Affording a Nueva Education

Nueva continues to be committed to the belief that a community of diverse voices and perspectives provides the best possible conditions for learning. We seek to attract students who reflect the diversity of the Bay Area and a variety of life experiences, interests, and talents, regardless of their economic circumstances.

Financial Assistance at Nueva

There is no way around it: a Nueva education is a significant financial investment. This is why the overriding purpose of our financial assistance program is to ensure that Nueva is affordable for every family. At Nueva, we meet 100% of a family's demonstrated financial need with grants, not loans; and, we have created a comprehensive program that accounts for the full cost of attendance.

We want you to know that you can afford a Nueva education.

Our Commitment to Affordability

The Bay Area's high cost of living makes tuition a stretch for many Nueva families.

We offer 100% financial assistance grants to households earning less than $150,000 annually with assets typical of that income level. All elements of a full Nueva education–transportation, lunch, trips, enrichment activities, and after-school services, plus any school-recommended educational support–will be provided at no cost to the family.

Additionally, households earning $150,000 to $250,000 annually with assets typical of that income level will contribute between 1 and 10% of their income towards tuition.

Households that earn more than $250,000 and have demonstrated need will receive financial assistance. In fact, in 2024–25, such households comprise 55% of the Nueva families that receive some level of financial assistance.

The true cost of attending an independent school goes beyond tuition, so for all families who receive financial assistance, the school will cover any additional expenses associated with a Nueva education at the same percentage as the tuition assistance each receives.

Below, you will find recent financial assistance data, as well as information about the process of applying for assistance and our tuition rates for the current 2024–25 school year.

Current Data

At a Glance

Students Receiving Assistance

Distribution of percentage of financial assistance received among the 195 Nueva students receiving assistance in 2024–25

Applying for Financial Assistance

We understand that the financial assistance application process can feel challenging at times. You might have questions about how it works, what information you’ll need to share, and what documents are required. The admissions team is here to help, and we want to hear from you.

Process Checklist

The financial assistance application process is separate and distinct from the admissions application but follows a similar timeline. All families wishing to be considered for financial assistance must complete an application through Clarity. Nueva uses the information provided through Clarity as the primary basis for determining the amount of financial assistance for which a family qualifies.

The checklist below provides more detail about our financial assistance application process. Of course, we are also here to help, so please reach out to us directly if you have any questions!

Be prepared. Gathering documents and information like your most recent tax documents can help you complete the application.
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 can save your progress and return at any time.)
- Use the dropdown menu to select Nueva School as a school to receive your information.
- Clarity Application Fee: At the end of the application, there is a $60 fee to submit. If the application fee is a financial hardship for your family, please email us at admissions@nuevaschool.org for a fee waiver code. (Scroll down for information about reduced Nueva assessment fees and admission-application fees.)
- The financial assistance application and all supporting documents are due by February 4, 2025. (Our admissions application deadline is January 9, 2025.)
After you complete and submit your application, please remember to return to your Clarity dashboard to upload the following tax documentation:
- 2023 federal tax documents (Clarity will pull these documents directly from the IRS)
- 2024 November and December paystub for each wage-earning parent or guardian
- All 2024 W-2

Please note: Returning families must submit a financial assistance application through Clarity each year. Nueva evaluates financial assistance grants annually, and grants may be adjusted depending on changes in a family's need.

Clarity offers several resources to help with the application process.

If you have questions at any point, you can email Clarity, or call Clarity at 206-210-3752.

Support Beyond Tuition

In order to enable full engagement in our wide range of school programs and activities, financial assistance at Nueva goes beyond tuition. Families that receive financial assistance will automatically qualify for a similar level of assistance for many school-related expenses, such as school-sponsored transportation, extended day, music programs, and any school-mandated tutoring and evaluations.

See below for information about reduced Nueva assessment fees and admission-application fees.

Reduced Fees for IQ Assessment, Test Innovators Assessment, Admissions Application, and Financial Assistance Application

Applying for reduced admission-application fees is a separate process from applying for financial assistance.

Ravenna Admissions Application Fee: If the application fee is a hardship for your family and you plan on applying for financial assistance, please use the code "waive90" in the payment section in Ravenna to cover the cost.
Clarity Financial Assistance Application Fee: If the application fee is a financial hardship for your family, please email admissions@nuevaschool.org for a fee-waiver code.
IQ Assessments (grades preK–8): A limited number of on-campus IQ assessment appointments are available to current community members, families applying for financial assistance, and/or families applying from our partner community-based organizations. Financial support is available for on and off-campus IQ assessments. To find out more or request a reduced fee or voucher, please complete and submit the Reduced Fee Application Form.
Test Innovators Timed Writing Sample and Analytical Thinking Exercise Fee (grades 5–12): If the fee for this assessment is a financial hardship for your family, please email admissions@nuevaschool.org for a fee waiver code.

If you have any questions about reduced fees and fee waivers, please contact us at admissions@nuevaschool.org.

