Affording DA

Go to clarityschools.com and click "Sign In" to create your account.

Start Your Financial Aid Application 

• Start with household & applicant information. Select the school(s) to which you are applying.
• Sign and submit a Form 4506c to give Clarity permission to pull your prior year tax returns. (This means you won't need to upload any of them yourself!)
• Complete your financial information, including income, expenses, assets and debts.

The app fee is $60 per household and covers any other Clarity schools to which you are applying. You only need to complete one application per household, regardless of the number of children in your household who are applying.

Additional documents may be required. After you submit your application, check the "Document Requests" panel on your portal to see what you need to upload.

Examples of such documents include the following:

• W2 forms or paycheck stubs
• Most recent federal tax form 

• Any corporate, partnership and tax forms (only applicable if any member of the
household owns 20% or more in a corporation, partnership or trust) 

• Documentation for all other sources of income (Social Security, welfare, SNAP nutrition benefits, unemployment, child support, workers' compensation, etc.) 

• When parents are divorced or separated, we require information from both custodial and non-custodial parents, guardians and stepparents. Each household may need to complete the Clarity application separately.

• We anticipate that all parents in a household to be employed before seeking financial aid. The exception is for parents caring for preschool-aged children, living with a disability, or facing other circumstances preventing employment. Please submit to Clarity an explanation regarding any unemployed parents in the household.
• Parents who are currently enrolled in school should submit a letter to Clarity explaining their program, progress toward a degree and expected date of graduation. 
• Parents who own a business or trust or who receive rental income may be required to submit additional documentation to Clarity. Contact Clarity for more information.
• For those receiving tuition assistance, DA offers limited financial aid for expenses beyond tuition, such as textbooks, Upper School travel and other extracurricular activities. Families on financial aid will receive a similar percentage reduction in the cost of after-school activities. Students receiving a grant of more than 90% of tuition may also receive assistance for fees, books and other curricular expenses.
• Families not currently on financial aid who have experienced unexpected financial difficulties may apply for financial assistance. Durham Academy may respond to these families depending on the circumstances and the availability of financial aid. 
• Applications for financial aid will not be considered until all past-due balances have been settled with Durham Academy’s Business Office.
• Failure to meet all of the deadlines limits the school’s ability to award financial aid to those deserving students who might otherwise qualify. 
• DA has a policy requiring all families to pay a 10% tuition deposit in order to enroll. Families are also required to purchase Tuition Refund Insurance (TRP) when receiving financial aid. 

Durham Academy offers financial aid to families from a wide range of income levels. All aid is need-based, which means admitted students demonstrating financial need will receive aid based on the school’s annual budget. DA’s Financial Aid Policy is guided largely by the school’s commitment to diversity, which we believe “enlivens, improves and enriches the intellectual and social environment of an academic community.” We believe that every family, regardless of economic standing, should demonstrate a commitment to their child’s education at DA by making a significant contribution toward tuition. Some level of financial participation is required on the part of every family. There is no expectation of repayment.

Read Full Financial Aid Policy

About 18% of students receive some level of financial aid for tuition, ranging from $1,000 to nearly a full year's tuition. Durham Academy is not always able to meet the demonstrated need of all families who apply. However, we encourage all families for whom paying full tuition would be challenging to apply for aid.

Our after-school programs for Preschool, Lower School and Middle School students provide a safe, fun and supportive environment where children have the opportunity to explore their interests beyond the regular school day. After-school offerings for Preschool students run from the end of the school day to 5 p.m. Families receiving financial aid will also receive the same percentage of aid for after-school expenses.

For families receiving financial aid, DA also offers limited assistance for other expenses beyond tuition — such as textbooks, travel opportunities and other extracurricular activities.