Affording The Little School

Diversity is one of the three founding pillars of The Little School, and socioeconomic diversity is an essential part of that commitment. We therefore provide discounted tuition to families in order to help them afford our school.  Currently, our families receive a discount on tuition ranging from 5% to 98% of the cost of the program, including extended care and the summer program. 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 goal is to make The Little School accessible to all children and families who are committed to the mission of the School.

To support a socio-economically diverse and inclusive community, The Little School provides discounted tuition awards ranging from $500 to $33,000. Discounted tuition includes tuition and the summer program. The Little School encourages families to apply for discounted tuition, even if only a modest grant would make a difference.

Please find our full informational package here.

WHAT IS DISCOUNTED TUITION? 

Some of our families pay full tuition and some receive a discount on the cost of tuition.  Discounts range from 5% to 99% of the cost of tuition and extended care. We intend for our discounted tuition to serve a wide range of income levels.  We do not guarantee that assistance will be granted to all who apply, but we do encourage all families for whom tuition represents an unreasonable burden (for whatever reason) to apply.  Applications are processed and reviewed by The Little School Administrative Team.  If discounted tuition is key to your attendance next year, speak with Kaile Thomas, Executive Director.

The discounted tuition process at The Little School is simple: applicants submit an online form, the Parents’ Financial Statement (PFS), to School and Student Services (SSS). SSS is a third-party organization that keeps your information confidential. The PFS gathers information about family income, expenses, assets, liabilities and other factors that might influence a family’s ability to pay tuition. School and Student Services impartially analyzes the financial information families provide and computes a recommended family contribution for tuition. 

The PFS is due to School and Student Services on February 1, 2024. IRS tax forms and supporting documentation are due to SSS by February 16, 2024. Families are encouraged to submit materials well in advance of the deadlines. To learn more about financial guidelines for families and best practices for schools, please read School and Student Services' Guiding Principles for Families. 

Admission decisions and discounted tuition award information are sent to families in mid-March. Families apply for discounted tuition annually; however, if your income does not vary significantly year to year, you can expect to receive a similar percentage of discount each year.

Key Dates for Discounted Tuition Applications

December 1, 2023

Admissions Applications Due to The Little School

January 12, 2024, 9:30-10:30am

Discounted Tuition Workshop - Please RSVP below:

February 1, 2024

         Parents Financial Statement due to School and Student Services

February 16, 2024

         Completed tax documents due to School and Student Services including:

Preschool for All

The Preschool for All Tuition Credit (PFA) program helps provide universal access to preschool to all 4-year-olds in San Francisco. To be eligible for PFA, families must live in San Francisco and children must turn 4 on or before December 2nd of the year they will be enrolled in a five day program. While the program is not designed for kindergarten-aged children, exceptions are made for children with documented special needs or who require an extra year of preschool.

PFA is open to all families regardless of need or income. Families may receive a tuition credit of $3,000-$6,000 annually. Through funding to qualified preschools, PFA reduces the cost of tuition during an eligible student’s pre-kindergarten year, and provides for enhancements that help schools improve program quality. PFA also supports teachers by granting them access to free professional development opportunities and a dynamic community of peers working in qualified preschools throughout San Francisco.

Parents with age-eligible children have a choice about how to use the PFA Tuition Credit. You may accept all or a portion of it for cost-reduction or you may donate it to the Little School. If you have any questions, please contact Executive Director, Kaile Thomas.

The Little School admits students of any race, color, national, and ethnic origin to all rights, privileges, programs, and activities generally accorded to students at the school. It does not discriminate on the basis of gender, race, color, national and ethnic origin, or sexual orientation in administration of its discounted tuition, or school-administered programs.