Financial Assistance Scenarios

Representative samples of financial assistance provided to Nueva families

	Family A	Family B	Family C	Family D
Children in Tuition-Based Schools	1	2	1	2
Family’s Annual Income	$105,000	$200,000	$305,000	$575,000
Family’s Total Assets	—	$150,000	$175,000	$400,000
Nueva Financial Assistance, Per Child	$62,920	$54,720	$28,600	$21,100
Family’s Tuition Payment, Per Child	$0	$8,200	$34,320	$41,820
Percentage of Tuition Covered by Nueva Financial Assistance	100%	87.0%	45.4%	33.5%

Tuition Rates 2024–25

Grade	Tuition & Fees	Trips	Total
Pre-kindergarten	$35,585	----	$35,585
Kindergarten	$44,785	$40	$44,825
1st	$44,785	$100	$44,885
2nd–4th	$44,785	$500	$45,285
5th–8th (Middle School)	$59,720	$3,200	$62,920
9th–12th (Upper School)	$59,720	$4,000	$63,720

Financial Assistance FAQs

Financial Assistance FAQs

The Nueva community strives to make education for the gifted child possible—and therefore affordable—for families from diverse socioeconomic backgrounds. Currently, more than $7.5 million in need-based assistance supports 20% of Nueva students.

How do we apply for financial assistance?

Is financial assistance available for all grades?

Does financial assistance cover transportation, music programs, and other non-tuition fees and expenses?

Yes. In order to enable full engagement in our wide range of school programs and activities, financial assistance helps to cover other non-tuition school-related costs. Families that receive financial assistance automatically qualify for a similar level of assistance for many school-related expenses, such as school-sponsored transportation, extended day, music programs, and school-mandated tutoring and evaluations.

You can find more detailed information about the comprehensive support we offer here.

What is the typical financial assistance amount?

If we receive financial assistance will we need to repay it?

Do I have to reapply every year?

Could the request for financial assistance impact my child’s chances of being accepted for admission?

The admissions committee reviews applications without knowledge of financial assistance requests, and a separate committee determines financial assistance eligibility and grant levels.

The school's financial assistance budget is able to meet the need of most eligible applicants. However, in some years, the outcomes of a small percentage of qualified students may be impacted once the financial assistance budget is expended.

Should we apply for financial assistance even if we’re not sure our family will qualify?

If we do not apply for financial assistance during the admissions process can we apply in future years?

When a family submits a "full-pay" application to Nueva, this communicates that the family will be capable of covering all educational costs for the upcoming year and the foreseeable future.

That being said, we recognize that a family's financial situation can change, and tuition fees differ by division. Families are encouraged to apply for financial assistance at any time if they experience unforeseeable financial changes, even after matriculation.

Why does each parent need to submit a financial assistance application?

The financial assistance application process asks for information about the financial resources available to each living parent and/or legal guardian. Custodial parents, non-custodial parents, step-parents, birth parents, adoptive parents, married parents, unmarried parents, remarried parents, never married parents, and legal guardians are all expected to participate in the financial assistance application process since educational expenses are considered a shared responsibility. When parents live together, a single, jointly prepared financial assistance application is typically submitted along with the required tax forms and other documents. When parents are in different households, each will need to establish a separate family account with Clarity and submit the application and supporting documentation. Please contact us in cases where a parent is completely uninvolved in the student’s life and providing no financial support.

Does Nueva offer deferred payment plans?

When will we be notified about the financial assistance decision?

In This Section

Financial Assistance Key Dates

Wednesday, December 4, 2024
Financial Assistance Workshop (register through Ravenna)

Tuesday, February 4, 2025
Financial Assistance application (and all supporting documents) due in Clarity.

Friday, March 21, 2025
Admissions and Financial Assistance decisions released at 4 p.m.

Friday, March 28, 2025
Enrollment contracts and deposits for the 2025-26 school year due at 9 a.m.

Questions?
Click here to email us

Recibir ayuda: mleon@nuevaschool.org o llame al 650-235-7111

Recursos de Clarity en español:

Nueva Announces Landmark Financial Assistance Program

May 21 2024

A letter from Head of School Lee Fertig and Board Co-Chairs Hoon Cho and Kathleen Donohue, announcing a significant step toward Nueva's strategic goal of making a gifted education at Nueva more accessible to families.

Drew Willoughby

Class of 2009

"In 2008, my family was among about 10 percent of Nueva families whose primary earner lost their job in the wake of the financial crisis. If not for donors that fund financial assistance at Nueva, I would not have been able to finish my schooling here. I want to thank them, both for my own time at Nueva, and on behalf of all those students who may not yet be able to understand the profound impact donors have on their lives. I feel so fortunate to have been able to attend this school and am grateful to be a part of this community every day."

The Nueva School admits students of any race, color, national and ethnic origin, gender, sexual orientation, or religious affiliation to all rights, privileges, programs, and activities generally accorded or made available to students at the school. Nueva does not discriminate on the basis of these factors in the administration of its educational policies, admissions policies, financial assistance program, or athletic and other school-administered programs.