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Affording CDS

Children's Day School families have made the financial stretch for an independent school education, because they know that CDS provides:

List of 4 frequently asked questions.

At CDS, we are committed to making our school accessible and affordable to families from a broad range of economic circumstances, and we are a leader in socioeconomic diversity among San Francisco independent elementary schools. We devote more than 18% of our operating budget to sliding scale tuition ($3.9 million for 2023-2024), an unprecedented financial commitment. Twenty-seven percent of our enrolled students are paying sliding scale tuition.

Our sliding scale tuition is strictly need-based and recognizes that each family's financial situation is unique. While every family is expected to pay some portion of the tuition and to support the community to the extent that individual family circumstances permit, we do not expect tuition to be the same for everyone.

Our sliding scale tuition application process is separate from, but completed simultaneously with, our admission process, so that families who have applied for sliding scale tuition are notified of their tuition amount at the same time as the admission decision, allowing them to make informed choices.
We are committed to making CDS accessible and affordable to families from a broad range of economic circumstances.
Children's Day School admits students of any race, color, national and ethnic origin to all the rights, privileges, programs, and activities generally accorded or made available to students at the school.  Learn More