Tuition & Assistance

We understand that an independent school education is a big investment for families and that some may need assistance in affording a Brightworks education for their student. This is a reality that we do not take lightly, and we do our best to make Brightworks accessible for students and families while balancing the needs of our budget as a nonprofit school in San Francisco. 

Tuition for the 2024/2025 school year is $41,853. 

Tuition includes all school and project supplies, field trips, expert visits, technology, yearbooks, and community meals. Occasionally, there are additional fees associated with larger trips like overnight camping excursions. It is vital to our program that all students are able to participate in activities, regardless of financial ability. After care comes with an additional fee with additional tuition assistance available.

Brightworks is committed to a community that is socio-economically diverse.

We are dedicated to providing tuition assistance to families with demonstrated inability to pay for full tuition and currently assist 34% of our families with grants ranging from 10%-100% off the total tuition.

Brightworks offers a ten-payment plan for families that is attached to a tuition refund plan (also known as tuition insurance) that protects tuition commitments against unforeseen circumstances that result in students leaving school before the end of the year. 

We encourage families that need assistance to fill out the School and Student Service for Financial Aid (SSS), which helps us assess families’ ability to pay for tuition. The system analyzes the numerical information that families submit and recommends total payment for tuition. The tuition assistance committee then works with the admissions team to determine the final tuition grant for each family based on this initial recommendation, taking into account external factors like cost of living and special circumstances. Our school code is 9218.

Tuition decisions are decided by a committee made up of members of the IAT nonprofit board, the admissions team, and the business manager. This committee treats each family’s application with respect, confidentiality, and thoroughness.

Families are asked to reapply for tuition assistance every school year to take into account any changes that may have occurred in a family’s finances so that the school can allocate budget appropriately. In most cases, student tuition remains at the same level, adjusting for annual tuition increases. In a few cases, aid amounts change year-to-year, reflecting a dramatic change in a family’s financial circumstances.

Returning families are informed of their tuition assistance amount in their reenrollment contracts that are sent in mid-February each year. New families receive tuition assistance grants in their welcome letters, which are sent out in mid-March. 

We encourage lower-income families applying to private school for the first time to apply for tuition funding through the BASIC fund. Please visit their website for more information.

Please reach out to us at tuition@sfbrightworks.org with any questions.