Financial Aid

Any family who is applying for admission to grades K–11 or Key School, currently enrolled families already receiving financial aid, and currently enrolled families who have experienced significant changes in their financial situation. Financial Aid is not available for students in Pre-Kindergarten.

No. Although the Financial Aid Committee aims to assist as many families as possible, each year the number of applications exceeds the available awards. Applying does not guarantee receipt of aid.

No. While financial aid awards can range from a small amount to a major portion of tuition, the award will never cover full tuition. Every family is expected to contribute to their child’s tuition.

Key School
Approximately 32% of our Key School students received financial aid awards for the 2024-25 school year; the average Key School parent receiving financial aid is contributing $25,000 toward tuition. The range of Key School parent contributions for the 2024-25 school year span from just over 20% of tuition to 85% of tuition, with most parents contributing between 30-75% of tuition. We do our best to meet the tuition needs of applicant families, however, requests historically exceed the budget that supports this program.

Lower, Middle, and Upper School
Approximately 26% of students in Grades Kindergarten through 12 received financial aid awards for the 2024-25 school year. Tuition and awards vary for these grades. On average, parent contributions for the 2024-25 school year span from 18% of tuition to 90% of tuition. We do our best to meet the tuition needs of applicant families, however, requests historically exceed the budget that supports this program. 

• For students who utilize the bus and incur the additional fee for ridership, financial aid will be applied to the bus fee in the same proportion as it is applied for tuition.
• For students registered for After-School Care, we will provide financial aid to After-School Care fees in the same proportion as financial aid is applied to tuition. Students must be enrolled in After-School Care on an annual or semester basis.
• For students registered to take AP exams, financial aid will be applied to the exam fee(s) in the same proportion as it is applied for tuition.
• For those students who qualify for free or reduced school meals, we provide lunch.

Yes. Families should plan to reapply for Financial Aid every school year. Unless there has been a significant change in your family's financial situation, you should expect to receive a consistent percentage award, although your family contribution will likely increase each year. The committee will review and make adjustments appropriate to changes in financial resources and tuition increases.

We understand that life circumstances may cause families to need financial aid to keep their child(ren) enrolled at Carolina Day School. However, unless there is an unusual change in financial circumstances, families should not plan to apply for aid if they did not do so as part of their initial admission application to the School.

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.

In cases of divorce, the Financial Aid Committee may request a copy of the divorce decree. We understand that each situation is unique and will be handled on an individual basis.

If a non-custodial parent is involved in the child’s life, we expect that parent to participate in the financial aid process. If the non-custodial parent refuses to comply, the Financial Aid Committee will determine whether or not the family will be eligible for an award. If a non-custodial parent is not involved in the child’s life, we will request a verification letter from a third party (minister, attorney, social worker, etc.).

Financial Aid decisions are made independently from 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 financial aid application and determines the financial aid award, if funds are available. Admission and Financial Aid decisions are delivered at the same time.

Both the Admission Application and Financial Aid Application must be completed by the admission deadline to be considered for financial aid. Please do not wait for your admission decision to apply for financial aid. In doing so, the available monies may be already allocated.

CDS does not accept NC Opportunity Scholarship direct payments.  

There are several reasons CDS does not participate in government funding programs like Opportunity Scholarships, the most important being our enrolled families’ financial stability and the long-term commitment we make to them. Though Carolina Day School’s financial aid resources are limited, our Financial Aid program is in place to meet the determined financial needs of families accepted into our school. 

Furthermore, as a PreK-12 school, when accepting students who require any level of financial aid, CDS plans and commits to supporting these students every year through their matriculation. NC Opportunity Scholarships do not meet the full need of families within its income tiers to access an independent school education, and importantly, the program and funding is subject to change at any time, therefore making our families and school more financially vulnerable to external factors. We eliminate external variables and dependencies from our Financial Aid program through our own long term planning and budget, thereby creating a more predictable and sustainable financial model for our families and our school.

Additionally, CDS is an accredited, fully independent, selective enrollment school. Autonomy from government agencies and mandates is the hallmark and strength of the Independent School sector. Our own school was created in 1936 (as Asheville Country Day School) by parents who sought a more robust education for their children that was unencumbered by bureaucracy and tax funding restrictions and requirements. As an independent school we are not required to conform to government defined curriculums, class sizes, standardized testing mandates and generalized standards, or need to go through the bureaucratic processes required for change like in the public sector. Instead, CDS is able to customize and adapt in any way, at any time that we deem best serves our specific school and mission. By remaining independent from government funding, we ensure we can continue to set our own educational goals, policies, and standards, and do what we know is best for our own students and our specific program, free from external interference, conditions, or dependencies.