Tuition + Financial Aid

We recognize that investing in your child's education is one of the most significant financial decisions you will make as a family.

Tuition and Fees

Lower School Tuition (Early Childhood - 5th grade)

2024-2025 Lower School Tuition

Early Childhood (ages 2 - 5)

3-Day: $10,500
4-Day: $12,600
5-Day: $14,050
Please note that the Early Childhood school day ends at 1 p.m., and aftercare is available until 4:30 pm at an additional cost.

Kindergarten - 5th grade

Kindergarten: $19,250
1st Grade: $21,750
Grades 2-3: $25,372
Grades 4-5: $29,325
Mandatory Tuition Insurance: 0.95% of net tuition; please refer to A.W.G. Dewar Tuition Refund Plan for more details.

Upper School + Boarding Tuition (9-12)

Additional Fees and Expenses

Please note that books, supplies, and trip fees are included in the tuition. Costs in addition to Tuition might include:

Cutthroat Cafe lunch option or lunches purchased from outside vendors, if applicable
After-school care
Athletic extras
Learning specialist fees
Dances or other social events
College Application-related expenses (SAT I & II, AP testing, college application fees, college visits)
Senior project-related expenses, if applicable

The Sun Valley Community School Financial Aid program is designed to make a Sun Valley Community School education possible for all families based on demonstrated financial need and the availability of funds.

Please review the 1-2-3's of Applying for Financial Aid and the responses to Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) below, and don't hesitate to reach out at any point with questions: admissions@communityschool.org or 208.622.3960, ext. 174.

For the 2024-25 school year, New Families should submit all materials along with the admissions application by February 7, 2025 to be considered in the main application cycle. Applications after this date will be considered on a rolling basis as space allows in individual grades.

Financial Aid FAQs

Our Financial Aid Policy

Sun Valley Community School has a need-based financial aid. For a school our size, we award a substantial amount of financial aid each year to families who qualify. We seek to make a Sun Valley Community School education a reality for as many families as possible within our budgetary constraints. We review each application for financial aid with consistent guidelines and evaluate individual family needs while weighing each grade's capacity and needs as well. We recognize that an independent school education is a choice for families, and both the school and families make significant financial commitments to support each family's choice.

Should our family apply for financial aid?

Few families find it easy to pay private school tuition. Most families adjust their spending priorities, maximize both parents' earnings, and carefully manage assets to do so. If you're in doubt, we're happy to have a preliminary conversation with you to help you determine whether you should apply. Please reach out to Alessia Carega, Director of Enrollment and Financial Aid

How is our family’s financial need determined?

Clarity processes the information you provide in your Financial Aid Application according to a standard methodology tailored to our school and region to assess the resources your family has available to contribute towards your student’s educational expenses. The result of this evaluation is shared with Sun Valley Community School. Some factors that Clarity takes into account are: income (both taxable and nontaxable), assets (home equity, savings, bonds, etc.), expenses, indebtedness, family size, age of parents/guardians (to allow for retirement savings), and the number of students attending tuition-charging schools.

There can be some variation between Clarity's estimation of a family's financial need and what Sun Valley Community School actually awards. While Clarity merely keys in the data provided by families, our Financial Aid Committee additionally reviews the family's financial profile based on information gleaned from taxes and other documentation provided by the family. The Financial Aid Committee discusses each family's situation and allocates awards accordingly.

If our student receives financial aid for one year, will we automatically receive assistance each of the following years?

Who will see the information in our financial aid application?

How much does it cost to apply for financial aid?

How many students receive financial aid?

While tuition can be a stretch, financially, our decision to invest in our son's education has been worth every penny. The school could not be more appropriately named—we feel the care and support of this community in Luke's life as he makes his way in the world.

Todd Osborn, Alumni Parent

We really thought carefully about the choice of where to send our daughter to school and weighed the options; it was hard to commit to this significant financial investment, but it has been so worth it—the opportunities are limitless.

Miles Canfield, Alumni Parent

Contact the Admissions Office

1-2-3: Applying for Financial Aid

Step 1. Submit Application: Starting October 15, 2024, you may go to the Clarity Application to create an account and submit your application. This step typically takes less than 30 minutes to complete and is mobile-friendly. You are able to save your progress and return at any time.

Refer to the Application Quick Reference Guide or the Family Application guide for support navigating the application. Haga clic para el Guía de applicaciòn para las familias.

Step 2: Upload Tax documentation: After you submit your Clarity Application, please return to your dashboard to upload the requested tax documentation. SVCS requires this documentation for the committee to review a family's application.

Step 3. Pay and send to schools: At the end of the application, there is a $60 fee to submit, and you can share your application with SVCS and others that accept the Clarity Application for no additional charge. If you need a fee waiver, please contact Alessia Carega, Director of Enrollment and Financial Aid.