Affording Good Shepherd
At Good Shepherd, our focus is attracting and keeping talented kids by offering meaningful tuition assistance. We know families see tuition as an investment in their child’s future, so we strive to ease financial hurdles by supporting over 20% of our families. We look at each student's needs, the family’s situation, and the funds available to make sure deserving kids can join us, no matter their financial circumstances.
We understand that once a student joins our community, families want them to remain here through eighth grade. We want to do our part to make that happen. We also recognize how fortunate we are that over 40% of our families choose to call Good Shepherd home and enroll more than one child here. While we do not give tuition reductions for the number of children a family has in private schools, we are sensitive to this being the tipping point in some families’ ability to stay . We encourage all families with multiple students to discuss their options for tuition assistance.
The Good Shepherd Business Office uses Clarity, a third-party program, to help assess a family’s ability to pay school costs, and enable members of the Tuitions Assistance Committee to make objective and equitable tuition assistance decisions. We follow best practice guidelines as established by the National Association of Independent Schools in the granting of tuition assistance awards.
The Application Process
To get started, please go to the Clarity Application and create an account. The application typically takes less than 30 minutes to complete. The Clarity Application is also mobile-friendly so you can complete it from anywhere. You are also able to save your progress and return at any time. At the end of the application, there is a $60 fee to submit, and you can share your application with additional schools that accept the Clarity Application for no additional charge. Simply use the dropdown menu in the application to select those schools.
Deadlines & Decision Dates
Returning Students
Applications are due Sunday, December 1, 2024.
Award decisions will be available Thursday, January 30, 2025.
Prospective Students
Applications are due Friday, January 31, 2025.
Award decisions will be available Friday, March 14, 2025.
If you need support during the process of completing your 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.
Upcoming webinars
Clarity hosts several Application Info Webinars for families each year. During the live session, Clarity will go over some key aspects of the application, things to look out for, materials to gather, how to get help, how the tax verification process works, and a robust Q&A. These sessions typically last around 60 minutes but will stay live longer if there are many questions from parents.
Registration links for each date are available below:
Tuition Assistance FAQs
- How does Clarity make it easier for me to apply for financial aid?
- Is my information secure with Clarity?
- Will I need to apply every year?
- How will this impact my award?
- Can I complete my Clarity application on my phone or tablet?
- When do I need to apply?
How does Clarity make it easier for me to apply for financial aid?
Is my information secure with Clarity?
Will I need to apply every year?
How will this impact my award?
Can I complete my Clarity application on my phone or tablet?
When do I need to apply?
Please contact the Good Shepherd Business Office with any questions.
We Invite You to Explore:
Tuition Schedule
Middle School Scholarships
FAQs about the Admissions process