Tuition & tuition assistance
Families see Aspen Country Day School as a smart investment, a way to prepare their children for the journey ahead. They understand the value of the confidence, resilience, and joy in learning that children take out into the world when they graduate.
| TUITION FOR THE 2024-25 SCHOOL YEAR |
| Preschool & PreKindergarten two days/week: $11,200 three days/week: $16,800 four days/week: $22,400 five days/week: $28,000 |
| Kindergarten: $31,300 |
| First Grade: $31,300 |
| Second Grade: $32,700 |
| Third Grade: $32,700 |
| Fourth Grade: $34,800 |
| Fifth Grade: $34,800 |
| Sixth Grade: $37,200 |
| Seventh Grade: $37,200 |
| Eighth Grade: $37,200 |
No additional fees for lunch, bus, or activities
All-inclusive tuition: There are no additional charges for lunch, transportation, books, Outdoor Ed and field trips, and supplies.* Children in Kindergarten through Eighth Grade enjoy a wholesome, freshly prepared midday meal with their classmates and teachers. Preschool and PreKindergarten children bring their own lunch, as teachers find that familiar food from home is best to fuel learning in these younger grades. Read more about lunch here.
*billed separately: one-time Chromebook fee (approx. $300) issued to Sixth Graders (or new Middle School students); Eighth Grade class trip to Washington.
How payment works
Aspen Country Day School uses a secure online system for families to pay tuition and fees. Families sign in to check balances, make payments, and to re-enroll in February for the coming academic year. A non-refundable enrollment deposit, which is applied to tuition, is due upon enrollment/re-enrollment. The balance (total of tuition and fees) is due in May. Payment plans (1, 3, or 10 installments) are available.
Did you know? Aspen Country Day School grants more than $1 million each year in tuition assistance.
Families concerned with affording the full cost of attending Aspen Country Day School are strongly encouraged to apply for tuition assistance. More than one in five students receives some form of grant, ranging from $1,000 to more than $30,000, to help make this transformative education affordable for families from throughout the Roaring Fork Valley.
Apply for tuition assistanceTuition assistance Q&A
Who can apply for assistance?
Any current or prospective student may submit the online aid application and required tax forms (1040s, W-2s, business tax returns and other tax documents). If a family qualifies for tuition assistance, a grant is applied to reduce the amount of tuition due.
How does it work?
The guiding principle is that tuition assistance is need based, and that, given a fair determination of need, the family should assume as much financial responsibility as possible. Families should expect to contribute to their child’s educational expenses to the greatest extent they are able, given their economic situation.
To help determine each family’s need, we ask you to complete a form in Blackbaud Financial Aid Management. Completing the form is not difficult; most of the information is already in your tax returns. Factors considered are family income, assets, debts, family size, age of parents, number of children attending tuition-based institutions, home equity, and certain other expenses.
Can you estimate how much assistance we might receive?
All families seeking tuition assistance must complete an application through Blackbaud Financial Aid Management. Based on the information you provide, Blackbaud estimates an amount the family could afford for independent education. If this “recommended family contribution” is less than the tuition, then the family may qualify for a grant, which is intended to help make up the difference. Grant monies are allocated early in the calendar year, so it is important to apply for aid by the priority deadline (January 1 for current families; February 1 for new applicants). Aspen Country Day School is not always able to meet demonstrated need.
Below please find household profiles for sample families who may qualify for aid.
When do we find out what our grant might be?
Admission and financial aid are two separate processes. If a student is accepted and also granted tuition assistance, notification of the aid award will arrive along with the offer to enroll.
Is the process confidential?
Yes! This entire process is confidential, start to finish; no classmates or teachers or parents are told who is receiving financial aid. We ask that aid recipients also keep their grants confidential.
Is it possible to get a grant to cover all expenses?
There are no full expense grants, and each family participates financially to some extent. The intent of this policy is not to burden families, but to create a partnership with the school with the common goal of enabling students to benefit from independent school education.
Do we have to re-apply for assistance each year?
Yes. Because families may need one level of assistance one year—and more or less the next—all families are required to submit a new financial aid application every year.
Apply for financial aid
For priority consideration, please complete your application by January 1 (current families) or February 1 (new applicants). The portal opens in November.
apply for tuition assistanceFor more info about how tuition assistance works, here’s a helpful video.