Kent School
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 circ*mstances.
The average financial aid award is nearly $54,000. 35% of Kent students receive financial aid from a school-wide financial aid budget of $8.6million.
Boarding Student Tuition:$73,450
Day StudentTuition: $54,600
Tuition covers all academic instruction as well as room and board, but additional fees may apply.
An Elite School; Not ASchool 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 inways big and small,from our motto to the jobs program. Materially, this vision resultedin making the school accessibleto 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.
Ourlong-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:
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
Apply
Apply for financial aid through Clarity.Application opens October 15.
3
Upload
Upload all required supplemental documents to your Clarity application.
4
On March 10
Assuming timely completion of the financial aid application, 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.
The Financial Aid Process
Beginning with the 2023–2024 application year, Kent will no longer be using the SSS application platform. We are excited to announce that we have chosen Clarity as our new financial aid application system. Our new Clarity application will be available beginning on October 15.
Our financial aid application deadline for:
- Returning families is November 15, 2023.
- Prospective families is January 15, 2024.
To begin your application, create an account at Clarity. Once your clarity application is submitted, you will be prompted to authorize/submit additional required documentation.
For Families Filing Taxes in the U.S.:
Clarity will prompt you to authorize the IRS to automatically transfer your 1040 and W2s (where applicable) from 2022 directly to the application, so you will not need to upload those documents manually.
Families who have ownership interest in businesses should first complete and submit the Clarity application, then return to the dashboard to upload the following additional tax information required by Kent:
- 2022 Business tax returns (for sole proprietorships, partnerships, S-Corporation, and if you own any part in a farm) including IRS Schedule K-1, and:
- For Partnerships: Form 1065
- For C-Corps: Form 1120
- For S-Corps: Form 1120S
- Those with wage earnings will be asked to submit 2023 W-2s at the end of January.
For International Families:
After completing and submitting your Clarity application, return to the dashboard to upload additional information required by Kent School (all documents should be converted to U.S. dollars and translated to English if necessary):
For Canadian tax payers:
- T1, T4, and Assessment notices from 2022
For all other families:
- Copy of your 2022 income tax report (where applicable)
OR
- Current annual earnings statement from your employer(s), translated to English and converted to U.S. dollars
AND
- Your most recent bank statements.
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 circ*mstances that are not addressed in the standard application?
- Does Kent offer financial aid to non U.S. citizens?
- What if I cannot pay the Clarity application fee and need a fee waiver?
- Is it still possible to apply if we have missed the published filing deadlines?
How is eligibility for aid determined?
Kent’s Financial Aid Committee starts with a standardized calculation based on information provided by the family on the Clarity application platform. This system considers gross taxable income, assets, liabilities, family size and number of students enrolled in tuition-charging schools. After an allowance for basic necessities and taxes, the remaining funds are considered discretionary income, a portion of which may be assumed to be available for education expenses.
What if the parents/guardians of the applicant are divorced or separated?
In cases of divorce, separation, or parents who were never married, both parents are required to submit a complete and separate application regardless of any divorce or custodial agreement. Each parent'sClarity application should reflect only their individual household income, assets and expenses, including those of current resident spouse/partner, if applicable. Kent will consider the finances of a step-parent, bearing in mind the step-parent/guardian’s obligation to his or her natural children.
If either parent declines to submit the required information, no further consideration for aid will be given.
What if I am a single parent/guardian?
We base our financial aid decisions on both parents’ demonstrated ability to contribute toward educational expenses and not on their willingness to participate in the process. However, we understand that on rare occasions, it may be impossible to procure an application from a non-custodial parent who has no contact with the family and/or whose whereabouts are unknown. If it is impossible for a non-custodial parent/guardian to submit an application and the custodial parent is asking to be considered a single parent/guardian for purposes of awarding aid, please contact the Financial Aid Office for details on how to proceed.
Does the financial aid calculation take into account expenses for children enrolled at other schools?
Yes, but if a family has children in other tuition-charging schools, they are expected to apply to those institutions for aid as well. Kent reserves the right to verify enrollment/cost/aid for the sibling(s) enrolled at otherinstitutions.
Can my child receive assistance to participate in Kent’s Equestrian Program?
Participation in the equestrian program at Kent carries a significant additional expense. In determining eligibility for aid, we do not include this extra cost in our financial aid expense budget and therefore do not assign financial aid funds to cover the Equestrian Program Fees.
If we receive financial aid for the first year, what happens in subsequent years and what if our finances change?
If there is continuing need, families are required to re-apply for aid each year. Awards may be adjusted if the family’s financial circ*mstanceschange.
If we do not apply/qualify for aid this year, can we apply again next year?
Families whose children begin their career at Kent without financial aid will not be given consideration in future years, barring unforeseen circ*mstances. In the event of such an unforeseen change in financial circ*mstance, should you wish to apply in a future year, you must notify the Financial Aid Office by December1. There is no guarantee that financial aid will be awarded even if the review confirms that need-based aid is warranted. The original admissions decision and forecast of financial aid assumes no financial aid in futureyears.
What if we have special circ*mstances that are not addressed in the standard application?
Special or unusual circ*mstances can be documented in a letter sent directly to the Kent Financial Aid Office forconsideration.
Does Kent offer financial aid to non U.S. citizens?
The majority of our financial aid goes to U.S citizens but we will consider small financial aid grants forhighly qualified international candidates aswell.
What if I cannot pay the Clarity application fee and need a fee waiver?
The Clarity application platform will automatically determine your eligibility for a fee waiver based on the information entered on your application. If you feel you have extenuating circ*mstances requiring consideration beyond the Clarity calculation, please contact the Financial Aid Office directly.
Is it still possible to apply if we have missed the published filing deadlines?
It is still possible to apply after the filing deadlines. However, there is no guarantee that aid will still be available for late applicants, so we encourage you to submit all application materials as soon as possible.
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