Tuition and Financial Assistance
Tuition | Financial Aid | Scholarships
An Investment in your Child's Future
For more than half a century, our students have flourished in an environment where curious minds are sent soaring and caring spirits are firmly grounded.
We provide an optimum, enriching starting place for students who will bloom, develop and shine as the next generation of engaged citizens and leaders.
Fort Worth Country Day seeks to enroll the most qualified and dynamic students whose families understand and embrace the mission, vision and core values of The School. To achieve this goal, FWCD is committed to providing tuition assistance for families from a range of socio-economic backgrounds.
Tuition 2023-24
Grade JK
| Tuition | $16,130 |
|---|---|
| Meal Plan | $680 ($3.91/meal) |
| Activity Fee | $475 |
*Financial aid is not available for JK
Lower School K-4
| Tuition | $25,440 |
|---|---|
| Meal Plan | $1,000 ($5.75/meal) |
| Activity Fee | $475 |
Middle School 5-8
| Tuition | $27,260 |
|---|---|
| Meal Plan | $1,140 ($6.55/meal) |
| Activity Fee | $475 |
Upper School 9-12
| Tuition | $28,400 |
|---|---|
| Meal Plan | $1,220 ($7.01/meal) |
| Activity Fee |
Tuition for the following school year is determined in January by the Board of Trustees.
Payment Options
For families not on financial aid, there are three different payment plans. All three require a non-refundable $1,000 deposit. For returning students, the deposit is due on February 15. For new students, the deposit is due upon the completion of the enrollment contract. Please note that there is a $50.00 fee for payment plan changes after May 1.
100% Plan
100% of tuition, meal plan, activity fee (grades JK-8), PFA fee, optional tuition refund and accident insurance, less deposit is due June 20
50/50 Plan
50% of tuition, meal plan, activity fee (grades JK-8), 100% PFA fee, 100% optional tuition refund and accident insurance, less deposit is due June 20
50% of tuition, meal plan, activity fee (grades JK-8) is due November 20
Monthly Electronic Payment Plan
Ten electronic payments beginning June 20 with first payment to include participation fee of $300, 100% of required tuition refund insurance, 100% of PFA fee, 10% of tuition, meal plan, and activity fee (grade JK-8) less deposit. The remaining 9 payments for the 2023-24 school year are as follows:
- Junior Kindergarten: $1,576/$1,270
- Kindergarten: $2,430
- Grades 1-4: $2,568
- Grades 5-8: $2,754.50
- Grades 9-12: $2,855.50
Please note: above payment does not include incidentals.
Federal Truth in Lending Disclosures
If you select the monthly payment plan, you will be required to pay a deferral fee and the following disclosures apply to your contract:
| Annual Percentage Rate 1 | Finance Charge 2 | Amount Financed 3 | Total of Payments 4 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Grade JK (Extended) | 4.13% | $300 | $15,760 | $16,060 |
| Grade JK (Full) | 5.12% | $300 | $12,700 | $13,000 |
| Grade K | 2.68% | $300 | $24,300 | $24,600 |
| Grade 1-4 | 2.54% | $300 | $25,680 | $25,980 |
| Grade 5-8 | 2.37% | $300 | $27,545 | $27,845 |
| Grade 9-12 | 2.29% | $300 | $28,555 | $28,555 |
1 Annual Percentage Rate: The cost of your credit as a yearly rate.
2 Finance Charge: The dollar amount the credit will cost you.
3 Amount Financed: The amount of credit provided to you on your behalf.
4 Total of Payments: The amount you will have paid after you have made the final payment.
2023-24 at a Glance
Tuition Assistance
The purpose of need-based tuition assistance is to enhance the student body of Fort Worth Country Day. The school attracts and retains deserving and talented children whose families qualify for such assistance. The admission decision is based solely on each student’s academic and personal qualities independent of the family’s ability to meet the cost of a Fort Worth Country Day education. Thus, admission to FWCD and the awarding of tuition assistance are two separate decisions.
