Affording FCS

We recognize that an FCS education represents a significant expense that is a challenge for many families. We also believe strongly that an FCS education is an important investment in your child’s future. In keeping with our Quaker values, FCS is committed to building a diverse, equitable, and inclusive educational community–one that includes families representing economic diversity. Our financial aid program is designed to make an FCS education possible for many families based on demonstrated financial need and the availability of funds.

At FCS, we are committed to providing an educational experience that will guide your child on their journey towards becoming a lifelong learner, courageous risk taker, and joyous peacemaker. The investment you make now will have a positive impact in the years to come, from Kindergarten to high school to beyond.

Tuition

Tuition and fees for the following year are set by the FCS Board of Trustees each January.

For the 2024-2025 school year, FCS's all-inclusive tuition is:


K thru 4th grade:  $26,600
5th and 6th grades: $27,500
7th and 8th grades: $29,400

The Tuition Schedule for 2024-2025 is available here.

Financial Aid

FCS offers modest amounts of financial aid based on relative need. Approximately 36% of FCS families receive aid. To meet the needs of as many families as possible, the maximum grant is 50% of tuition. Supplemental assistance may be available for Quaker families. 

FCS uses Clarity to process financial aid applications using secure, encrypted data. Clarity provides FCS with an estimate of a family’s level of financial need based on the information that families share in the application, which includes assets, income, expenses, and debts. Clarity works with many independent schools (including Quaker schools) and has customized its formulae to reflect the philosophy and values of our school. Application data submitted to Clarity is provided to FCS’s Financial Aid Committee, who makes all final award determinations. The process is confidential throughout.

Our financial aid application for the 2024-25 school year is now available through Clarity. Read below for instructions, and review the links under Helpful Resources for our policies and procedures, tutorials, and more.

Prospective Families:
  • The deadline for financial aid applications for the 2024-25 school year is Thursday, January 18, 2024. 
Current FCS Families:
  • Returning FCS families must re-apply for financial aid each year. The deadline for financial aid applications for returning families for 2024-25 is Friday, December 15, 2023.

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 able to save your progress and return at any time. At the end of the application, there is a $60 fee to submit.

Please remember to return to your dashboard after you complete and submit your Clarity Application, as we may require you to upload additional tax documentation.

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. 

Enrollment

Re-Enrollment Agreements for returning students for the upcoming school year are offered to parents in the preceding winter.  Enrollment Agreements for students accepted to FCS for the upcoming school year will be offered to parents at the time of acceptance notification (by early March). For families who qualify for financial aid, the financial aid award is included in the Agreement. To reserve a student's space for the upcoming FCS school year, the Enrollment/Re-Enrollment Agreement must be signed electronically by both parents/guardians and submitted with the non-refundable Enrollment Deposit by the indicated deadline.  

Parents/guardians are responsible for the full year's tuition, minus any financial aid offered, unless written notice of withdrawal is received before June 1 preceding the school year. Optional tuition insurance is available.
FCS is committed to building a diverse, equitable, and inclusive educational community and does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity, or national or ethnic origin. We welcome and celebrate families of varied backgrounds.

Located in College Park, MD, Friends Community School is a progressive Quaker K-8 day school, founded on the belief that every child is a valued member of our community. We offer a challenging curriculum imbued with strong values of equality, integrity, community, environmental stewardship, simplicity and peaceful conflict resolution, rooted in our Quaker heritage.
Friends Community School
5901 Westchester Park Drive
College Park, Maryland 20740
301-441-2100