Tuition & Financial Aid

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Making a private school education affordable and available to as many San Diego families as possible.

One of the founding values of The Child’s Primary School (TCPS) is making an independent private school education available to as many San Diego families as possible.

We believe that a diverse community composed of families from many different backgrounds provides an inspirational and inclusive learning environment for everyone on campus.

For this reason, we strive to keep tuition as low as possible and offer a strong financial assistance program for students who might otherwise not be able to attend.

View our yearly tuition & fees, and how to apply for financial assistance below.

Tuition & Fees for 2024-2025

TCPS is an AFFORDABLE private school option.
We strive to keep tuition manageable for San Diego families.
We offer:
Tiered tuition pricing.
Sibling discounts.
Financial assistance/discounted tuition for those who qualify.

Grades K–2:

$16,590

Grades 3–5:

$20,500

Grades 6–8:

$22,900

Extended care:

$8/hour

  • Sibling Discount: 10% tuition discount for younger siblings

  • Payment: $1,000 tuition deposit; balance due June 1st or 10 monthly payments

  • Tuition Recovery Reserve Fee: $250 (required for all enrolled students)

  • Financial Assistance: Available for those who qualify (see below)

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Affording Private School at TCPS: Financial Aid

The goal of the Admissions Committee is to offer placement to students who we believe will experience success in the TCPS program. To achieve this goal, the committee carefully considers each application for admission without regard to financial need.

How to Apply for Financial Aid (2025-26)

TCPS awards financial assistance based on a family’s demonstrated need as determined by a third-party vendor.

If applying for aid, families are asked to:

  • Create an account with our partner, Clarity, to apply for financial aid.

  • Complete the application online and upload any required documents by the deadline stated below.

  • Parents will need to have their prior year income taxes on hand to complete the application and must include access to required tax forms through Clarity for an application to be considered complete (e.g. 2023 Form 1040 is required for those applying for 2025-2026). Only complete applications will be reviewed and a report will be sent from Clarity to TCPS.

  • For priority consideration complete the financial aid application by the priority deadline. New applicants for 2025-2026 admission, the priority deadline to submit your application for financial aid is February 1, 2025 (you must also submit your application for admission by the same priority deadline of Feb. 1). This will enable us to provide you with a financial aid award along with your admissions decision. If applying after February 1, check with the admissions office on the availability of funds for your child’s grade. For returning families the priority deadline is November 30 each school year to receive a financial aid decision with your re-enrollment contracts at the end of January.

Returning Families:

As the level of overall school financial aid funding may change year-to-year, renewal financial aid applications are needed each year from returning families, due no later than November 30. Respecting this deadline allows the school to prioritize assistance to returning families before extending offers to new families. Financial aid funding is limited to resources available each year. Awards may be limited by available funds for applications received after the stated deadline. Use the Clarity link below to submit your application for tuition assistance.

Create account or sign-in to apply for financial aid.

Click here.

Start your admissions application today!

Non-Discrimination Statement

TCPS values diversity and provides equal opportunity for all qualified applicants for its educational programs, financial assistance, and educational activities. TCPS does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national and ethnic origin, age, gender, or sexual orientation in administration of our educational policies, admissions policies, financial aid, hiring, and other school-administered programs.