Forman School is an independent, coeducational, college preparatory school for boarding and day students with identified learning differences. Forman develops the whole student, based on each individual’s learning profile, so that all graduates become educated, confident self-advocates throughout life.
Affording Forman
We’re committed to accessible learning.
More than a quarter of Forman students receive need-based grants that make our life-bettering education possible.
Our Admission Committee decides whether a student is acceptable for admission before considering financial aid eligibility. Aid is awarded based on a family’s demonstrated need and the availability of funds.
While Forman aims to provide as much financial aid as possible, we cannot guarantee funding to all applicants applying for need-based grants. (When faced with a high number of acceptable students with financial need, final selection is based on a broad evaluation of a student’s academic and personal strengths.)
What do Forman’s fees include?
Boarding tuition includes room, board, and all services provided by our learning specialists and tutors.
Day tuition includes board and all services provided by our learning specialists and tutors.
Private tutoring (at an additional charge) can be arranged through the Academic Office.
What is the 2025-2026 day student tuition?
$77,500
Tuition includes all services provided by our learning specialists and tutors. Private tutoring (at an additional charge) can be arranged through the Academic Office.
What is the 2025-2026 boarding student tuition?
$94,800
Tuition includes room, board, and all services provided by our learning specialists and tutors.
Financial assistance eligibility & process
Forman School awards more than $1,300,000 in need-based grants annually to around 25% of our students. We offer only need-based financial aid, meaning we do not offer scholarships or grants based on academic merit or athletic ability. Our Admission Committee decides whether a student is acceptable for admission before considering eligibility for financial aid.
After accepting an applicant to Forman, the Committee awards financial aid based on a family’s demonstrated need and the availability of funds. We cannot guarantee funding to all applicants who qualify for need-based grants. When faced with a high number of acceptable students with financial need, we base our final selection of a new recipient on our evaluation of the student’s overall academic and personal strengths.
How do I apply for aid?
Forman School’s financial aid program utilizes the Clarity Application, a tool schools use to evaluate a family's financial requirements based on information provided in the application.
To begin your financial aid application with Clarity, here are the key steps:
Create an Account: Create an account on the Clarity Application platform.
Complete the Application: The application typically takes less than 30 minutes to complete and can be accessed from a computer or mobile device. The application process involves providing detailed information about your family's financial situation. This includes data on assets, income, expenses, and debts. Be sure to provide accurate and up-to-date information.
Save Your Progress: You can save your progress and return to the application at any time, which allows you to complete it in multiple sittings if necessary.
Pay the Submission Fee: Note that there is a $60 submission fee at the end of the application. Ensure you complete this step to submit your application.
Deadline: Remember that the deadline for completing the financial aid application, including any required supplemental documents, is February 15, 2025. Make sure to submit your application before this date to be considered for financial aid.
Additional Documentation: After submitting your Clarity Application, be prepared for Forman School to possibly request additional tax documentation. Ensure you check your dashboard or email for any such requests.
Support: If you encounter any difficulties or have questions during the application process, you can access support through the "Help" button within the Clarity Application platform. Email and phone support are also available at support@clarityapp.com or 206.210.3752, offered in both English and Spanish.
It's important to provide accurate and complete information on your application to help Forman School determine your family's level of financial need. If you have specific questions or need assistance with any part of the application, don't hesitate to reach out to the Forman School Office of Admission at admission@formanschool.org or call 860.567.1802.
How is financial aid calculated?
Forman believes a family is primarily obligated to finance their child’s education. Factors such as family size, parents’ ages, extraordinary expenses, and retirement provisions are considered in determining a family's eligibility. Distinctions must be made between obligatory expenses, such as tax payments, and those made by choice, such as buying a new car.
Our expectation is that your child’s Forman education be among your highest priorities regarding your family’s discretionary expenses. Because financial situations vary, an objective need-analysis system is used as a basic guideline to consistently assess needs. All documentation is submitted to and verified by Clarity to determine a family’s demonstrated need. Financial aid decisions are made independent of admissions decisions. Although we have a very good financial aid budget, there are insufficient funds to support everyone who qualifies.
The Financial Aid Committee assesses each family’s financial aid situation individually. The Committee implements the following principles and practices:
Forman expects that all adult family members will work to contribute to their household income and their student’s education. The Committee may impute income for parents or guardians who choose not to work. Families with pre-school-aged children and/or elderly family members in the home should make the Committee aware of their circumstances.
If more than one child in a family attends a tuition-charging institution, it is required that a family applying for financial aid does so at each of the institutions their children attend.
