Tuition & Financial Aid

Yes, financial aid is available for all grades, from Small World through grade 12. 

We will consider your income, what you own (your house and other investments), what you owe (your mortgage and other debts), the size of your family, and how many of your children are enrolled in tuition-charging schools or colleges.

After making allowances for basic necessities, taxes, and certain other expenses, taking into account the cost of living in our area, Clarity estimates what portion of your remaining funds are available to pay school costs. (Note: eligibility for financial aid does not guarantee that Avenues has enough financial aid available for your family.) Clarity then provides this information to Avenues as a recommendation of your ability to pay. The final award determination always comes from Avenues based on our school policies, practices, and available budget, not Clarity.

Due to the early deadlines, families applying for financial aid should enter information from their two most recent completed 1040 tax returns (two consecutive years). When prompted on the application to estimate income, please enter your estimated earnings for the current year.

When determining a family’s estimated contribution, Clarity takes into consideration the total number of children in tuition-charging schools, including other college, parochial, and independent school programs. These expenses may be more or less than an Avenues tuition, and therefore, the financial aid committee will determine the appropriate percentage of the family’s overall estimated contribution to be allocated to Avenues. Avenues cannot subsidize tuition associated with other schools where financial aid is unavailable, and reserves the right to adjust awards based on any changes to the number of children in tuition-charging schools.

Yes. If the application fee poses a financial hardship for your family, you may reach out to waiver@avenues-ny.org to request an application fee waiver. Our team is committed to ensuring that cost is not a prohibitive factor in your application. Additionally, if your family qualifies, Clarity will automatically waive application fees for your financial aid application.

When the need for aid exceeds Avenues’ resources, the financial aid committee follows a policy that prioritizes awarding funds each year to returning students with aid packages already in place, new students in need of aid, and, lastly, to current students who are new to financial aid. Avenues reserves the right for financial aid grants to reflect the enrollment priorities of the school (e.g. entry grade, class size, socio-economic diversity, immersion language preference).

Yes, financial aid packages extend beyond tuition so that all students can fully enjoy the breadth of our program. Support is offered in several areas, including extended day, summer programs, instrument rental, overnight class trips within the U.S., and study abroad. The level of funding correlates with the same percentage of tuition aid a family received. Enrolling students receive detailed information regarding accessing funding and certain restrictions.

We renew grants based on a family’s demonstrated financial need. Therefore, families must annually update a report of their income, assets, and debts via the Clarity financial aid application.

We remain committed to partnering with families to finance an independent school education, but recognize that a family’s ability to contribute toward tuition may increase or decrease depending on their annual reporting. With no change in financial profile, a family can expect their parent contribution toward tuition to increase slightly each year, typically equal to the percentage increase in tuition.

Generally not. Families who enrolled with no financial aid must wait three years before applying for financial aid, unless a sibling will be joining Avenues New York.

We recognize that unfortunate events can affect a family’s ability to contribute to tuition, and Avenues will work with families to develop a financing plan. If your child does not receive a financial aid award and your family cannot afford to finance full tuition for the remaining years, we strongly recommend that your child not enroll.

Avenues does not provide tuition loans.

Protecting the confidentiality of personal data is one of the most important tasks for our financial aid office. All financial data and subsequent proceedings with Avenues are strictly confidential; only members of the financial aid committee have access to a family’s information. Avenues faculty are not privy to any financial information regarding students.

Families can take steps to ensure confidentiality. Your family should use school-established channels for submitting an application, as well as disputing or appealing a financial aid decision. Additionally, your family should respect confidentiality by not disclosing financial aid outcomes to any other community members.

Submitting an application by the deadline is critical, as most funding is allocated soon after the deadline. Families new to Avenues are encouraged to reach out to the admissions office to learn if any funding remains for students. Please note: Late applications for returning families will not be considered for any increase in financial aid. Applications more than one month late will likely result in a reduced award or no award, depending on the availability of funds.

No. We encourage families who wish to enroll multiple children at Avenues to apply for financial aid.

Avenues believes that both parents are responsible for the education of a child. Any legal arrangements or commitments to the contrary are the responsibility of the parents to negotiate between themselves. We will consider the income and assets of both natural parents, even if only one parent is in favor of a student’s attendance at Avenues. If natural parents have remarried, we will also consider the assets of the stepparent, always bearing in mind the primary obligations of that stepparent to his or her own children. Click here for the non-custodial parent info form.

The financial aid committee will impute a salary for a non-working parent when there are no preschool-age children or others to care for in the home, and/or no medical or disability issues that prevent the parent from seeking employment.

No. We calculate our financial aid grants and budget in conjunction with offers of admission. Both applications should be filed concurrently in the fall.

All self-employed parents filing for financial aid must submit business tax returns. Avenues reserves the right to request full business filings semi-annually.

All student assets are to be included in the application and will be considered. Certain financial vehicles that preclude family access to the asset must be documented.

Families may request reconsideration by the financial aid committee upon receipt of a financial aid decision. The only condition under which an appeal may be filed is if there is new information available for consideration that wasn’t previously known. If there is no new information to be submitted, an appeal will not be considered. A detailed monthly budget of household income and expenses, a letter to the financial aid committee explaining the request for additional aid, and additional documentation of unusual circumstances are required to process appeals. Click here for the monthly budget form.

International students are eligible to apply for financial aid. Additional documentation may be required by the financial aid committee to verify a family’s ability to contribute toward the cost of education. Though we strive to meet the full demonstrated need of each enrolling student, funding is limited.