Tuition Assistance - Far Brook School

Far Brook Science teacher Matt Withers assisting two students with a project during class.

One of the four pillars of progressive education at Far Brook is a commitment to diversity, equity, and community.

This is the driving force behind our Tuition Assistance program, and one of the reasons Tuition Assistance at Far Brook is entirely need-based and we do not offer merit scholarships. We recognize that qualified students are found at every income level, and we wish to create an authentic, socio-economically diverse community that reflects our society and fosters respect for all people.

Procedures

How Large is Far Brook’s Tuition Assistance Budget?

This amount varies. Each year we designate a portion of the operating budget, as well as income from endowed funds, to help eligible families defray some of the cost of a Far Brook education. In the 2025-2026 school year awards were granted to approximately 19% of students. Awards were granted in every grade level and ranged from $3,900 to $52,400 with an average award of more than $30,000.

Can my child apply for a merit scholarship?

Do I have to apply for Tuition Assistance every year?

Are admissions decisions "need blind"?

Eligibility for admission is determined without consideration of financial need. However, given our finite Tuition Assistance budget, we must be “need-aware.” Once a student has been admitted by the Admissions Committee, the family’s Tuition Assistance application is reviewed by the Tuition Assistance Committee and the amount of the award, if any, is determined so that the family can be fully informed of their award at the same time that they are notified of admission.

What if my child is admitted and we don't receive enough Tuition Assistance to attend?

Unfortunately, even with a significant budget to allocate to deserving students, it is not always possible to grant aid to every student who is accepted by the Admissions Committee and also qualifies for Tuition Assistance. We maintain a waitlist for those students who qualify for admission and tuition assistance, but who are not awarded assistance in the initial allocation of budgeted funds. Eligible families in our wait pool will be notified by Far Brook should any additional assistance become available.

How do I apply for Tuition Assistance?

Tuition Assistance Procedures

Far Brook uses Clarity Tuition to analyze a family’s financial information and evaluate each family’s specific need.

Clarity is widely used by independent schools to provide an objective assessment of a family’s ability to pay tuition. A number of factors contribute to a family’s ability to pay tuition including: income, assets, general living and medical expenses, number of dependents, number of children in tuition charging schools, and age of parents. Each case is evaluated individually and families in the same income range may have different overall financial circumstances and therefore receive different tuition assistance awards. If you are applying for tuition assistance after the December 12, 2025 deadline, please reach out to Emi Ithen.

Apply Through Clarity

1. Login or Create an account through Clarity Tuition

To get started, please go to the Clarity Application and create an account or login if you've ever applied for tuition assistance using Clarity. The application typically takes less than 30 minutes to complete and is mobile-friendly so you can complete it from anywhere. You are also able to save your progress and return at any time. There is a $65 fee to submit, and you can share your application with additional schools that accept the Clarity Application at no additional charge. Simply use the dropdown menu in the application to select those schools. Clarity automatically waives the application fee for families within a certain income threshold; if you would like to request a fee waiver and one was not automatically applied, please email Emi Ithen, Director of Enrollment Management.

2. Enter Biographical & Financial Information

3. Complete the Enhanced Tax Verification Process

As part of your financial aid application through Clarity, please complete the enhanced tax verification process to authorize Clarity to pull your prior year tax returns directly from the IRS. This means you won't need to upload any of them yourself! Start by creating your own IRS.gov account before completing your Clarity Tuition Assistance application. Once you create your IRS account, you will not have to complete this extra step again in future years, and will have the ability to authorize up to three years of taxes to share with us and any other school(s) you are applying to. Please scan the QR code for detailed step-by-step instructions from Clarity.

4. Complete Application & Document Submission by December 12, 2025

5. Submit 2025 W2 in January (as soon as you receive them)

6. After Enrollment

Need Assistance?

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

Please see below for Clarity’s detailed step-by-step guides:

Family Application Guide

Guía de Aplicación Para Las Familias

Clarity Application Quick Reference Guide

Guía de Referencia Rápida

Clarity is hosting a series of family information sessions to learn more about how to fill out the Clarity application for Tuition Assistance. All are welcome to attend! Registration links are below.

September 23, 7 pm Pacific Time

September 24, 6 pm Eastern Time

October 21, 7 pm Pacific Time

October 22, 6pm Eastern Time

December 9, 8:30 pm Eastern Time

More Info

Two Far Brook students using markers to color in a sign that reads "Protect Black Ash Trees".

Tuition Assistance Booklet

Apply Through Clarity

Far Brook's teacher sitting with a student by the garden as they read together.

Tuition Assistance Webinar (opens in new window/tab)