Tuition & Affordability

WE WELCOME ALL FAMILIES TO APPLY FOR TUITION ASSISTANCE

Apply for Tuition Assistance!

Clarity is hosting a series of webinars for families to learn more about the Clarity Application.

Clarity Family Application Guide

Guía de Aplicación Para Las Familias

A Sacred Heart education is an enduring investment in your child’s future.

We are committed to providing a maximum of academically qualified students with access, regardless of financial circumstances. To the extent that our funds and demand permit each year, families of admitted students with demonstrated need may be eligible for financial assistance of varying amounts.

All requests for tuition assistance begin by applying online through Clarity.

Sacred Heart Schools, Atherton along with many independent schools in the Bay Area, now partners with a secure tuition assistance platform called Clarity to determine a family’s level of financial need based on assets, income, expenses, debts and other information shared in the application. Together with Clarity, we hope to provide a streamlined and user-friendly tuition assistance application process to as many families as possible.

To get started, please go to the Clarity Application and create an account (available in October).

From time to time, a student may need additional resources to thrive at SHS.

Available for qualifying families, our Non-Tuition Related Financial Aid (NTRFA) program can help with other expenses associated with the cost of a Sacred Heart education, such as purchase of textbooks and school supplies, student activity fees, participatory retreats and service travel, cafeteria meals, school-sponsored testing and college application fees, and other related items.

For the 2024-2025 school year, Sacred Heart awarded more than $8.6 million to families on the basis of clearly demonstrated financial need.
All requests for tuition assistance and family financial information are considered proprietary and held in strict confidence by Sacred Heart Schools, Atherton.
Applying for tuition assistance has no bearing on acceptance to SHS.
The maximum tuition assistance given to a student applying to Preschool – 5th grade is $10,000.
Tuition assistance for students applying to 6th – 12th grade ranges between $5,000 and $55,104

By the Numbers

1 IN 4

Families receive aid
75

Endowed Scholarships
$8.6M

Tuition assistance provided

1/3

SHS Tuition 2024 - 2025

Preschool Half Day	$32,753
Preschool Full Day	$36,648
Grades K-5	$40,417
Grades 6-12	$55,104

SHS offers three tuition payment plans

SHS offers three tuition payment plans

Families can select

A one-time July payment
Two payments in July and January
A monthly option for the duration of the school year.

Frequently Asked Questions

List of 9 frequently asked questions.

How do I apply for tuition assistance?

The deadline for completing the financial assistance application including relevant supplemental documents is January 9, 2025.

To get started, please go to the Clarity Application linked on the Sacred Heart Schools Admission website (available in October), create an account and enter all financial information directly through the secure platform. Refer to this quick guide (versión en español) for a brief reference. The application is mobile-friendly and typically takes less than 30 minutes to complete. You are 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.
What are the deadlines for the Clarity application and taxes?
DEADLINE
Families applying to Sacred Heart Schools, as well as current SHS families, who are requesting tuition assistance for the 2025-2026 school year must submit the Clarity application and all supporting documents by January 9, 2025.

TAX DOCUMENTS
- 2023 – Your 1040 and W2 documents from 2023 will automatically be transferred from the IRS when you complete the verification step of the Clarity application, so you will no longer need to upload those documents manually.
- 2024 - You need only upload your 2024 W2 tax documents in Clarity. (You do not need to complete or upload 2024 tax returns).
How is tuition assistance awarded?

Upon receiving the Clarity recommendation, the school’s Tuition Assistance Committee evaluates the recommended award based upon the demonstrated financial need of a family and the school’s budgetary constraints. The Clarity report does not bind SHS to any specific award, but rather provides a guideline to help make equitable need-based awards.
Is tuition assistance automatically renewed each year?

No. SHS requires families who receive tuition assistance to submit a Clarity application each year in order to qualify for tuition assistance; however, Clarity retains your information from previous applications, so it will be even easier to reapply. As long as the student remains at our school, tuition assistance will be renewed each year according to demonstrated need and if the family has met all of the filing deadlines. Changes in circumstances such as income, family status, and the number of children attending SHS may result in increases or decreases in an award. However, unless there is a significant change in either a family’s economic status or a tuition increase at SHS above 10 percent for the school year, awards will be renewed at the previous year’s amount. Every application is reviewed annually.
Should I apply for tuition assistance before I know my child has been admitted?

Yes. If you do not apply for assistance by the published deadlines, your chance of receiving tuition assistance is significantly reduced. Please do not wait for acceptance from our school to apply for aid as it may be too late.
Will a change in family financial circumstances during the school year chance the tuition assistance award?

If your circumstances change after you submit your application, please contact the Admission Office and submit your new information. The Tuition Assistance Committee will review the new information, and awards will be based on your demonstrated need and our available resources.
Why did Sacred Heart choose Clarity?

We have chosen Clarity as our tuition assistance application provider in order to better serve both our current and prospective families. Clarity offers a streamlined, mobile friendly application that can be completed in as short a time as 30 minutes. Additionally, Clarity removes the need to upload your W2 and 1040 by transferring them directly from the IRS. This reduces the amount of information that you will need to enter manually and makes it possible to complete the application quickly and efficiently.
Is my information secure with Clarity?

Sacred Heart takes the privacy and security of your personal information very seriously. Clarity is certified for both GDPR and SOC2 and uses enterprise-level security standards including end-to-end encryption of all personally identifiable information. For more information, please refer to Clarity’s Privacy Policy
Where do I go for support with my Clarity application?

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 support@claritytuition.com or 206-210-3752, in both English and Spanish. The application itself is also fully translated into Spanish.