At SMWS, our commitment to an educational experience that has both ‘windows and mirrors’ for our students means creating a community that is as diverse in socioeconomic backgrounds as it is in interests, experiences, and cultures.

Please visit our Tuition Assistance tab for more information. 

TUITION & PROGRAM SCHEDULE 2024 - 2025

Program Times Comprehensive Tuition ** 12 Monthly Tuition Payments * Application Fee
EARLY CHILDHOOD PROGRAMS
PRESCHOOL (2.5 - 4 yrs)
3 Days
Morning Only
8:30 am - 12:30 pm $9,950 $733.33 $90
3 Days
Full Day
8:30 am - 3:00 pm
(Th 2:00 pm)
$12,200 $920.83 $90
4-5 Days
Mornings Only
8:30 am - 12:30 pm $16,200 $1,254.17 $90
4-5 Days
Full Day
8:30 am - 3:00 pm
(Th 2:00 pm)
$21,000 $1,654.17 $90
KINDERGARTEN (4.5 - 6yrs)
Mornings Only 8:30 am - 12:30 pm $16,200 $1,254.17 $90
Full Day 8:30 am - 3:00 pm $21,000 $1,654.17 $90
LOWER SCHOOL - MIDDLE SCHOOL
GRADES 1 - 5 8:30 am - 3:10 pm
(Th 2:00 pm)
$26,500 $2,112.50 $90
GRADES 6 - 8 8:30 am - 3:10 pm
(Th 2:00 pm)
$28,800 $2,304.17 $90
AFTERCARE
Preschool - Grade 5 3:00 or 3:10 pm - 5:00 pm $22 / day flat-rate N/A N/A
HIGH SCHOOL | 50% Off 2024-25 High School Tuition | Apply by March 10, 2024
GRADES 9 - 12 8:30 am - 3:25 pm
(Th 2:25 pm)
$31,750 $2,550.00 $90
SUMMER CAMP
Early Childhood: Age 3-6
Full Day (Jun - Aug)
Total 8 weeks
8:30 am - 3:00 pm $500 / week N/A N/A
Early Childhood: Age 3-6
Mornings Only (Jun - Aug) Total 8 weeks
8:30 am - 12:30 pm $400 / week
N/A N/A
Grades 1-8 Specialty / Athletic Camps Various TBD N/A N/A

*Exact monthly payment amount will vary. Amounts shown reflect an $1,150 tuition deposit and are an estimate.

**All Facilities and Supply Fees rolled into the Comprehensive Tuition Model. Class trips and sports fees are included in tuition. Instrument rentals and lessons not included in tuition.

ENROLLMENT DEPOSIT 

SMWS requires an annual non-refundable enrollment deposit of $1,150 per student; $575 per student for families applying for tuition assistance. The Enrollment Deposit is due when the Enrollment Contract is signed. Failure to make an on time enrollment deposit payment may result in the cancellation of enrollment. The tuition deposit is applied in full toward tuition. 

TUITION PAYMENT OPTIONS & FEES

One Payment – Due in July. Payments are made through Tuition Management. *Families that choose the one payment option may opt out of the 2.5% Tuition Guarantee Fee.

Two Payments – *Due in July and January. Payments are made through Tuition Management.

Twelve Payments – *Due each month from July through June. Payments are made through Tuition Management. 

*Tuition Guarantee – Families who choose the 2 or 12-month payment plan are required to pay a Tuition Guarantee Fee. The Tuition Guarantee Fee is included in the Tuition amount. The fee is 2.5% of tuition per student and is optional under the one-payment plan. The guarantee protects a family in the case of a mid-year withdrawal, in which case they are responsible for 25% of the remaining tuition, instead of 100% of the remaining tuition.

TUITION ASSISTANCE 

Tuition assistance is available for eligible students in grades Kindergarten-12. Preschool is not eligible for Tuition Assistance. Families access the tuition assistance application at FACTS.com. FACTS manages tuition assistance applications for the school. Tuition Assistance applications for the following school year are due for returning families by January 4th and for new families by February 15th.

ADDITIONAL FEES AND COSTS

Ensemble Program/Instrument Rental and Private Lessons (required)

Students in grades 3-8 participate in our string ensemble program. Parents are responsible for renting or purchasing an instrument and obtaining weekly private music lessons for their child to support class instruction. A limited number of instruments are available for subsidized rental rates from the school. SMWS makes every effort to support families who may experience hardship related to Ensemble Program costs.

VOLUNTARY SUPPORT

Each year parents and friends of the school are asked to make an annual financial gift. Tuition covers significantly less than the actual cost per student incurred by the school. Our school relies on voluntary contributions to support our operating budget solicited through our Annual Giving Campaign. Gifts are tax deductible.

CONTRACTUAL OBLIGATION

Families are obligated to the contract once the contract has been signed. In case of a midyear withdrawal, families are still responsible for tuition for the remainder of the year. See the “Tuition Guarantee” program information above for options.

STATEMENT OF NON-DISCRIMINATION

Shining Mountain Waldorf School does not discriminate on the basis of race, religion, gender, gender identity, disability, familial status, sexual orientation or national or ethnic origin in its admission policy or conduct of its educational programs. Disclosure of racial and ethnic information is solely voluntary, the information will be kept confidential, and refusal to provide the information will not subject the application to any adverse treatment.

- Sarah Gillis, SMWS Class of 2012 and Sr. Space Operations Engineer at SpaceX

“I feel like one of the really important things that you get out of a Waldorf education is curiosity—curiosity to go and learn and explore what’s out there in the world. I fell into engineering and a path that I don’t think I would have anticipated, but having an arts background where you’re bringing creativity and imagination into problem-solving, there’s a really incredible synergy between those.”

- Sarah Gillis, SMWS Class of 2012 and Sr. Space Operations Engineer at SpaceX

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