Tuition Assistance / Tailored Tuition is a program that allows families to apply for a tuition rate that reflects what is affordable for a familiy's budget based on income, debt and other financial factors. This program is not a loan and families will not be required to pay back the difference.

Submit an application through Clarity by clicking here. If you have questions about the application process, please email Aleksandra Drabik, Director of Finance at adrabik@madisoncountryday.org.

Tuition Assistance / Tailored Tuition is available for new & returning students entering grades K-12. Please note, Tuition Assistance / Tailored Tuition is not available for pre-kindergarten and international students (students requiring an F-1 or J-1 visa to study in the U.S.).

We give preference to all returning families who apply for Tuition Assistance / Tailored Tuition for the 2024-25 school year by January 8, 2024. For new families, submit your Tuition Assistance / Tailored Tuition application via Clarity when you apply to MCDS. All families, both new & returning, can apply after the deadline. awards are made on a first-come, first-served basis as  long as funding remains available.

If you need support during the process of completing your application, there is in-app support available as well asemail support at support@claritytuition.com in both English and Spanish. The application itself is also fully translated into Spanish. 

Clarity will attempt to verify your most recent tax returns, even if it’s from a prior year. If you do not file US or state tax returns, please email Aleksandra Drabik, Director of Finance at adrabik@madisoncountryday.org to discuss what documentation will be required if you haven’t filed taxes in the US in the past 2 years.

MCDS appreciates the unique financial situation that business ownership can create. We have many Tuition Assistance / Tailored Tuition applicants who are business owners, and there are questions on the application that apply only to business owners. If you have a unique business ownership situation that you feel was not represented on your application please contact Aleksandra Drabik, Director of Finance at adrabik@madisoncountryday.org with questions.

All legal parents and step-parents, whether they are custodial or not, must complete the application. They can do so together or individually. In certain situations we can accept an application from only one parent:

• The second parent is deceased
• The first parent supplies an official court document stating that the second parent does not contribute toward educational expenses and does not participate in educational decisions for the student(s).

If a single parent has remarried, both the parent and the step-parent must include their information on the application.

If these or any other custodial or legal situations apply, we encourage you to contact Aleksandra Drabik, Director of Finance at adrabik@madisoncountryday.org to discuss your situation and how to proceed.

We usually process awards within 14 business days of the application completion. We are not able to process your application without your tax return. If more documents are required, you will hear from the school via the Clarity portal. Please make sure you submit all documentation requested. Your application will be processed once we receive all the documentation, and once your student(s) have been accepted to the school. You are always welcome to email Aleksandra Drabik, Director of Finance at adrabik@madisoncountryday.org or Bobbie Jean Huerth, Director of Enrollment Management at bhuerth@madisoncountryday.org to check on the status of your application.

The only way to determine your award is to apply. Each family’s situation is different. We are not able to give you an estimate without seeing your full application materials.

Each tuition assistance / tailored tuition recipient needs to reapply each year for an award. All awards are for the upcoming school year only. MCDS is committed to our returning families and seeks to update award amounts each year based on the tuition increase, the approved budget for the school, family income changes, or other special circumstances. While, we can’t guarantee your award will stay the same from year to year—typically most families see a similar award to prior years.

No, MCDS does not offer sibling discounts.  However, the tuition assistance/ tailored tuition does consider the number of children from a family enrolled in tuition-charging schools.  We encourage any family with multiple children for whom paying full tuition may be a challenge to apply for Tuition Assistance / Tailored Tuition.

Confidentiality is strictly observed by MCDS for all financial matters. The only people at MCDS who see your information and award are the tuition assistance/ tailored tuition committee and the Business Office. We also ask that families not discuss their awards with others in order to preserve the confidentiality of the process.

MCDS is committed to our families. We will work with you to help manage your school account should your financial situation change. We may be able to provide custom payment plans or additional assistance to cope with an unexpected change. If you experience a financial situation change, please contact Aleksandra Drabik, Director of Finance at adrabik@madisoncountryday.org or the Business Office to confidentially discuss your situation.

All MCDS families will be asked to donate to the Annual Fund, as it is vital for the overall health of the school that families donate. MCDS Annual Fund goal is to achieve 100% family participation in supporting our school and our students. Every gift to the Annual Fund, regardless of size, matters. Your tuition assistance / tailored tuition award will not be penalized based on your donation to the Annual Fund.