Savings, investments, and assets in a student’s name or held for a student with the purposes of higher education may be considered available resources for secondary school education and be equally distributed during the years they are enrolled at Forman, in addition to the four years of college/university.
Please know that parents who return to school or change jobs as a personal choice, thereby reducing their household income, will not necessarily be granted additional financial assistance from Forman School.
In divorce or separation situations, your child’s non-custodial parent must also complete financial aid forms. These forms are required for a completed financial aid application. In the case of an absentee parent or one who has no obligation to your child’s education, we require explanation and/or documentation from the courts.
All financial information submitted supporting a financial aid application is held in strict confidence. All financial aid awards are confidential agreements between the recipient family and Forman School.
Is aid guaranteed in subsequent years?
It is our expectation that families who begin at Forman School paying the full tuition will continue to do so in subsequent years. Full-pay families suffering job loss are encouraged to contact Jaime Feinman, Director of Admission, at jaime.feinman@formanschool.org or 860.567.1830.
Forman requires that all applicants complete and submit the Parents’ Financial Statement to Clarity, as well as supporting documentation each year that a student wishes to matriculate at the school. Awards are evaluated annually based on the most recent year’s financial information. The committee will review and make adjustments appropriate to changes in financial resources and tuition increases. Forman cannot always guarantee meeting an increased need should a family’s financial situation change.
Insurance (including health insurance) for international students
Forman School has partnered with Clifford Allen Associates to provide trusted, quality student health insurance for our international students. Click here to follow the easy four-step process to enroll your student in an insurance policy.
Tuition income tax deduction
Payments for the special education provided at Forman School may be deductible medical care expenses under the Internal Revenue Code. While ordinary education is not medical care, the cost of medical care may, under certain circumstances, include the cost of attending a particular school for an individual with a disability if their condition is such that the resources of the institution for alleviating such disability are a principal reason for their presence there.
Whether tuition expenses for Forman will be deductible in a particular case will depend upon the facts and circumstances of each student’s situation. There are also percentage limitations applicable to otherwise deductible medical expenses, depending on the parent’s adjusted gross income. Therefore, before claiming a tax deduction for expenses relating to the special education of a student, we highly recommend that you consult with a tax lawyer or accountant about whether your payments to Forman may qualify for a medical expense tax deduction.
As additional documentation, below is a letter from the Head of School certifying the unique nature of the program provided by Forman and a PDF guide by the Social Security Administration.
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The Value of an LD Education
There is a well-known maxim that the best investment any parent can make is in their child’s education. This is even more true if you have a child who learns differently. Traditional learning environments often fail to fully meet the needs of students with learning differences and under-prepare them for success in college and life. Finding a school where your child will not only be able to “get by” but actually thrive lays the groundwork for all future endeavors. A school in which students feel they do not stand out as different, where every teacher understands how best to teach these students, a school that understands how a learning difference impacts performance not just in the classroom but also outside of the classroom, such as during study hall, on the playing field, and throughout the week makes a critical difference in student success.
Forman, as a school that focuses exclusively on students with language-based learning differences and executive function challenges, provides a comprehensive and fully integrated program that is unique in the world of education.
A Forman education provides students with the following benefits:
Learning services, such as assistive technology, are integrated into the classroom.
Skills-based instruction is integrated into the academic day; students are not pulled out of class or extra-curricular activities for support.
Teachers understand learning differences and how to teach students who learn differently.
Students are not separated from their peers or labeled; they are accepted and assisted as unique and different learners in all aspects of life on campus.
Students learn how to advocate for themselves beyond high school.
A customized evidence-based LD curriculum
Support stretches beyond the academic day into the dorms, study halls, playing fields, and other areas.
Low student-to-teacher ratio.
Some more traditional schools claim to offer some of the same services as a supplemental or add-on program. Students with learning differences can purchase these additional services as an extra. Those costs, not always fully disclosed, quickly add up, and parents may be surprised at the total cost of tuition plus the additional services.
When looking at educational options for your child, we recommend parents ask the following questions:
What are the costs of all the additional services to support my child?
Are all the faculty trained in current methods for teaching students with learning differences?
Are learning strategies fully integrated into the curriculum?
Is the school “mainstream” in its approach to a student's total educational experience?
Does the school offer students the most up-to-date assistive technology?
Does the school’s college preparatory program address students’ unique needs?
Does the school emphasize character development as well as intellectual curiosity?
It is important for families to understand what is provided to ensure their student receives the most comprehensive services. At Forman, we proudly educate students with learning differences and equip them for life beyond high school.
