Kent School
Tuition & Financial Aid
Tuition & Financial Aid
Kent is committed to making its education accessible to all families who are drawn to the mission of the School.
Financial aid awards range from $5,000 up to the full cost of tuition, depending upon each family’s individual financial circumstances.
The average financial aid award is nearly $54,000. 35% of Kent students receive financial aid from a school-wide financial aid budget of $8.7 million.
Boarding Student Tuition: $73,450
Day Student Tuition: $54,600
Tuition covers all academic instruction as well as room and board, but additional fees may apply.
An Elite School; Not A School For Elites
When the Reverend Frederick Herbert Sill founded Kent School in 1906, he envisioned an elite school, not a school for elites. This intention expressed itself in ways big and small, from our motto to the jobs program. Materially, this vision resulted in making the school accessible to those who might not otherwise be able to afford a boarding school education.
An Egalitarian Approach
Fr. Sill was ahead of his time, instituting a tuition model that asked families to pay only what they were able to afford. It is in that spirit that Kent approaches financial aid today. The School provides some form of tuition assistance for 35% of its students, with a goal to endow a 10% increase in financial aid by the Fall of 2026.
A Transformative Investment
A solid educational foundation is one of the highest priorities for parents/guardians. Investing in the future of one’s child is an important decision. Kent’s objective is to create a learning community that allows families who believe in the School’s approach access to the Kent experience, regardless of their ability to afford it.
Our long-standing commitment to ensuring that student experience is not limited by a family’s ability to pay goes well beyond tuition reduction. Depending on level of need, qualifying families may also receive other forms of assistance besides tuition grants:
- Discretionary spending accounts to help with expenses on and off campus.
- Fee waivers
- Reduced costs for individual music lessons and school trips
- Free laundry service
- Health insurance
Payment Options
For domestic families, Kent offers:
- A one-payment plan.
- A two-payment plan.
- A 10-payment plan with a one-time fee.
Apply For Financial Aid
Get started
1
Indicate
Parents/guardians of new applicants should indicate that they intend to apply for financial aid on the Parent Form of the Application for Admission.
2
By February 1
All new applicants must submit a completed Parent Financial Statement (PFS) to the School and Student Service for Financial Aid (SSS).
- The PFS can be submitted as early as September 1. If 2022 tax information is not yet available at the time of filing the PFS, please use estimated figures.
- All new U.S. applicants and filers must submit signed copies of 2020 and 2021 federal tax return(s) (1040, 1040A or 1040EZ) including all W-2s, 1099s and major schedules, to SSS. Submission of corresponding K-1s, forms 1065 or 1120s along with the schedule E is required for all who have an ownership interest in a partnership or corporation.
- All new international applicants and filers must submit income verification documents (tax returns/employer statements of earnings) for 2020 and 2021.
Note: All supporting application documents must be submitted to SSS to attach to the Parent Financial Statement; nothing comes directly to Kent School.
3
By April 15
All new U.S. applicants and filers must submit signed copies of 2022 federal tax return(s) (1040, 1040A or 1040EZ) including all W-2s, 1099s and major schedules, to SSS. Submission of corresponding K-1s, forms 1065 or 1120s along with the schedule E is required for all who have an ownership interest in a partnership or corporation.
Kent School reserves the right to require additional documentation or explanation of unusual circumstances to determine eligibility for financial aid.
4
On March 10
Financial Aid decisions are posted on the enrollment portal for families of new applicants
5
On April 10
Signed enrollment agreements and deposits are due for newly enrolled students
Financial Aid FAQ
- How is eligibility for aid determined?
- What if the parents/guardians of the applicant are divorced or separated?
- What if I am a single parent/guardian?
- Does the financial aid calculation take into account expenses for children enrolled at other schools?
- Can my child receive assistance to participate in Kent’s Equestrian Program?
- If we receive financial aid for the first year, what happens in subsequent years and what if our finances change?
- If we do not apply/qualify for aid this year, can we apply again next year?
- What if we have special circumstances that are not addressed in the standard application?
- Does Kent offer financial aid to non U.S. citizens?
- What if I cannot pay the PFS application fee and need a fee waiver?
- Is it still possible to apply if we have missed the published filing deadlines?