Practices & Policies

Determining Financial Aid Awards

• Whitfield uses a third party (Clarity) to confidentially collect, analyze and estimate a family’s need for Financial Aid. 
• Each family’s financial needs are unique, and there are multiple factors that contribute to a family’s ability to afford tuition. These include income, personal and business assets, educational debt, living expenses, net worth, the size of the family and educational expenses for all children in tuition charging schools. 
• Families must reapply for Financial Aid each year (unless the family has received a two year award). Financial need is computed independently from the prior year.
• Once an application has been submitted via Clarity, the school then convenes the Financial Aid Committee to determine what the school is able to award based on available funds and demand.

All information reviewed by the Financial Aid Committee is held in the strictest confidence.

Additional Financial Aid Considerations

• In the case of business ownership of more than 10%, a family is asked to provide a copy of the business tax return as part of the application process.  
• Whitfield imputes wages for parents who choose not to work, unless there is a valid reason for that choice. 
• In situations where parents are divorced or separated, a separate application is required from both natural parents.  The Financial Aid Committee will consider the assets of both before making an award, and will not be bound by the assertion that one parent has disclaimed responsibility for educational expenses.
• In situations where couples are living together but not married, financial information is required from both parties.

Receiving Financial Aid at Whitfield: Responsibility of Recipients

• Financial Aid is awarded as a grant, and does not need to be paid back to the school.
• Each family is asked to pay a portion of tuition as a collective commitment to a family’s prioritization of a Whitfield education.
• Students receiving Financial Aid are held to the same academic and community standards as all Whitfield students.
• Parents receiving Financial Aid are asked to keep this information confidential.  They are encouraged to fully participate in the life of school including but not limited to, involvement in Parents Council, volunteerism, fundraising, and speaking positively on behalf of the Whitfield School community.

The National Association of Independent Schools (NAIS) estimates, based solely on household income, the following percentage of tuition families can expect to pay annually. Whitfield is not bound by this affordability estimate, and reserves the right to make its own affordability determinations based on each family's Clarity application and the school's budgetary limitations. Tuition is not inclusive of annual fees.

NAIS Household Income Tuition Affordability Estimate:

• Household income of $100,000-$125,000 should expect to pay approximately $10,000/year in tuition
• Household income of $125,000-$150,000 should expect to pay approximately $18,000/year in tuition
• Household income of $150,000-$200,000 should expect to pay approximately $27,000/year in tuition
• Household income of $200,000+ should expect to pay full tuition ($34,050 for the 2024-25 school year)

Please note: Whitfield’s maximum financial aid award is 80% of the full yearly tuition.

​We can only help issue Financial Aid awards to families who complete the necessary paperwork. If you are concerned about your ability to afford Whitfield, we encourage you to complete the Financial Aid application. The Financial Aid process is competitive as funds are limited. Timely completion of the Financial Aid application is required.

All families who receive need-based Financial Aid pay some tuition. Financial aid awards range from $3,000 to over $20,000, with an average award of $18,700. All families pay some tuition as a collective commitment to the prioritization of a Whitfield education.

Approximately 45% of Whitfield’s families receive some Financial Aid. We are committed to building a strong, talented and diverse student body.  

Does Whitfield offer athletic scholarships?  We do not. Athletic scholarships are more typically found at the college level. 

Is there a relationship between Admission and Financial Aid decisions?  We make Admission decisions separately from Financial Aid decisions. In doing so, it is possible that a child may be admitted to Whitfield but be denied Financial Aid.  With an increasing number of families applying for Financial Aid, this is a budget-based reality at every grade level. That said, Financial Aid notifications are included with the Admission decisions whenever possible.