Sliding Scale

Children's Day School is a leader in economic diversity among San Francisco independent elementary schools. We devote approximately 20% of our operating budget, or $4.2 million for the 2024-2025 school year, to our sliding scale tuition program. In addition to tuition, sliding scale tuition funds are available for wrap-around services such as extended program fees, school lunch, etc. Approximately 27% of our enrolled students are paying sliding scale tuition. SST is one of the many ways we honor our core commitment to diversity.

For current CDS families interested in learning more about sliding scale tuition at CDS, please reach out to Kristina Berman, Director of Enrollment Management at kristinab@cds-sf.org. The application is completed through Clarity and is due on December 11, 2024.

*Please note that access to the Clarity application will be available after October 1, 2024.

For prospective families interested in learning more about sliding scale tuition at CDS, please see the information below. The application is completed through Clarity and is due on January 21, 2025. If you have any questions, please reach out to Kristina Berman, Director of Enrollment Management at kristinab@cds-sf.org.

*Please note that access to the Clarity application will be available after October 1, 2024.

Children’s Day School’s Sliding Scale Tuition program is designed to make a CDS education possible for all families based on demonstrated financial need and the availability of funds. CDS is proud to use the Clarity Application to determine a family’s level of financial need based on the information that families share in the application which includes assets, income, expenses, and debts.

There are many factors that determine if a family qualifies for sliding scale tuition and the formula used to calculate each family’s exact sliding scale tuition level is complex. The analysis considers a wide range of variables specific to each family, including income, assets, family size, expenses, discretionary costs and the number of children enrolled in independent schools. The CDS Access and Affordability Committee makes a cost-of-living adjustment to reflect the high cost of living in the San Francisco Bay Area, and also considers other factors, including whether a family owns real estate or has other significant investments; lifestyle choices (stay-at-home parent, discretionary spending such as vacations, etc.); other possible sources of funding for tuition; the tuition being paid by families in similar financial situations; and many other factors.

To get started, please go to the Clarity Application and create an account after October 1st. 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.

Please remember to return to your dashboard after you complete and submit your Clarity Application, as CDS requires you to upload additional tax documentation including your 2023 Federal Tax Return, as well as your 2024 W2s and 1099s (due February 1, 2025).

The deadline for completing the sliding scale tuition application, including relevant supplemental documents, is December 11, 2024, for current families and January 21, 2025, for prospective families.

If you need support during the process of completing your application, Clarity provides in-app support available through the “Help” button on 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. If you have specific questions related to sliding scale tuition at Children’s Day School, please reach out to Kristina Berman, Director of Enrollment Management at kristinab@cds-sf.org or 415-861-5432 x 337.

The school will make a provisional sliding scale tuition decision based on the above materials, subject to review and revision once a final 2024 federal tax return is submitted. Current families and prospective families who accept an enrollment offer must upload to Clarity and submit to CDS a signed copy of their final 2024 federal tax returns, including W2s, 1099s, and all schedules and supporting statements, no later than April 15, 2025.

Because the number of accepted students whose families qualify for sliding scale tuition usually exceeds the school’s budget, the school does not guarantee funding for, nor is able to fund, all deserving students. Most years, however, sliding scale tuition is offered to a very high percentage of accepted students whose families demonstrate need. Once a family enters CDS paying sliding scale tuition, and provided family circumstances remain the same, CDS intends to fund the student for all the years they are enrolled at CDS (absent an unexpected change in sliding scale tuition resources). To continue receiving sliding scale tuition, families must reapply every year. We also do our best to meet the needs of current families who are requesting sliding scale tuition for the first time due to a changed financial situation.

Children's Day School

Preschool-Grade 8
333 Dolores Street, San Francisco, CA 94110
(415) 861-5432

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