Financial Assistance
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HOW TO APPLY FOR FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE | FAQS
We want Belmont to be an affordable opportunity for your child.
We recognize and understand the importance of making a Belmont Day education affordable to families. Belmont Day is committed to providing the opportunity of an independent school education to qualified students, regardless of their families’ financial circumstances. Our goal is that any student who has been accepted at Belmont Day can attend. Our families reside in thirty surrounding towns and cities. Our financial assistance awards range from 4% of tuition costs covered to 99% of tuition costs covered. Close to 23% of our student body receives financial assistance.
Financial assistance awards are based on need.
Financial assistance is entirely need-based, and awards are based solely on a family’s ability to pay. Financial assistance awards do not need to be repaid. Belmont Day School subscribes to the National Association of Independent Schools (NAIS) guidelines and Clarity, an online financial assistance calculation platform for computing a family’s need. Financial assistance awards include the costs for:
- School-provided lunch for grades 1 to 8
- School-provided computer devices for kindergarten to grade 8
- All books and materials
- Uniforms for athletics teams for middle school students
The percentage of financial assistance that a family receives towards tuition costs will also be applied to the following programs:
- After School Program
- After school enrichment classes
- Bus transportation fees
- Class trips for middle school students (there is no cost for lower school field labs)
For example, if a family receives a financial assistance award that accounts for 50% of the tuition costs, then a 50% discount would also be applied to the cost of the After School Program, bus transportation, enrichment classes, and class trips.
Here is a look at the 2023-2024 financial assistance awards by family income range*:
Family Total Income Range | Average Family Contribution |
< $100,000 | $2,421 |
$100,000 – $150,000 | $6,159 |
$151,000 – $250,000 | $19,930 |
$250,000+ | $27,729 |
*In addition to the Clarity application, we also require prior-year tax documents. The application is thorough and requests information about a family’s assets, debts, and taxable and nontaxable income. All components of the application have an impact on the final financial assistance award that a family receives.
Applying for Financial Assistance
We partner with Clarity in our financial assistance application process. Clarity offers a variety of resources, including webinars and videos, that will help you navigate the application process and completion of the online application form.
Use these links to access resources that will guide you through the process:
Clarity Application Quick Reference Guide English version
Clarity Application Quick Reference Guide Spanish version
Clarity Family Application Guide English version
Clarity Family Application Guide Spanish version
Getting Started
Please go to the Clarity application and create an account. The application typically takes less than 30 minutes to complete. The Clarity application is also mobile-friendly, so you can complete it from anywhere. You are also able to save your progress and return at any time. At the end of the application, there is a $60 fee to submit, and you can share your application with additional schools that accept the Clarity application for no additional charge. Simply use the dropdown menu in the application to select those schools. If the fee is a barrier for your family, please get in touch with the admissions office to request a fee waiver.
Please remember to return to your dashboard after you complete and submit your Clarity application, as Belmont Day requires you to upload your 2023 tax documents in April upon accepting an offer of admission.
The deadline for completing the financial aid application, including relevant supplemental documents, is January 31, 2024.
If you need support during the process of completing your application, there is in-app support available through the “Help” button in the bottom left of the screen, as well as email and phone support at su*****@cl********.com or 206-210-3752 in both English and Spanish. The application is also fully translated into Spanish.
In addition, Clarity offers webinars to learn more about the Clarity application. Webinar recordings will be available.
September 19 – 6:30 p.m. Eastern
September 20 – 7:00 p.m. Pacific
October 18 – 6:30 p.m. Eastern
October 19 – 7:00 p.m. Pacific
Current Belmont Day Families
Current Belmont Day families that are newly applying for assistance must notify the director of financial assistance of their intent to apply by November 14, 2023.
Financial assistance applications for current Belmont Day families must complete their application by December 11, 2023.
Financial Assistance FAQs
Who needs to complete the financial assistance application? Belmont Day expects all parents to contribute to a student’s educational expenses. In the case of divorce or separation, the custodial parent (and spouse, if applicable) and non-custodial parent (and spouse, if applicable) must submit an application. This information is collected in order to determine the ability, not the willingness, of each parent to support their child’s education financially.
How are financial assistance awards calculated? Belmont Day uses Clarity to process our financial assistance applications. Based on the financial information you provide through the application, Clarity provides an estimated amount your family can contribute to educational expenses.
Among other things, Clarity takes into account:
• Income of all parents (and their spouses, if applicable)
• Family assets
• Number of dependents
• Number of children in tuition-charging schools
A committee makes all financial assistance decisions to ensure consistency and equity of awards.
Do I have to reapply for financial assistance each year? Families must complete the Clarity application annually. Each family’s current financial circumstances are calculated along with the rates of tuition for the next academic year.
Will my financial assistance award remain the same as long as my child attends Belmont Day? Families complete a new financial assistance application each year to establish need for the following academic year. Assuming that you have not had significant changes to your income, assets, family size, or family structure, the percentage of assistance that you receive will likely remain consistent each year. We award assistance to our returning families before our prospective families, so it is critical that your application is submitted by the deadline so we can continue to prioritize your family’s award. We encourage current Belmont Day families to communicate with the director of financial assistance throughout the year to make sure questions, concerns, and deadlines are addressed.
Why do I need to provide my 2023 tax documents in April upon accepting an offer of admission when you already have my prior years’ (2022) income information? If a family’s income fluctuates significantly from the prior year, Belmont Day reserves the right to adjust to the original financial assistance award shared with our offer of admission in March.
Do you provide assistance with After School Program tuition? Yes, families that are granted a financial assistance award are also eligible to receive assistance with After School Program tuition. We apply the same percentage of assistance that applies to tuition to discount After School Program tuition.
Can I apply for financial assistance after my child has been granted admission? We allocate funds from our financial assistance budget first to families who qualify for assistance and whose children have been granted admission. Waiting to apply for assistance after an offer of admission is not encouraged since funds will have been allocated by then, and our budget will not be able to accommodate late requests. Priority is given to families who meet our financial assistance application deadline.
Will we be considered for financial assistance if one parent stays home to care for a younger child? In calculating financial assistance awards, Belmont Day recognizes the challenges of raising young children. We understand that a parent may choose to remain home with children who are not yet of preschool age. In order to be considered for financial assistance, it is our expectation that both parents be working full-time when all children in a family are of school age. We encourage families to reach out to Director of Financial Assistance Elena Jay to discuss individual circumstances.
