines will be considered for assistance after those who submitted their application before the deadline and as funds are available. Please note that applying after the deadline decreases the likelihood of Waterford being able to provide financial aid.
Yes, both parents are required to fill out the Clarity financial aid application. Regardless of marital or custodial status, all parents and/or guardians (including current spouses or partners, if applicable) must complete the application for financial assistance. The custodial parent is responsible for asking the noncustodial parent to complete the application. Waterford will be unable to provide financial assistance unless all parents and/or guardians complete the application. The Waterford Admissions Office holds the information submitted in the utmost confidence.
Yes, because family circumstances change along with available funds for tuition assistance, families must reapply annually for financial aid.
All newly admitted students will receive their financial aid decision at the same time they receive their admission decision.
Waterford offers two different tuition payment plans. A non-refundable enrollment deposit of 10% of tuition is payable upon acceptance.