Variable Tuition

Variable Tuition is a need-based tuition assistance program. This program allows families to apply for reduced tuition.

Any family of a student in grades Kindergarten through 8^th grade may apply for Variable Tuition. Families may apply for Variable Tuition only after they have enrolled at RCLS.

A third-party agency evaluates a family’s financial circumstances to determine eligibility for Variable Tuition. Factors such as income, assets, expenses, family size, unusual expenses, and more are considered in the eligibility analysis.

After completing the admissions process in the Bobcat App, families are encouraged to apply for Variable Tuition as soon as possible. Instructions for accessing the application may be obtained from the Enrollment Director.

(Note: returning families must submit an application by March 15. New families enrolling after March 15 are encouraged to submit an application within a week of enrollment).

The school cannot estimate the tuition level for which a family qualifies without the completion of a Variable Tuition application. Applications, complete with supporting documents, are submitted directly to TADS, which then makes a recommendation to the school.

Typically, families are notified of the tuition level for which they qualify via a formal tuition agreement, which is delivered to a family’s email in May before the upcoming school year or within two weeks of application completion at other times of the school year.

In early May, new and returning families will receive confirmation of a Variable Tuition rate via a formal tuition agreement for the upcoming school year. New families who apply for Variable Tuition prior to March 1 may request a preliminary tuition estimate to be delivered in April.

New families who apply for Variable Tuition after May 1 will typically receive a tuition agreement within 2 weeks of providing all the required information to our confidential third-party service.

Yes. A new application must be submitted to Blackbaud Tuition Assistance every year.

It is impossible to say what is typical because a wide range of families with a variety of circumstances qualify for the program. Some who qualify for Variable Tuition pay close to the entry level (the lower end) of the tuition range. Others pay closer to the exit level (the higher end) of the tuition range. Many factors are considered in the evaluation, including size of family, income, assets, expenses, and more. Variable Tuition qualification is assessed by our third-party financial aid partner, Blackbaud. Final tuition assistance award is made based on a family's need and the school's availability of funds.

No. Every RCLS family makes a financial investment in their child’s education.