Affording Nightingale

Affording Nightingale

Nightingale believes that all qualified students should be able to attend, regardless of financial standing.

Nightingale provides need-based financial aid to meet the difference between what a family can afford and the cost of tuition. We make every effort to evaluate and understand the distinctiveness of each family’s situation and give deliberate, individual consideration based on information provided by the family and the Clarity financial aid application.

Decisions regarding financial aid are made by the Financial Aid Committee on the basis of demonstrated need and the availability of funds. We are not able to award financial aid to every family who applies. The Financial Aid Committee keeps all financial information confidential and grants awards regardless of race, color, religion, national or ethnic origin, or disability. Families receiving financial aid are obligated to keep their aid package details confidential.

Tuition assistance is granted for one year. Renewal is not automatic or guaranteed. Families are required to submit applications annually, as available funds vary from year to year and each family’s financial circumstances may also change. Families who do not apply for aid when first admitted are ineligible to apply for two years.

For the 2024–2025 academic year, Nightingale awarded over $6.5 million in financial aid towards tuition to 18% of the student body, with an average award of approximately $51,000 per student. Families who qualify for tuition aid are also given proportionate financial assistance for non-tuition-related items. This is covered in more detail in Tuition and Related Expenses, below.

How to Apply

How to Apply for Financial Aid

The Nightingale financial aid program is designed to make a Nightingale education possible for all families based on demonstrated financial need and the availability of funds. Nightingale uses 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.

To get started, please go to the Clarity Application and create an account. 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 ensure “The Nightingale-Bamford School (New York, NY)” has been selected as one of your sending schools.

The deadline for completing the financial aid application including relevant supplemental documents is December 1, 2024.

If you need support during the process of completing your application, there is in-app support available through the “Help” button in 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.

Will I Qualify?

Many factors enter into the determination of financial aid awards, such as household income and expenses, assets and indebtedness, and the number of children attending tuition-charging schools and colleges. Because individual family financial circumstances differ, the calculation of need will be unique to each circumstance. Given the many variables that affect an award decision, it is impossible to accurately predict a family’s financial aid award based solely on family income.

What happens in cases of divorce, separation, or single parents?

The custodial and non-custodial parents must complete a separate Clarity application per household. The financial situation of both parents is considered, in addition to stepparents and legal guardians. If one parent has had no involvement with the student for an extended period of time, the custodial parent should complete the second parent waiver form and upload that document directly to Clarity.

What are the Deadlines for Applying for Financial Aid?

Prospective families applying for financial aid must complete the required Clarity application by December 1, 2024. The Director of Financial Aid will be directly in touch with families after December 1, 2024, should their applications require further documents. Nightingale will only consider financial aid applications that are complete by the December 1, 2024 deadline.

For more information about Nightingale’s financial aid policies and procedures, please contact Senior Associate Director of Admissions and Financial Aid Liz Cavanaugh at 212-933-6518 or ecavanaugh@vahnet.net.

Apply for Financial Aid

Financial Aid Coverage

  • Tuition Expenses

    2024-2025 TUITION: $64,470 (K-XII)

    Nightingale’s tuition includes:

    • Lunch and snacks
    • Textbooks
    • Overnight trips, including: Class IV to Greenkill; Class VII to Washington, DC; Class VIII to Alabama; Class IX to London; Class X to Frost Valley; Class XII Fall and Spring Retreats
    • iPads for students in Classes III-XII
    • Student software and technology fees
    • Student publications, such as yearbook and newspaper
    • Day trips (museums, theater, opera, etc.)
    • Student Accident Insurance
    • Athletics uniforms and regular season travel
    • Debate program expenses
    • Parents Association-sponsored events

  • Additional Expenses

    A family receiving tuition aid will receive proportionate assistance for the following non-tuition expenses:

    • Hobbyhorse (K–IV afterschool program)
    • Sunny Days (rising K–IV summer program)
    • Summer Debate Institute (rising V–VIII summer program)
    • International trips not included in tuition
    • Fundraising events (reduced ticket price)
    • Yearbook ads for seniors
    • Book Fair purchases
    • ACT/SAT prep and college application fees
    • Private morning and afternoon bus transportation to/from Brooklyn, Bronx/Upper Manhattan, Queens, and Downtown Manhattan

Fees, Payments, & Policies

  • Application Fees

    Nightingale Admissions

    $80 is due upon submission of an admissions application. This fee is waived for families applying for financial aid.

    Financial Aid Application

    Clarity charges a processing fee of $60 for applications. Application fee waivers are granted directly through Clarity to qualifying families. Please contact support@clarityapp.com or 206-210-3752, in both English and Spanish, for information regarding Clarity application fee waivers.

    Enrollment Deposit

    A 10% non-refundable enrollment deposit is due with the signed enrollment contract.

    The enrollment contract becomes binding on May 1.

  • Tuition Payment Plans

    For the 2024-2025 school year, Nightingale offers the following payment plans:

    • 1 payment - Full tuition balance (less deposit) due June 2024
    • 2 payments - 65% of tuition due June 2024 and balance (less deposit) due December 2024
    • 4 payments - four equal payments (after deposit) due June 2024, August 2024, October 2024, and December 2024 ($56 administrative fee per family)
    • 9 payments - nine equal payments (after deposit) due May 2024 through June 2025 ($56 administrative fee per family)

  • Payment Policies

    The following policies direct the actions of the school and those of faculty and staff:

    • The Financial Aid Committee will not consider an application for financial aid until all accounts are current.
    • The school may withhold student grade reports, transcripts, diplomas, or recommendations if tuition is not paid.
    • The school reserves the right not to permit a student to register, attend class, and/or take exams if the student account is in arrears.

  • Tuition Refund Plan

    As with any insurance plan, the Tuition Refund Plan (TRP) is protection against the unexpected. Although the signed enrollment contract obligates the parent/guardian to pay tuition for the entire school year, a serious illness or family move out of town may necessitate the student’s extended absence or withdrawal from the school. In that event, the TRP allows a family to recoup some of the costs they would otherwise be obligated to pay. The amount of reimbursement available is determined by the timing and nature of the student’s absence or withdrawal from the school. Information about this program is included annually with the first tuition statement.

Still have questions? Reach out to us at any time.