tuition and fees
Tuition for the 2013–2014 school year has been set at $16,180. For families with multiple students enrolled at Sea Crest, we offer a 10% discount for the second student, 20% for the third student, and 30% for the fourth student.
In addition, families pay annual program fees that cover costs such as classroom supplies, class pictures, yearbooks, assemblies, field trips, and more. Program fees for grades K–3 are $400, $550 for grades 4–5 and $700 for grades 6–8.
To secure a spot in the coming year, families pay a $1,000 per child non-refundable deposit in the spring. Deposits are then subtracted from the tuition balance due. Families receiving financial assistance pay a reduced amount, specified in their enrollment contracts.
a note about tuition
In living up to the vision of its founding families, Sea Crest School is committed to doing everything within its means to make the Sea Crest experience affordable. Tuition costs are determined by our Board of Trustees, who take into account the rising cost of educating a child, economic diversity of student population, and the operational costs—such as competitive faculty compensation—of running a school.
Every effort has been made to streamline operations at Sea Crest so that we may offer a tuition that is approximately 30–50% lower than that of comparable independent schools (a typical independent K–5 or K–8 school in the Bay Area runs from $20,000 to $36,750 per year, not including fees). We do this by having a lean administrative team, and by relying on parent volunteers to do many of the tasks for which other schools have paid staff. There is no compromise in the quality of faculty or programs.
Tuition is set lower than the actual cost of a Sea Crest education. Therefore, we also rely on charitable giving to help cover the gap through tax-deductible contributions. We ask that every family contribute at a level appropriate to its means. Click on the link to read more about supporting Sea Crest.
FACTS tuition management
All families are asked to pay tuition using FACTS, our tuition management company. Returning families are automatically re-enrolled in the FACTS program. NEW families should click on the FACTS link to set up their payment plan.
We will offer three payment schedule options starting in 2012–13:
- annual payment paid in one installment, due June 1
- bi-annual payments to be paid in two installments, due June 1 and December 1
- ten monthly payments, due the first of each month from June through March
There is a service fee for families choosing either the bi-annual or monthly payment plans; both include enrollment in the Dewars Tuition Refund Insurance. More information about payment plans and tuition refund insurance will be included with your enrollment contract.
