Tuition at the Emerson Waldorf School, like the curriculum itself, takes a holistic approach, balancing all aspects (social, financial, etc.), and works to meet each family where they are.

We feel strongly that a Waldorf education should be available to any child, regardless of financial circumstance, and we balance this belief with the practical realities of our school’s financial requirements.

We offer sibling discounts (for children enrolled in Grade 1 or higher), as well as tuition adjustment, to qualified applicants based upon each family’s relative needs and means. Our goal is to have families from a wide range of socioeconomic backgrounds in every class.

APPLICATION FEE:  A $50.00 non-refundable fee must accompany the application form for each new student.

PAYMENT OF TUITION: Families may opt to pay tuition through one, two, or twelve payments.  All families are required to complete their Tuition Management Agreement through TADS before their child can attend school.

MONTHLY PAYMENTS: Monthly payments are due on the 15th of each month, beginning in June before the school year starts.  Families enrolling after June 15th must remit all missed payments by time of enrollment.

TUITION ADJUSTMENT: The School will consider Tuition Adjustment (TA) for families who demonstrate financial need; this adjustment applies to tuition only.  It may not be possible, however, to accommodate every family’s unique circumstance.  Therefore, the School asks parents/guardians to pursue all other sources of income for tuition payments.  Your financial aid process must be finalized, and Tuition Management Agreement completed on TADS, before your child can attend school.

Tuition Levels

Tuition levels for 2013-14, not including applicable sibling discounts, will be:

NURSERY:

• 4-day, 8:30am-12:30pm: $5,900
• 4-day, 8:30am-12:30pm + After Care, 12:30pm-3:00pm*: $7,928

KINDERGARTEN:

• 5-day, 8:30am-12:30pm: $8,990
• 5-day, 8:30am-12:30pm + After Care, 12:30pm-3:00pm*: $11,525
• 5-day, 8:30am-12:30pm + After Care, 12:30pm-3:00pm + After-school at Lower School 3:00-5:00pm: $14,060

After Care Program (N-K) / 12:30 – 3:00 p.m.

Our N-K program is a 1/2 day program from 8:30am-12:30pm with a Lead Teacher and Teacher's Assistant. Our After Care Program is for Nursery and Kindergarten children from 12:30–3:00 PM, Monday through Friday with a Teacher's Assistant.  The afternoon begins with a short walk, followed by a story, then nap or rest period to balance and compliment the morning program.  The day ends with outdoor play.  Below are the fees if you would like After Care on selected days.

    2 Afternoons - Annual: $1,014.00 / Monthly: $112.66
    3 Afternoons - Annual: $1,521.00 / Monthly: $169.00
    4 Afternoons - Annual: $2,028.00 / Monthly: $225.33
    5 Afternoons - Annual: $2,535.00 / Monthly: $281.66

*The cost of full day nursery and kindergarten includes half day tuition plus the After Care program fee for all five afternoons. If you would like your child to attend the program for fewer afternoons, please refer to the After Care program options within your enrollment application (you complete this on-line once you've been accepted).

(FYI: If your kindergartner will need to stay until 5pm, they will be escorted to the Lower School afterschool program from 3:00pm-5:00pm for a $15/day fee. Registration for kindergartners to attend from 3-5pm is not required as this is considered "drop-in" and parents' TADS accounts are billed for the days their child attends).

For tax purposes, our Nursery Program is considered "day care" and you will need the EWS Tax ID # 56-1379068 to file.

GRADES 1-5: $13,898

GRADES 6-8: $14,216

HIGH SCHOOL: $15,807

TUITION DEPOSIT: The deposit amounts are as follows: $500 per child for new families, $500 for re-enrolling families not applying for Tuition Adjustment and $250 for re-enrolling families applying for Tuition Adjustment.  The tuition deposit is non-refundable and non-transferable.  The deposit will be applied fully towards next year's tuition, provided the enrollment agreement and deposit are submitted by the re-enrollment deadline, January 31, 2013.  If the enrollment agreement or deposit is received after the deadline, only half of the deposit will be credited towards next year's tuition. If a family has a past due balance, the re-enrollment agreement and deposit will not be accepted until the account is current.

SIBLING DISCOUNT: A discount of 10% is applied against the tuition for the younger siblings enrolled in Grades 1-12, of children enrolled in Grade 1 or higher. The sibling discount does not apply to children enrolled in the Nursery or Kindergarten programs.

LATE FEES: Accounts for which a payment is received 5 business days past due are assessed a $29 late fee by TADS.  Parents/guardians having difficulty paying tuition or other fees should contact the Finance Director to make alternate arrangements.  Also see EWS Arrears Policy.

FACILITIES MAINTENANCE FEE: All families are required to pay a one-time $1,300 Facilities Maintenance Fee for each new student enrolled. We encourage families to pay the FacilitiesMaintenance Fee in full at the time of enrollment. New students enrolling in the Early Childhood program have the option to make a smaller deposit towards their Facility Maintenance Fee ($200 for Nursery, $300 for Kindergarten) rather than pay the entire fee immediately. For complete details, families of new students should refer to the Facilities Maintenance Fee Description and Agreement found here.

PARENT ORGANIZATION DUES: An annual fee of $35 for Parent Organization (P.O.) dues will be added to each family’s first TADS invoice.

RETURNED CHECK FEE: There is a $35 charge for all checks made directly to EWS that are returned.  This fee is subject to change without notice.  For checks made directly to TADS, please see their policy on returned payments.

OTHER FEES: In addition to tuition, Facilities Maintenance Fees and P.O. dues, there are a number of additional fees for which a family may be responsible.  These include the Early Childhood After Care and Extended Care Programs and Grades After School Program, tutoring, sports, field trips, books, music lessons, etc.  These fees are part of your account balance and are therefore subject to the Arrears Policy, as well. Families are responsible for the replacement cost of any supplies, materials, facilities, or equipment that the student breaks, damages, or wastes.

PROOF OF PAYMENT: Parents are liable for proof of payment.  Acceptable forms of proof include canceled checks, money order traces from the issuing agency, credit card statements, and School receipts (issued upon request for cash only).  In matters of dispute, lack of proof of payment will be construed as non-payment.

WITHDRAWAL OF AN ENROLLED CHILD: Intention to withdraw a child from the Emerson Waldorf School must be made in writing to the Administrator and must state the reasons and anticipated actual date of withdrawal.  The withdrawal will be effective as of the date of receipt of the letter or the last day of attendance, whichever is later. The first one-fourth of the tuition is non-refundable and shall be applied to the FINAL one-fourth of tuition due.  In the event a student is withdrawn or dismissed from the School, the financial liability under this contract will be determined as follows: After June 1st, tuition due at withdrawal will be calculated by adding the prorated tuition amount for the number of days actually attended to the non-refundable portion of the tuition (one-fourth of total tuition) and the non-refundable enrollment deposit ($500 per child/$750 per new child).  Any refund of full tuition paid will be determined by subtracting this calculated tuition due from the total tuition paid.

ARREARS:  No transcripts, year-end reports, scholastic records, diplomas, or letters of academic reference will be issued until all bills are paid in full.  A student will not be permitted to enter or continue in school if his or her tuition and fees are in arrears more than sixty (60) days.  A student will not be permitted to re-enroll until his or her account is paid up-to-date.  Families are required to pay attorneys’ or other fees incurred by the School in the collection of amounts due.  Please also refer to the EWS Arrears Policy.

NON-DISCRIMINATION STATEMENT: The Emerson Waldorf School does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, creed, national or ethnic origin in the administration of its educational policies, admissions policies, tuition adjustment program, athletic, or other school-administered programs.