Financial Aid

Affording a Carolina Day School Education

A Carolina Day education is an investment that lasts a lifetime. CDS strives to make an independent school education available to families from a range of socioeconomic backgrounds. We seek to admit determined and curious students who will thrive in a well-rounded liberal arts education that goes beyond the textbook, regardless of family resources.

For the 2025-26 school year, 28% of students receive need-based financial aid, with $3.6 million allocated for financial aid.

Returning Families

New Families

February 9
Applicants must complete both their admission application and financial aid application by February 9 to be considered for a March 13 decision. If accepted and awarded aid, financial aid award information will be released alongside enrollment contracts.

After February 9
Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis, space- and funds-permitting. However, financial aid funding is typically no longer available or is extremely limited after this time.

Financial Aid Philosophy and Policy

At Carolina Day School, we believe that a student’s potential should not be limited by financial circumstances. Our financial aid program reflects this commitment, helping students from a range of socioeconomic backgrounds with demonstrated financial need access the opportunities that define a CDS education. Since available funding is limited and requests exceed what we can provide each year, we work thoughtfully to support as many families as possible. Need-based financial aid is available for students in grades K–12, including the Key School. Financial aid is not available for Preschool and Junior Kindergarten.

Eligibility and Application

Financial aid is available to both new and returning families, with priority given to supporting returning families.
CDS expects all parents to contribute financially to their child’s tuition. In two-household families, each household is expected to complete a financial aid application in order to provide a realistic picture of family resources.
All families who initially enroll without financial aid are expected to pay full tuition each year going forward, unless there is a substantial change in the family’s financial circumstances that demonstrates a need for financial aid.
New families who do not qualify for financial aid at the time of admission should not expect to receive aid in future years unless there is a substantial change in the family’s financial circumstances that supports a need for financial aid.
New families should understand that demonstrating financial need does not guarantee a financial aid award. Each year, requests for financial aid exceed available funding. If financial aid cannot be awarded, a new enrollment contract cannot be offered.

Award Structure

Financial aid awards are determined by demonstrated need and the availability of funds.
Awards do not cover the full cost of tuition; every family is expected to contribute something towards paying tuition. Tuition payment amounts vary and are customized based on individual family needs.
For New Families: Due to limited available funding, not all qualifying families can be awarded financial aid. If financial aid cannot be awarded, an enrollment contract cannot be offered.
For the 2025-26 school year:
- Approximately 30% of Key School students received financial aid, with family payments ranging from 20% to 87% of tuition.
- In the Lower, Middle, and Upper Schools, approximately 21% of students received financial aid, with most families paying between 35% and 75% of the tuition.

Additional Coverage

Process and Confidentiality

Financial aid awards are confidential and should be shared only between the recipient's family and the Financial Aid Committee.
New Families:
- Applications for both admission and financial aid must be submitted by the stated deadlines to be considered for admission and financial aid. Late financial aid applications may not receive funding. Please do not wait for your admission decision to apply for financial aid. In doing so, the available monies may already be allocated.
- Financial aid decisions are made independently of admission decisions. All admission decisions are based on student merit and are not influenced by a family’s ability to pay tuition. Once a student has been accepted by the Admission Committee, the Financial Aid Committee reviews the family’s financial aid application to determine eligibility, the amount of any award, and the availability of funds.

Annual Renewal

All families receiving financial aid must reapply annually to continue receiving aid for the subsequent year. Please note that the annual deadline for returning family financial aid applications is November 15.
Unless there is a significant change in financial circumstances, families can expect a similar percentage award from year to year (i.e., parent contributions and financial aid awards each increase in proportion to tuition increases).

Determination and Notification

Financial aid decisions are based on a thorough review of each family’s financial situation through the Clarity application system.
For returning families, financial aid award notifications are shared at the time of re-enrollment. Financial aid awards are posted with their re-enrollment contracts on February 1 in Clarity.
For new families applying, please note that requests for financial aid exceed the available funding each year. If financial aid cannot be awarded, a new enrollment contract cannot be offered.
For newly admitted families, financial aid award notifications are shared simultaneously with admission decisions. For the 2026-27 school year, admission decisions and financial aid awards will be delivered on March 13, 2026.

How to Apply for Financial Aid

Families will apply for Financial Aid using Clarity, a secure financial aid platform that typically takes 30 minutes or less to complete. The application is mobile and tablet friendly. You are also able to save your progress and return at any time. In addition, your 1040 and W2 documents will be automatically transferred from the IRS when you complete the verification step, so you will not need to upload those documents manually. Applications for Admission and Applications for Financial Aid occur in parallel. Both applications must be completed by the admission deadline to be considered for admission.

Here’s how to get started:

Let us know you’re interested (New Families): On your Application for Admission (for new applicants), indicate that you are applying for financial aid.
Create your Clarity account: Visit Clarity to set up your secure profile.
Complete your application: Fill out the Clarity Financial Aid Application. Most tax documents (1040 and W2) will transfer automatically from the IRS, so you won’t need to upload them.
Submit your application: Pay the $60 application fee and submit your form.
Release supporting tax documents: After payment, you'll be prompted to release your W2 and personal tax return transcripts from the IRS. During this step, you'll be asked to authorize the sharing of your tax transcripts and verify your identity. This is a one-time security measure required by the IRS to protect against identity theft and safeguard personal information. Please review our step-by-step walkthrough of this process.
Important for New Families: Your admission and financial aid applications are reviewed simultaneously. Please complete both by the February 9th admission deadline.
1. Clarity Support:
  1. In-app support via the “Help” button
  2. Email: support@clarityapp.com
  3. Phone: 206-210-3752
  4. Family Application Guide
  5. The application can be translated into Spanish.
2. CDS Support:
  - Contact your Admission Team Member for questions about the financial aid process.

For Questions regarding Clarity's Financial Aid Application

If you need support during the application process, in-app support is available through the “Help” button located at the bottom left of the screen. Additionally, you can contact Clarity via email at s upport@clarityapp.com or phone at 206-210-3752, available in both English and Spanish. The application itself is also fully translated into Spanish.

Clarity offers family support with their Family Application Webinar Series. Below are the upcoming webinars being hosted. If you miss a webinar, please reach out to Meredith Daniels, and we can share the recording with you.

October 21, 7pm Pacific Time
October 22, 6pm Eastern Time
December 9, 8:30pm Eastern Time

Financial Aid

Affording a Carolina Day School Education

How to Apply for Financial Aid

Here’s how to get started:

Let us know you’re interested (New Families): On your Application for Admission (for new applicants), indicate that you are applying for financial aid.

Create your Clarity account: Visit Clarity to set up your secure profile.

For Questions regarding Clarity's Financial Aid Application