Tuition & Financial Aid

Any family who is applying to NCS or re-enrolling is eligible to apply for financial aid. Families who receive financial aid must reapply every year.

Financial aid is prioritized for re-enrolling families who previously received financial aid and continue to qualify. The financial aid committee then considers re-enrolling families who previously paid full tuition but may now qualify for financial aid and newly admitted students who apply for financial aid.

NCS partners with Clarity to manage our financial aid process. Families can set up an account here.  

Clarity is designed to provide a streamlined and intuitive user experience. The site application collects information about income, assets, liabilities, and other information that will help the financial aid committee understand your financial situation. In addition to the application, families are required to upload additional documentation through their Clarity portal. Tax documents will be acquired and verified directly from the IRS unless otherwise specified.  

Families must reapply for financial aid for each school year. 

The fee for submitting a financial aid application through Clarity is $65. NCS has a limited number of fee waivers available for families. Please contact Rebecca Durango to request a fee waiver.

The Clarity application asks families to outline their income, expenses, assets, and liabilities. There are opportunities for families to include explanations, additional context, and other considerations as needed. In addition to the information on the application, Clarity will prompt families to upload the following documents: 

• NCS Financial Aid Policies and Procedures Acknowledgment Form 

• Debt documentation (as indicated)  

• Zillow valuation (for property owners) 

• Recent mortgage statement (for property owners)  

• Proof of Income 

  • Tax documents (automatically pulled from IRS unless otherwise noted) 

  • End-of-year pay stub for each working guardian 

  • Proof of income (only for non-US tax filers) 

We do not include student earnings and personal savings in the evaluation for financial aid.  For step-by-step instructions on how to complete the Clarity application, please refer to the Family Application Guide (available in English and Spanish). 

Many factors go into determining a financial aid award, including changes in income, assets, significant and unforeseen out-of-pocket expenses, and more. That said, the financial aid committee uses a consistent methodology to ensure that awards do not fluctuate drastically from year to year unless major changes occur.  

Major changes that the committee will consider include, but are not limited to: 

• Involuntary job loss or recent inability to work 

• Significant increase or decrease in income 

• Significant and/or unforeseen medical expenses 

• Change in number of students attending tuition-charging schools (through student’s undergraduate education)  

Timing and deadlines are of critical importance. Families can submit a financial aid application at any time, but incomplete or late applications may jeopardize a family’s financial aid award, even if they received an award last year.  

The deadline for financial aid applications for the 26-27 school year are as follows:

• Re-enrolling families: December 4, 2026

• New applicant families: January 8, 2027

Families who already receive financial aid can request a reconsideration of their award at any time if their financial circumstances have changed significantly. Most requests require additional documentation.  

Families who are not receiving financial aid in the current academic year may also request consideration for an award if their financial circumstances have changed significantly.  

The school cannot guarantee that mid-year requests will be met, especially because one of the considerations will be the availability of funds. 

NCS believes divorced or separated parents are obligated to contribute to the education of children for whom they have legal custody (sole or joint). NCS expects each parent to contribute as much as our calculations show they can afford, even if a divorce settlement stipulates a different amount. If one parent is unwilling to cover educational expenses, the application for financial aid will be denied. 

Under this policy, all custodial parents and their current spouses, if any, must submit financial information. The assets and earnings potential of a stepparent will also be considered, while bearing in mind the obligation of that stepparent to their own custodial children. 

We ask that documentation be provided in the case of extreme or unusual circumstances that prevent a parent or guardian from contributing to the education of a child. 

Limited funds are also available to provide assistance for supplemental costs associated with textbooks and materials, sports fees, and school trips. Supplemental aid is not guaranteed.  

Families must submit requests in writing before the purchase of an item or registration for an activity or trip. Requests must be sent to Rebecca Durango, Associate Director of Admission & Financial Aid.  

Once received, the financial aid committee will review the request and notify the family of the decision to provide supplemental aid. If granted, the percentage discount that a student receives for tuition will be applied to the cost of the item, activity, or trip.  

Materials, activities, or trips that may be eligible for Supplemental Aid are outlined in the following examples.  

Materials

Materials that may qualify for financial aid can include textbooks bought from third parties, laptops for incoming Upper School students, graphing calculators, and other expensive items required for schoolwork. If a student or family is unsure of whether an item qualifies for supplemental aid, please reach out to Rebecca Durango for clarification. 

Activities

A select number of activities may qualify for supplemental aid. Families can request aid for costs associated with sports and athletics (i.e., crew/crew conditioning, squash, Voyageur), clubs (i.e., competition fees), enrichment (i.e., one after-school class per trimester for Lower School students), or student life (i.e., Homecoming, Prom, winter formal). If a student or family is unsure of whether an activity item qualifies for supplemental aid, please reach out to Rebecca Durango. 

Trips

Trips sponsored by NCS may also qualify for supplemental aid. The school typically sponsors three types of trips: day trips, small overnight trips, and large overnight trips. Day trips and small overnight trips are typically shorter in duration and distance. Families can request aid for day trips and small overnight trips at any time.  

Large overnight trips are typically longer in duration and farther in distance. Starting the 2024-2025 school year, NCS will require a minimum contribution by all families participating in international or equally expensive travel. After a qualifying family meets the minimum contribution of $500, aid may be applied to remaining costs of that trip at the percentage equivalent to what the student is receiving on tuition aid.

Students can only receive aid for larger overnight trips once per division. For example, if a 7th grader receives aid for the Middle School trip to Costa Rica, they cannot receive aid for the following year’s trip to Canada. However, they would be able to receive aid for one large overnight trip once they are in the Upper School (grades 9-12).  

Trips sponsored by NCS include class field trips, sports camps or competitions, club-related competitions, international trips through the Global Studies Program, and music and theatre trips. If a student or family is unsure of whether an activity item qualifies for supplemental aid, please reach out to Rebecca Durango.