Affording FCS

Deciding on an Independent School education for your child(ren) is an important choice for every family to make. But considering how to afford it can be overwhelming.

At Friends’ Central, we offer a number of different payment options to best suit our families’ needs.

Tuition Assistance

Tuition Assistance plays an important role at Friends’ Central School. Our commitment to economic diversity allows us to strengthen our student body by funding talented students with limited financial means. The request for tuition assistance does not affect one’s application for admission to the School. However, each year the demand for tuition assistance far exceeds the allocated budget. Therefore, not all students in need of financial assistance who are offered admission will be awarded a grant.

Friends’ Central is excited to now partner with  Clarity to process our Tuition Assistance applications. You will find that Clarity offers a streamlined and user-friendly tuition assistance application process that can take as few as twenty minutes to complete. It is mobile-friendly, so you can complete your application on your phone or tablet! Furthermore, your 1040 and W2 documents from 2022 will be automatically transferred from the IRS when you complete the verification step, so you will no longer need to upload those documents manually. 

The School’s goal is to provide the same level of aid to a student as long as the student is enrolled at Friends' Central School, provided the financial need continues and the student is in good standing.  If a family's ability to contribute to the student's education increases, the level of aid awarded will decrease accordingly. If a family's ability to pay decreases, every effort will be made to raise the level of aid awarded.

The School expects that families who enroll without receiving tuition assistance will continue to support their child’s education at Friends’ Central without assistance. However, when unforeseen circumstances arise to significantly change a currently enrolled family’s financial situation, an application for tuition assistance can be made. Students who initially enroll without receiving tuition assistance must be enrolled for a minimum of two years in order to be eligible to apply for tuition assistance later on.

To begin your Tuition Assistance application for the 2024-2025 school year:

For applying families: application due December 8, 2023

The 24-25 Tuition Assistance application is now open! To get started, please go to the Clarity Application and create an account. The application typically takes less than 30 minutes to complete and costs $60. Friends’ Central’s school code is 1845. With Clarity the process is more streamlined and straightforward and you will not need to upload any additional documents unless prompted to do so. Most families will only need to upload their most recent pay stub(s). Your 2022 1040 and supporting schedules will be received directly from the IRS. More information on how to complete the application can be found here, or in the Quick Guide here. 

Tuition Payment Plans

In consideration of the differing financial situations of our families, there are three ways to satisfy the tuition bill:

• Families who pay tuition in full by July 15 are eligible for a 1% discount.

• Parents may choose to pay two-thirds of the tuition by July 15 and defer payment of the last third until January 1, through FACTS Management Services.

• Parents may choose to pay the tuition in 10 monthly installments through FACTS beginning in June preceding the school year.

All payment plans will be billed and administered by the FACTS Management Company. If you have questions regarding tuition billing or payments, please contact Michelle Barbera in the Business Office or call 610-645-5050.