Tuition

What Does Tuition Cover?
All regular student programming is included in the price of tuition. Our tuition is intended to be all-inclusive; our goal is for families not to encounter unexpected costs over the course of the academic year. Tuition includes the cost of athletics, all required class trips including those that may involve plane travel, textbooks, performing arts, and many other activities. 
 
Tuition does not include lunch (many students bring their own and the school offers a buy-in lunch program that some families use), personal school supplies, and SAT test fees. Some elective activities such as school dances or overnight trips for Model UN may involve an additional cost for those students who choose to participate.
 
All 5th-9th grade students are provided a school-owned Chromebook for use for their schoolwork. Beginning in 10th grade, students may continue to use a school-provided Chromebook, or may choose to BYOD (bring your own device) to enhance their access to more sophisticated school-provided student software subscriptions such as Adobe Creative Suite or Microsoft Excel that are used in many Upper School visual art and science courses.
 
Additionally, there is a fee associated with our culminating experiential learning program that happens at the end of every school year, Emphasis Week. The cost of this required end-of-year program is not included in tuition; the fees for this week vary depending on the nature of the activity/trip students choose. Choices usually range in cost between $30-$700 for the week.

Constellation Learning Elective Offerings
Through our membership in Constellation Learning, an independent school online consortium, Tandem Friends School Upper School students have access to elective classes not offered at TFS. Some mini-courses have no fee, but semester or year-long classes such as Mandarin, American Sign Language, or AP Psychology involve an additional fee paid by families who opt to enroll their student in a Constellation Learning elective course. 

Tandem Friends School seeks students who will thrive in our unique educational environment, who will explore our school program to its fullest, and who will make a difference in the world when they graduate. Tandem Friends School strives to maintain a student body that represents a wide range of backgrounds, cultures, walks of life, and financial circumstances.
 
We appreciate that for most families, an independent school education represents a substantial financial commitment, one that requires prioritizing education over other expenses. To assist families with their educational goals, Tandem Friends makes adjustments to tuition if families complete the financial aid application and their unique financial circumstances fall within the qualifying range. These tuition adjustments make it possible for many families to enroll one or several children at our school.
 
Financial aid at Tandem Friends is funded by our operating budget. Every year, financial aid availability depends on several factors that include: our annual budget, our projected enrollment, the number of families applying for a financial aid tuition adjustment, and each family's unique financial circumstances. The Financial Aid Committee uses FAST, our financial aid assessment program, to take these elements into account and endeavors to equitably and objectively maximize each family's tuition adjustment while staying within our budget. While the amount of financial aid the school can provide is limited, we do our best to meet the needs of families who apply to the school and whose financial circumstances qualify them for a financial aid tuition adjustment as assessed by FAST.
 
Financial aid tuition adjustments are assessed annually and are need-based. Families seeking tuition reduction are asked to renew their financial information in their financial aid application each winter.
 
Receiving financial aid at TFS means a reduction in tuition a family pays for the year. This tuition reduction does not affect other school-related expenses. It does not mean a family receives an allocation of funds and it is not a loan that would need to be paid back. Families should also budget for additional school-related expenses such as the cost of personal school supplies, the cost of lunch (students may either bring or buy their own lunch), tutoring fees (if applicable), and AP test fees (if applicable).