Determining Family Need
FWCD uses Clarity in determining a family’s need for aid. This service provides the school with information and guidelines for making financial aid awards fairly and equitably on the basis of need. The family includes, but is not limited to, parents (natural or adoptive), stepparents, guardians, grandparents and married or unmarried domestic partners.
Using the Parents’ Financial Statement as a guideline, the Financial Aid Committee takes into consideration several financial factors including:
- Total family income (and if applicable earning potential of non-working parent)
- Family size and number of children attending tuition-charging schools
- IRS forms, schedules, W-2’s/1099’s
- Investments and indebtedness
- Assets, such as home equity
- Discretionary expenditures, such as private clubs, vacations
- Unusual Expenses
- Awards are reviewed annually
Keep in mind that the recommendation from Clarity, which is based on information from the PFS, serves only as a guideline. The final decision on aid awards is made by Fort Worth Country Day School’s Financial Aid Committee.
Applying for Tuition Assistance
Download the 2024-25 Guide to Applying for Financial Aid
The Parents’ Financial Statement and the application for financial aid must be submitted online. Submit Application. A Spanish-language version of the Parents’ Financial Statement is also available.
- There is a $60 application fee. Clarity grants fee waivers based on their own criteria regarding a family’s income level and applies it automatically.
- Please see the deadlines and requirements for applying for tuition assistance below.
- You may find the Clarity Parent FAQs helpful.
Please note, limited funds may prevent the Financial Aid Committee from offering assistance to all qualified deserving applicants. Therefore, families to whom financial assistance is awarded are expected to accept or decline the award by the due date on their contract. In the event the family fails to comply with this and other reasonable requirements, the Financial Aid Committee reserves the right to award the aid to an alternate candidate.
Families may appeal a financial aid decision or an award amount if they can provide supplemental information which would be pertinent to the computation of the award.
Deadlines for 2024-25 Financial Aid Applications
The deadline for completing the financial aid application including relevant supplemental documents is:
- Returning Families: Deadline December 8, 2023
- Early decision Kindergarten: Deadline November 10, 2023
- Kindergarten: Deadline January 12, 2024
- New grades 1-12: Deadline February 9, 2024
Requirements For Receiving Financial Aid
To receive aid, a student must already be enrolled in or be accepted for admission to Fort Worth Country Day. Parents are asked to complete the enrollment process and pay a $100 deposit (per child). In addition, the student must exhibit exemplary citizenship and a positive classroom attitude reflected by above average grades. The student must also have actively participated in the life of the school community. Finally, the Parents' Financial Statement must show demonstrated financial need. To receive aid in subsequent years, the student must continue to meet the above requirements and parents must submit a PFS and include all tax documents each year.
Notification of Financial Aid
New Families applying to FWCD:
New Families will be notified of their awards upon acceptance.
Returning FWCD families (including families with siblings who are first-time applicants offered admission in grades K – 12):
Returning families will be notified of their awards with their re-enrollment contract, if their tuition balance is current for the present school year. First-time accepted siblings of returning families will receive an award notification with their re-enrollment contracts.
Payment Plan For Families Receiving Financial Aid
Ten equal monthly electronic payments, per the financial aid agreement, beginning June 20.
Please note: PFA fee and tuition refund are all required and part of the financial agreement and monthly payments.
Financial aid applicants pay a reduced enrollment deposit ($100) with enrollment or re-enrollment contracts.
For questions regarding financial aid, contact Student Accounts and Financial Aid at [email protected].
Scholarships
Fort Worth Country Day offers merit/need-based named scholarships. Every year we offer need-based financial aid. Please refer to the financial aid section above for more information about the process.
Scholarships available for the 2024-25 school year:
- The Edward P. Bass Scholarship at Fort Worth Country Day
- The Reilly Family Foundation/ Breakthrough Fort Worth Scholarship
- The Strother Norman ’25 Climb That Mountain Scholarship
Scholarships not available for the 2024-25 school year:
- The Gayle G. and Evan D. Peterson Scholarship
- The Jillian Chandler Thompson Memorial Scholarship
- The Malone Scholars Program
Financial Aid Frequently Asked Questions
What is tuition assistance?
