The NPES Financial Aid Program

We believe children benefit greatly from attending North Park Elementary School, and we want to extend the opportunity to attend NPES to a broader group of qualified students in keeping with one of our school’s core values: seeking to create more meaningful and inclusive spaces for all. We also believe that academic learning and social growth are strengthened when diverse perspectives and life experiences are present in every classroom.

If you are applying for admission to fourth, fifth, sixth, seventh, or eighth grade, and you think you are unable to pay the full tuition and fees to attend NPES but believe you can afford at least 50% of the total cost (about $10,000), you should apply for financial aid. Financial aid is based on a family’s demonstrated financial need. The current maximum financial aid grant is 50% of the total cost of tuition and mandatory fees (see current tuition and fees here). Financial need is defined by the difference between a family’s resources and the educational expenses associated with attending NPES. Financial aid is only available for students in grades four to eight when space exists in the class.

All students who enroll at the school with financial aid receive a 25% to 50% discount on annual tuition and fees (based on financial need), and regardless of the size of their grant, all recipients also receive a 50% discount on clubs, activities, domestic student travel (not international), and the few school events that involve an entry fee. In addition, Before and After Care is free for all financial aid recipients. As most students at NPES bring lunch from home, financial aid does not cover lunch through the school’s third-party lunch vendor.

There are three steps to apply for financial aid at NPES: 

1. Confirm with Director of Admission Anne Zagotta which classes across grades four through eight currently have space available for new students. When space is available, Ms. Zagotta will provide you with a voucher code to use on the financial aid application with our partner, Clarity (see #3 below).
2. Assuming space is available at your child's grade level, submit an application for admission (see the admissions process steps here, noting that the non-refundable $150 application fee is required of all applicants to the school). The application will be reviewed by the Admissions Committee based on the same criteria and standards employed for all applicants to our school. Admissions decisions come before financial aid decisions, as one must be accepted for admission before a financial aid request can be reviewed by the financial aid committee.
3. Apply for financial aid through our third-party partner, Clarity, following the instructions here. Note that Clarity will obtain federal income tax returns, including all schedules and W2s for all parents/guardians, and send the NPES Financial Aid Committee its confidential analysis of what a family can afford to pay for tuition and fees. Instead of paying the financial aid application fee to Clarity, please enter the voucher code provided by the admissions office.

NPES considers applications for admission and for financial aid on a rolling basis throughout the calendar year when space allows, but classes can fill up quickly in the late winter and early spring for the following fall. Contact the admissions office about current spaces available.

Director of Admissions Anne Zagotta (admissions@npeschool.org or 773-327-3144, ext. 235) assists families with questions about the two distinct processes families engage in, one for admission to the school and an additional separate process for families requesting financial aid.

If you need support specifically with completing your Clarity application, there is in-app support available through the "Help" button in the bottom left of the screen, as well as email and phone support at support@clarityapp.com or (206) 210-3752, in both English and Spanish. The application itself is also fully translated into Spanish.

• The Clarity application takes about 30 minutes to complete.
• The application is mobile-friendly so you can complete it from anywhere. You are also able to save your progress and return at any time.
• With your $60 Clarity application fee, you can share your application with additional schools that accept Clarity for no additional charge. Simply use the dropdown menu in the application to select those schools.
• Please remember to return to your dashboard after you complete and submit your Clarity application for any updates.