Financial Aid FAQs

Information from the Clarity application generates an estimated amount that your family might pay towards the cost of tuition and fees for the next school year. The Clarity formula takes into account income, assets, debts, and more, and we use this estimate as a starting point in determining a financial aid grant. We also consider home ownership, family size, and the number of children in tuition-charging schools, and we make consistent and equitable adjustments to the Clarity estimate in order to evaluate what a family can pay.

It is important to know that families with a wide range of incomes apply and are eligible for financial aid. This year, the incomes of families with financial aid grants were between $14,800–$386,300.

If you’re not sure whether your family is eligible for financial aid, you are welcome to contact our Director of Admissions and Financial Aid, Carrie Healy (chealy@commschool.org). While one conversation cannot capture your family’s complete financial picture, nor will it guarantee eligibility or the availability of financial aid, it can guide you in deciding whether to apply. If in doubt, we encourage you to submit a financial aid application.

No. Commonwealth’s financial aid is a need-based scholarship, not a loan. Families will not incur interest on it nor will they repay it at any time.

No. Our entire financial aid budget goes to need-based financial aid grants so that as many students as possible, regardless of their families’ financial situations, can consider and afford Commonwealth.

Yes. Confidential documents are securely stored by Clarity, and the financial information you submit to Commonwealth via Clarity will only be accessed and viewed by our financial aid team.

For the majority of the admissions cycle, Commonwealth’s admissions and financial aid processes are simultaneous yet separate. When applications are complete, our admissions committee reviews and evaluates them without considering a family’s ability to pay full tuition. Once they determine which applicants would be strong fits for Commonwealth, they must make difficult decisions about how to distribute available financial aid funds.

Commonwealth expects that living parents/guardians will contribute to the cost of tuition and fees. As such, we ask custodial and non-custodial parents/guardians to complete and submit the financial aid application and all required documents. We understand that it is not always possible for families to meet this requirement; if that is the case for your family, please contact our Director of Admissions and Financial Aid, Carrie Healy (chealy@commschool.org).

Barring certain conditions—there is a child of preschool age or younger in the household, that parent/guardian has a severe illness, or they are caring full time for a severely ill relative—we assume that each parent/guardian in a family will work. We also understand that, for a variety of reasons, a parent/guardian might not be employed for a given period of time. Parents/Guardians who are not working should explain their circumstances in the comments section of the Clarity application. Please know that, in determining financial need, Commonwealth may assign an income for a non-working parent/guardian.

We are happy to support families in filling out and submitting the financial aid application. We can field specific questions or set up an appointment to go through the financial aid application together. We encourage you to connect with us.

The combination of a financial aid grant and a family’s payment includes annual tuition; daily lunches and snacks; textbooks; participation in clubs, arts, and sports; and, typically, the cost of two all-school weekend trips. Other costs, such as laptops, tutoring services, and standardized tests may be partially or fully covered, depending on a family's financial aid level. The costs of general school supplies (pencils, notebooks, etc.) are not included in financial aid and are the family’s responsibility. Please see below for more information about transportation and this page regarding managing other costs.

If a family is concerned about the amount of financial aid extended, they can request a reconsideration of their grant. To do so, we ask that they submit in writing (via email) any additional information that is not reflected in their Clarity application or any changes to their financial situation that may have taken place since submitting the application. While we cannot guarantee that we will have additional funds available, we welcome conversations about affordability.

For families whose financial aid grants exceed 50% of tuition and fees and who do not reside in Boston, we include a transportation stipend as part of the grant. Depending on a family’s level of financial aid and where they live, the stipend covers some or all of the cost of public transportation during the school year. Any remaining costs are the family’s responsibility.

For families whose grants are less than 50% of tuition and fees, transportation is not included in the grant.

Please note that student MBTA passes are free for Boston residents; for non-residents, student fares are significantly discounted.

We are committed to ensuring that every student has access to every opportunity at Commonwealth. As such, we partner with families in meeting the cost of students’ international foreign language exchanges and trips, summer programs, standardized testing, test preparation, and tutoring arranged through the school. Through a combination of additional scholarships and reduced fees, we aim to make these costs more affordable for families. You'll find more information here.

Commonwealth offers three flexible payment options: families can pay in full during the summer, pay half in the summer and half in the fall, or enroll in a ten-month payment plan. Families submit all payments through Blackbaud Tuition Management, an outside vendor that they subscribe to directly upon enrollment.

Yes. Commonwealth requires each returning family to submit a new financial aid application every year so that the financial aid committee can recalculate grants. Reapplying allows the committee to get a real-time sense of a family’s financial picture and extend grants equitably.

Since families reapply for financial aid annually, it is unlikely that the grant and the family payment will remain exactly the same. If a family’s finances—incomes, other assets, debts, and any major expenses—stay the same, the financial aid grant will remain relatively consistent from year to year. If a family’s financial picture changes for better or for worse—a parent loses a job or gets a big bonus, there’s a death in the family, another child starts attending a tuition-charging school, someone wins the lottery, etc.—the grant and their payment will change to reflect this new information. Even if a family’s finances have not changed much, their payment will likely increase slightly each year as tuition rises. We expect a modest annual tuition increase and ask families to share the cost of that increase.

Families who begin at Commonwealth paying the full tuition typically continue to do so in subsequent years. However, we understand that circumstances sometimes arise that impact families’ finances. These circumstances might include a job loss, a sudden and significant decrease in income, a serious illness, a change in family size, or an additional child in a tuition-charging school. If a returning family experiences or anticipates a major change in circumstance, they should contact Director of Admissions and Financial Aid Carrie Healy by December 1, 2024. While we can’t guarantee that our budget will allow for additional grants for returning families, we encourage conversations.