Tuition assistance is a grant, not a loan. This grant does not need to be repaid. It is given to qualified families based on financial need to offset the cost of FWCD education
Does FWCD offer Financial Assistance for costs beyond tuition and required fees?
Students receiving financial aid can also receive funds to offset the cost of expenses such as iPads/laptops for Middle and Upper School, sport fees, musical instruments and community wide events. We want to help recipients and their families participate fully in life at FWCD while feeling comfortable in our community.
Do I need to apply for assistance every year?
Parents must complete the financial aid application each year and submit the required documentation as requested. If a family’s financial picture remains about the same from year to year, a family can expect a similar financial aid award relative to the annual tuition increase
Does FWCD offer a sibling discount?
No. Families who believe in the benefit of having multiple children with us are encouraged to file an application for tuition assistance
Are wages imputed for a non-working parent/guardian?
Financial Aid decisions are based on dual incomes for a two-parent household. Exceptions would include families with children younger than kindergarten age or other dependents in the home needing full-time care, or some physical/health limitation that prevents a parent from working. If a parent chooses not to work without having any of these extenuating circumstances, the school will add $20,000 yearly wage income to the total family income for the year. Childcare costs, as always, will be taken into account.
If I am divorced or separated do both parents need to apply for financial aid?
Because financial aid is based on a family's ability to meet the cost of an education at Fort Worth Country Day, a family will be defined as consisting of both natural parents of the applicant, any step-parent, plus any children from the original marriage along with any children produced by the current marriage. The school will not be bound by the assertion of one parent, including a divorce decree, that he/she is not responsible legally or otherwise for educational expenses. Thus, both parents must provide the information that is requested on the Parents' Financial Statement that is filed each year with the School and Student Services. If this information is not available at the time the application is evaluated, it may cause an arbitrary assessment of financial need to be made by the school. This may or may not result in a lesser award or no award at all. The financial aid contract will be sent to both parents (if contact information is provided), who must decide how to divide the parents' contribution. It will be both parents' responsibility to ensure that Fort Worth Country Day receives payment. If child’s other biological parent cannot be found or contacted, please contact the Financial Aid office at 817-302-3254.
Is my financial information confidential?
Yes, All information is held in strict confidence by Clarity and the financial aid committee to protect your privacy. FWCD expects that financial aid recipients and their families will honor this confidentiality
Are Loan Programs available?
More and more families are using educational loan programs to help them manage the cost of an independent school education. While there are millions of dollars and scholarships available to students for college tuition, funds for independent schools are limited to the endowment and assets of the individual school. Even though we do not endorse or promote any particular lending institution, the following has sent us information about their student loan programs for a K-12 independent school education:
Your Tuition Solution
(800) 920-9777
www.yourtuitionsolution.com
Additional Estimated Expenses
For Junior Kindergarten, Kindergarten and Lower School, the activity fee covers all books, school trips, the yearbook and supplies. Extended care options are available through the campus-based SOAR program. The activity fee for Middle School includes all of the class trips that are unique to the middle school program as well as the yearbook. The activity fee in Middle School will not eliminate bills for certain elective items and it does not include the cost of books and supplies. Currently, there is no activity fee in the Upper School.
Estimates:
- Books and Supplies - $500-1000 for grades 5-12
- Accident Insurance - $25 per year ($1000 coverage)
- Tuition Refund Insurance - 1.75% of tuition, meal plan and activity fee
- Additional optional charges depend on the degree to which the student is involved in sports, arts, and academic activities offered at FWCD. Some examples: athletic teams in grades 7-12 require the purchase of appropriate sports equipment and shoes, ballet students purchase annual recital costumes, musical instruments can be rented through FWCD for $150 per year. Seniors have additional charges for SAT and Advanced Placement tests, as well as graduation.
For general questions, contact the Admission Office at 817.302.3209 or email [email protected].
For questions regarding financial aid, contact Student Accounts and Financial Aid at [email protected].
