Get Your Instant Tuition Estimate
We recognize every family is unique and you may have circumstances beyond what our estimating tool can calculate. Please contact our admissions team for an individual consultation.
Please note: your estimated grant award is not a final admissions offer, but it can give you a sense of the likely out of pocket expense. Families wishing to apply for a grant should complete the application form and follow the instructions to submit the required income verification documents through Clarity, our third-party assessment partner.
Do you have questions about flexible tuition?
Phone: (207) 656-5883
Email: admissions@chewonki.org
Maine Coast Semester Flexible Tuition Estimator
In support of a student body that reflects the diversity of our nation, Chewonki is proud to offer a flexible tuition model with robust financial assistance. When calculating tuition rates, we consider your total annual income, the value of significant assets, number of people in your family, and additional expenses such as college. For most families, the adjusted family contribution is typically 10% to 12% of their annual household income.
Typical Examples:
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A family earning up to $60,000: pays an average of $0 (Full Grant of $42,500)
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A family earning up to $80,000: pays an average of $3,500 (Grant of $39,000)
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A family earning up to $150,000: pays an average of $16,250 (Grant of $26,250)
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A family earning up to $200,000: pays an average of $22,000 (Grant of $20,500)
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A family earning up to $300,000: pays an average of $35,300 (Grant of $7,200)
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A family earning more than $350,000: pays an average of $42,500 (Full Price, $0 Grant)
What is Flexible Tuition?
Flexible tuition (sometimes also called indexed tuition) is essentially a sliding-scale fee structure often used by independent schools, colleges, and universities. Instead of a rigid, one-size-fits-all price tag, the school adjusts the tuition rate to match a family’s specific financial situation.
529 Savings Plans
Federal tax law allows parents who have 529 plans to use their accounts to pay private school K-12 tuition – like Maine Coast Semester – up to $20,000 per child, per year.
Because there are a number of federal and state tax issues that may need to be worked out, you should contact your financial advisor or tax planner if you are interested in this option to pay tuition.
How to Apply for a Flexible Tuition Grant
Maine Coast Semester is proud to use the Clarity Application to determine a family’s level of grant award based on the information that families share in the application: assets, income, expenses, and debts.
The application typically takes less than 30 minutes to complete and is mobile-friendly so you can complete it from anywhere. You are also able to save your progress and return at any time.
To proceed with the Clarity application:
Step 1
Step 2
- Begin your application and add Maine Coast Semester at Chewonki to your student applicant entry. You can save your application and log out at any time and return later to complete it.
Step 3
- Complete your application and pay the $65 Clarity application fee.
- This fee is automatically waived for some families based on an annual family income threshold and family size. However, if the $65 fee poses a financial hardship, please reach out to admissions@chewonki.org to request a waiver.
Step 4
- Complete the Clarity Enhanced Tax Verification (ETV) process to release your W2 and personal tax return transcripts from the IRS. You’ll be asked to authorize the sharing of your tax transcripts and verify your identity. This is a one-time security measure required by the IRS to protect against identity theft and the compromise of personal information. This is a required step for those who file US taxes.
- Clarity offers two options for the enhanced tax verification process: “Clarity” and “IRS”. Please reference the Tax Verification Guide to preview the steps of this process.
- Please review the Clarity Tax Verification Guide for assistance.
Step 5
- Submit your Clarity application and follow the link to return to your dashboard to upload any additional supporting documents.
- Submit your Clarity application and follow the link to return to your dashboard. Here you will see any additional supporting documents requested by Maine Coast Semester. Upload your supporting documents by (February 15th). Keep in mind that at a later date, you may be prompted by Maine Coast Semester – via Clarity – to upload additional documentation as needed.
Notes & Support
- Marital Status
- We look to a student’s biological or adoptive parent(s)/guardian(s) and partners to play a role in financing a student’s experience at Maine Coast Semester. Therefore, we require submission of the Clarity financial aid application from all households – regardless of their marital status.
- Current/Home School Financial Aid
- Any student receiving financial aid at their current/home school is asked to send a copy of their financial aid award letter from their current/home school to admissions@chewonki.org.
- Clarity Support
- If you need support during the process of completing your application, there is in-app support available through the “Get Help” chat feature or you can access FAQ resources by selecting the “Help” button in the bottom left of the screen.
- 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.
- Clarity Support Guides
Additional Expenses
In addition to tuition, students have a $500 student account to cover the cost of miscellaneous expenses.
Depending on the assessed need, Maine Coast Semester is able to provide assistance and guidance to cover travel and required clothing costs. Maine Coast Semester provides outdoor skills gear – as distinct from required clothing – for all students. Please see our FAQs for more details on clothing and gear.
Payment Plan
We have partnered with FACTS Tuition Management Company to offer a payment plan that begins the month before the student arrives on campus and ends the month before the student leaves campus.
- The tuition amount financed will be equal to the full tuition minus the enrollment deposit and financial aid (if applicable) plus the $500 student account fee.
- This interest-free plan involves monthly automatic withdrawals from a checking or savings account.
- FACTS will charge a non-refundable enrollment fee of $50 per student and a returned payment fee of $30 – as specified on their Automatic Tuition Payment Agreement.
If you would like more information about the company, feel free to visit their website at www.factsmgt.com or call 866-441-4637. If you wish to create a FACTS payment plan account or log into an existing account, please visit this webpage.
