Variable Tuition

Tuition Flexibility for Your Child's Education

We strive to keep King’s accessible with a mindful pricing schedule and an impactful financial aid program. King’s is committed to accessibility of quality education built on a Christ-centered curriculum across all spectrums of our community. Our goal is to extend a helping hand to those that demonstrate a qualified need for financial aid through our Variable Tuition model.

What is Variable Tuition?

Variable Tuition is King’s financial aid program and is available for full-time students in Kindergarten through 12th grade. We recognize not only the immense importance of a Christian education, but also the sacrifices that families make to secure that priceless gift for their children. King’s believes that economic diversity enriches the educational experience for all families and is vital to creating an authentic and thriving Christian community.

How Does Variable Tuition Work?

Through generous donations, our annual auction, and shared facilities with CRISTA Ministries, no one pays 100% of the cost to educate each student. Instead of passing on the full cost of education, King’s families pay no more than 90% per student, which is the top of the range, also known as the “exit range.”

If a family is concerned about their ability to afford the highest tuition rate at King’s, they are welcome to apply for Variable Tuition. Available to current and new families of students in kindergarten through grade 12, Variable Tuition considers income, assets, family size, and any unusual expenses or unique financial circumstances.

Applications are submitted directly to Clarity, a third-party agency. Clarity evaluates your application and makes a recommendation to King’s School’s Variable Tuition team. Your family’s personal financial information will be kept private and is never viewed by King’s employees. Clarity simply recommends a tuition pricing formula to the school. Variable Tuition is available to any deserving student on a first-come, first-served basis, governed by the resources the school has available to supplement Variable Tuition.

Clarity offers a streamlined, mobile-friendly application that can be completed in as short a time as 20 minutes. Additionally, Clarity removes the need to upload your 2024 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.

The assessment considers other children in the family (ages and schools attending), other dependents, all sources of income, priority of spending, debts, and expenses. All Variable Tuition awards offered by King’s are grants, not loans, and do not have to be repaid. Families must submit Variable Tuition applications each year.

Have questions about Variable Tuition? Please contact King’s business office at 206-546-7381. Or, if you are ready to submit an application and would like assistance, please contact Jared Seal at [email protected].

If you have not already, we invite you to schedule a tour at King’s Schools to see firsthand why families partner with us to educate their children.

STEP 1: Click here to complete your online application.

STEP 2: Pay the $60 non-refundable Clarity application fee.

STEP 3: Provide copies of required supporting documentation

  • Most recent paystub (Clarity will obtain 2024 Individual Federal Tax Form 1040 with all supporting schedules and forms from the IRS electronically.)
  • For business owners/part-owners – all 2024 Business federal returns and related schedules (Schedule C, Schedule E, Schedule F, Form 4562, Form 1065, Form 1120S, Schedule K-1, and Form 8825), as applicable

STEP 4: An application is considered COMPLETE when both the Clarity application and all required documentation are received

 

Priority will be given to complete applications submitted by the due date. Late or incomplete applications may not receive full consideration for a financial aid award. Applications completed after March 1st will be placed in the next round of financial aid assessment or wait pool, as funds are still available. Processing these applications could take 4-6 weeks, with notification letters being issued in March and later.

Date Description
December 15, 2023 Variable Tuition application opens
February 23, 2024 Variable Tuition applications due
March 15, 2024 Round one award letters distributed

Variable Tuition FAQs

Christian education is a priceless gift for your children that will last them a lifetime. We understand and appreciate the financial commitment families make when deciding to send their children to King’s Schools. In turn, we strive to keep King’s accessible with a mindful pricing schedule and an impactful Variable Tuition program.

King’s Variable Tuition program is available for full-time students in Kindergarten through 12th grade only. Preschool and international students are not eligible to receive Variable Tuition at this time. By law, international students are required to show proof of financial ability to live and study in the United States.

In the case of divorced or separated parents, both natural parents must submit an application and tax documentation (either combined together as one application or via separate applications). Please notify the King’s Business Office if completing separate applications. If you feel your circumstances will not allow this, we encourage you to call the King’s Business Office and discuss the situation.

While there may be some general parameters for qualifying, we recognize that each family has a unique set of circumstances around family income levels, spending priorities, and tuition assistance needs. We are happy to go over any specific concerns or factors about qualifications that you may have with a call or short meeting. However, if in doubt, we encourage you to apply; even though an application does not guarantee qualification, only those who apply are considered for qualification.

No. Families must reapply for financial aid each year. The award for each year is determined independently of awards from prior years and may change due to family financial circumstances or King’s available funding. Additionally, financial aid awards are contingent upon payment in full of the prior year’s account.

No. The Variable Tuition program is intended to supplement a family’s financial commitment to their child’s education. As such, Variable Tuition will not cover all tuition and fees. In order for us to meaningfully impact the greatest number of families, Variable Tuition awards will generally not exceed 50% of the total tuition. Families may receive a greater amount of tuition if they qualify for designated aid programs, such as Minority Student Financial Aid, aid for Single-Parent Families, the Chuck Bundrant Endowment, or student Wage-Match funded by the Gwen Postma Wage-Match fund. Qualification for designated aid programs is determined by King’s as part of the Variable Tuition assessment and award process. At this time, King’s does not offer any academic or athletic-based scholarships.

No. A Variable Tuition application does not reduce your chances of acceptance, nor does an offer of a Variable Tuition grant guarantee your acceptance. Admission and Variable Tuition decisions are made independent of each other but the two application cycles do overlap. Interested families should simultaneously complete admission application materials and Variable Tuition application materials. All inquiries, applications, and supporting documentation with regard to Variable Tuition are treated confidentially.