Tuition & Financial Aid

To be considered for financial aid and reduced tuition, families must complete and submit the Clarity Application. As part of this process, you will need to authorize Clarity to access your tax returns through the IRS. Clarity will then provide Marvelwood with an estimated family tuition amount for review. The Clarity methodology takes into account a family’s gross taxable and non-taxable income, assets, liabilities, unusual expenses, family size, and the number of students in tuition-charging schools or colleges. After allowances for basic necessities and taxes, a portion of the remaining funds is considered available for education. Marvelwood’s financial aid policies follow the National Association of Independent Schools’ Principles of Good Practice for Financial Aid Administration.

Recognizing that each family bears the primary responsibility for financing a student’s education costs, NAIS’s Principles of Good Practice for Financial Aid Administration are designed to serve as guideposts in developing professional policies and orderly procedures among schools. Through these principles, NAIS affirms its belief that the purpose of a financial aid program is to provide monetary assistance to those students who cannot afford the cost of attending an independent school. Furthermore, these principles reflect the standards of equity and fairness NAIS embraces and reassert NAIS’s ongoing commitment to access and diversity. 

1. The school adheres to all applicable local, state, and federal laws and regulations, including antitrust laws and those that require nondiscriminatory practice in administering its financial aid policies.
2. The school operates within the context of both short- and long-range financial aid budget and policy goals. 
3. The school uses objective research to measure the effectiveness of its progress toward its goals, and communicates the outcomes to its constituents as appropriate. 
4. The school provides clear and transparent information to families through outreach, education, and guidance on all aspects of its financial aid process and the factors that influence admission and aid eligibility. 
5. The school determines eligibility for admission without regard to a student’s application for financial aid. 
6. The school commits to providing financial aid dollars to applicants who demonstrate that their family resources are insufficient to meet all or part of the total educational costs. 
7. The school continues to provide support to students as long as they demonstrate financial need. 
8. The school maintains the same standards of behavior and academic performance for recipients of financial aid as it does for nonrecipients. 
9. The school enacts documented procedures that ensure a fair, consistent, and equitable assessment of each family’s ability to contribute toward educational expenses. 
10. The school makes and communicates financial aid decisions in a manner that allows families to make timely, careful, and fully informed enrollment decisions. 
11. The school establishes administrative and accounting procedures that distinguish the school’s need-based financial aid program from tuition assistance programs that are not based on financial need. 
12. The school safeguards the confidentiality of financial aid applications, records, and decisions while respecting the right of each family to discuss its own financial aid outcomes in an appropriate manner. 
13. The school supports collaboration between the financial aid office and other offices within the school. 
14. The school supports collegial relationships with other schools and organizations for professional development, exchange of best practices, and other information sharing as appropriate and consistent with applicable antitrust laws.

Marvelwood’s Financial Aid Committee reviews financial aid applications. The committee is overseen by the Director of Enrollment Management and is comprised of non-teaching administrators to ensure fairness and confidentiality. 

Approximately 35% of our students receive financial aid. While we have a robust financial aid budget, we often receive more requests than our budget can support.

Fee waivers are automatically granted through Clarity if a family qualifies. Clarity uses the income and asset information in the application to determine eligibility for a fee waiver. Qualifying families will bypass all payment screens when their Clarity Application is complete.

In addition to salary, the following assets are considered in the application: equity in your home and any other properties, checking and savings, stocks, and bonds. Most retirement funds (401 (k), 503 (b), IRA, etc.) are not included in this equation. All financial information submitted by families is held in strict confidence.

Each parent/guardian of the child must apply and provide the required financial documentation. Please contact Sunan Jones, Director of Enrollment Management, if you have any questions or concerns about this process.

If you are unsure that you can afford tuition for the duration of your child's enrollment, we encourage you to apply for financial aid during the admission process, not re-enrollment the following year. This is because we budget for new student financial aid for the remaining years when we admit a new student. After your initial enrollment, we are less likely to have financial aid available for returning students who have never received it. However, if your ability to afford tuition changes due to an unexpected change in circumstances, we encourage families to apply for financial aid through Clarity.

No. Only families who want to be considered for financial aid need to apply and submit financial documentation.

Admission and financial decisions are made separately. However, Marvelwood depends on tuition revenue for much of our program and thus cannot meet the financial aid needs of all families. 

Yes, each family's tuition amount is reviewed annually. Significant changes in a family's financial circumstances may increase or decrease the amount a family contributes.

Please contact Sunan Jones, Director of Enrollment Management, to address any concerns.

To be considered for need-based financial aid, you must complete the Clarity Application. Both parents and stepparents must complete a financial aid application. The Clarity Application is completed online at the Clarity website. 

New Families have a deadline of January 15, 2027. Current families have a deadline of December 1, 2026.

Contact Clarity for assistance with the application at support@claritytuition.com. For all other questions, contact Sunan Jones, Director of Enrollment Management.