Financial Aid Opportunities at The Little School

Choosing a school for your child is both a practical decision and a deeply personal one. 

You’re thinking about daily schedules, tuition, location and the admissions process. You’re also asking bigger questions: Will my child feel known here? Will this environment help them grow? Will our family feel like part of the community?

Here at The Little School, financial aid is part of that larger conversation. It helps TLS support the kind of diverse, welcoming learning community we believe children need.

“Why is it that we commit 12% of our budget to financial aid? We are making a very strong commitment,” says Regan Wensnahan, Director of Enrollment Management at TLS. “Our school has always made a strong commitment to be a diverse community, including socioeconomic diversity.”

That commitment is about access. It is also about belonging. 

Key Insights

• Financial aid at The Little School reflects the school’s commitment to access, belonging and socioeconomic diversity.

• TLS uses the Clarity Platform to make the financial aid application process more straightforward and accessible for families.

• Financial aid can apply to more than tuition, including Extended Day, Break Camps, enrichment classes and Summer Camp.

• Families are encouraged to share context beyond the numbers because financial forms may not show the full picture.

• Investing in a TLS education supports children during foundational years when they build confidence, curiosity and lifelong learning habits.

Why Financial Aid Matters at The Little School

Financial aid often begins with a practical question: Can our family afford this?

Independent school tuition is an investment and families deserve clear information about the process, timeline and what support is available to them. But here at TLS, financial aid is also connected to how we think about learning.

We understand how children learn—from their teachers, their environment and the other children around them. They grow when they are introduced to different ways of thinking and different ways of experiencing the world. A community with a range of family backgrounds helps children build empathy, flexibility and a broader sense of what learning can be.

“If you're only learning in these foundational years with people who are like you, your thinking can't expand,” says Wensnahan.

Financial aid helps make that broader community possible. It allows more families to consider TLS and helps the school create a learning environment that reflects a wider range of experiences. 

Here, children are not only learning math, literacy, science and the arts, but also how to listen, collaborate, ask questions, solve problems and understand themselves as part of a community.

How the Financial Aid Process Works

The Little School uses Clarity, an online application system, for financial aid applications. Clarity reviews financial information directly from tax returns and makes recommendations to the school about financial aid awards.

The application is designed to be accessible for families. It is mobile-friendly, can be saved and returned to later and typically takes less than 30 minutes to complete.

“You really can quickly and easily enter (information) in,” says Wensnahan, who recommends that families about to begin the process have their financial information available.

“It's also helpful for families to tell us a little bit about their situation,” she adds, “not just letting the numbers do the talking but also (explaining) what is going on because sometimes numbers don't fully reflect the true situation in a family.”

That added context could include many things—change in employment, important family responsibilities, medical expenses or other situations that may not be obvious from financial forms alone. 

It’s also important to make clear that admission decisions and financial aid decisions are handled separately. Admission decisions are made by faculty and administration. After those decisions are made, the Financial Aid Team reviews requests and makes award decisions. This helps keep family financial information confidential.

Financial Aid is About More Than Tuition

When families think about financial aid, they often think first about tuition. That is a natural place to start, but the cost of school can include more than the tuition number itself.

That is why our financial aid process at The Little School is designed to support participation in more than the school day. In addition to tuition, financial aid awards also apply at the same rate to:

• Extended Day (afterschool program)

• Break Camps (non-school day programs)

• Afterschool Enrichment Classes (classes after school)

• Summer Camp at TLS

Families who receive financial aid also receive a fixed discount if they choose to purchase hot lunch.

For example, if a family receives an 80% financial aid award on tuition, that same percentage applies to those additional TLS programs. This helps families plan more clearly and helps children take part in the fuller life of the school.

“The goal is we want families to feel like they are just like everybody else in our community,” Wensnahan says. “We value all members of our community and we want to make sure that people feel that they can truly participate in all aspects of the program.”

By ensuring that families can attend events, use programs that support their schedule and say “yes” to experiences that help their child feel connected, financial aid becomes part of the school’s commitment to community.

When to Apply for Financial Aid

Families are invited to apply for financial aid alongside their application for admission. New families learn about their financial aid award as part of their offer. Returning families learn about the following year’s award when they receive their next year’s contract.

Because dates and details can change from year to year, the Tuition & Financial Aid page is the best place to find the most current information. 

Thinking About the Investment in Early Education

The early childhood and elementary years help shape how children see themselves as learners. They are building habits, confidence and ways of thinking that can stay with them far beyond their time at TLS.

“I really believe that these years in your child's growth in school are pivotal and foundational for really developing a strong sense of themselves,” says Wensnahan. “And that sets the stage for the rest of their learning journey.”

Here at TLS, children are supported as curious, capable learners. They learn to:

• Ask questions

• Make connections

• Follow ideas

• Work with others

• Better understand what helps them grow

Those skills are part of how children become confident readers, thinkers, mathematicians, scientists, artists and community members.

Wensnahan often hears adults reflect on their own education and describe doing what they were told without understanding why. We take a different approach: helping children build a stronger connection to their own learning from an early age.

“They're going to gain confidence,” says Wensnahan. “They're going to learn how to engage with themselves and their own learning and engage well with other people. They're going to learn so many strategies that are going to set them up for future success.”

A TLS education is not only about what children learn in a given year. It is about how they see themselves and how they carry those habits forward.

Learn More About Financial Aid at The Little School

Financial aid can feel like a big topic, especially when families are also learning about admissions, school visits and what kind of environment will be best for their child. At The Little School, we want families to have clear information and a process that feels manageable.

The best next step is to visit our Tuition & Financial Aid page. There, you can find current tuition information, financial aid deadlines, Clarity application details and more information about what is included with a financial aid award.

If The Little School feels like the right learning environment for your child, we invite you to schedule a virtual tour of our campus, or, if you have additional questions you’d like answered, reach out for more information.

• Schedule Your Virtual Tour

• Request More Information about TLS