Financial Aid

Financial Aid at Tenacre

If you are just beginning the process of researching independent schools for your child, you have probably been attracted to the quality education, small class size, and attention to the needs of each child that schools such as Tenacre provide. At the same time, you may be concerned about meeting the high costs of this education. Tenacre believes that talented, motivated students should not be denied the opportunity to attend solely because of financial constraints. The vitality of our community is enhanced by the socio-economic breadth of our student body.

Tenacre’s Financial Aid program is designed to make a Tenacre education possible for all families based on demonstrated financial need and the availability of funds. Financial aid draws from both the operating budget and several dedicated endowed funds established specifically to support student financial aid. To learn more about Tenacre’s financial aid endowed funds, please visit the Student Scholarship Funds section on Tenacre’s Ways to Give page.

List of 3 items.

$1.3 mil

Amount of financial aid provided in 2025–2026
21%

Students receiving financial aid in 2025–2026
6

Endowed funds specifically created for student financial aid

Tenacre is proud to use the Clarity Application to determine a family’s level of financial need based on the information families share in the application, including assets, income, expenses, and debts. The Clarity Application is mobile-friendly so you can complete it from anywhere and it typically takes less than 30 minutes to complete. To get started, please go to the Clarity Application and create an account. You can save your progress and return at any time. At the end of the application, there is a $60 submission fee, 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 you need support during the application process, email or phone support is available at support@clarityapp.com or 206-210-3752, in both English and Spanish. The application itself is also fully translated into Spanish.

The deadline for completing the financial aid application, including relevant supplemental documents, is December 15 for returning students and February 6 for new applicants to Tenacre.

Applying for Financial Aid

Applying for Financial Aid does not affect your child's chances of admission. The processes are simultaneous, but separate. That said, each family also bears the primary responsibility for financing a student's education. For example, we will impute a minimum wage income for non working parents unless there are extenuating circumstances.

To complete your financial aid application for the coming enrollment year, please follow the steps below.

Please visit the Clarity website to begin your financial aid application. The application is available in both English and Spanish.
Create an account with a username and password that will allow you to return to your financial aid application before submitting it. Clarity requires Multi Factor Authentication (MFA) and you will be asked to set this up.
Within the application you will sign and submit a Form 4506c to give Clarity permission to access your prior year tax returns.
Upload your 2025 W-2 (if applicable) to Clarity as soon as you receive it from your employer.
Awards cannot be finalized without your W-2.
The Quick Reference Guide provides a useful overview of the steps to complete your financial aid application. The more comprehensive Family Application Guide is also available. To view these guides in Spanish, click on the following links:

The application fee is $65. Fee waivers for the financial aid application are automatically offered to families who meet certain income guidelines.

New this year - Clarity will be using an Enhanced Tax Verification process this year. All families returning and new are encouraged to set up an IRS.gov account for a quicker experience this year. Access our Resource Library and read more here.

The deadline for completing the financial aid application, including relevant supplemental documents, is December 15 for returning students and February 6, for new applicants to Tenacre.

If you need assistance, there is email and phone support at http://support@claritytuition.com or 206-210-3752, in both English and Spanish.

Links & Downloads

Financial aid for afternoon programs

After-School Program
We make a sincere effort to keep the After-School program affordable for all in our community. The cost depends on which day(s), how many days per week, and how long each day your child stays. Siblings pay 50% of that rate when they attend at the same time. Financial aid is available for After-School. Your cost is based on the percentage you pay of your child's tuition. However, all families must pay at least 25% of the cost, regardless of their tuition aid grant.

Please contact the Admission Office with any questions.