Tuition and Financial Aid

Admission

Tuition and Financial Aid

Your Investment in the Future.

2024-2025 Annual Tuition

Lower School (Grades 1-4) | $27,615
Middle/Upper School (Grades 5-12) | $33,075

Tuition Payment Schedule Options

The School’s tuition payment schedule allows three payment options.

  • The tuition payment may be paid in full by July 1.
  • Divided into two payments of 60 percent by July 1 and 40 percent by December 1.
  • The School also offers an interest-free, 10-month payment plan, which requires payment on the 1st of the month from April to January.

Tuition and Fees Information

Tuition at Porter-Gaud includes the lunch program, textbooks, lab fees, Lower School supplies, student iPad/laptop program, most athletic uniforms, and most school-sponsored travel.

2024-2025 TUITION AND FEE INFORMATION


Value and Affordability

For the 2024-2025 school year, our financial aid program provided $2.8 million in need-based aid to qualifying families. At Porter-Gaud, we actively seek to admit and retain talented and motivated students, regardless of their family's ability to pay full tuition. We believe our comprehensive aid program is fundamental in making this goal a reality. We also believe that socio-economic diversity enriches the educational opportunities for all our families.

The key tenets of the Porter-Gaud financial aid program are:

  • Porter-Gaud school does not discriminate on the basis of gender, race, color, or national origin in administration of its educational policies, admission policies, tuition assistance programs, athletic and other administered programs.
  • Porter-Gaud works with Clarity to ensure our methodology reflects Porter-Gaud’s mission and principles. The Clarity platform provides a point of reference for the Porter-Gaud Financial Aid Committee, which makes all final financial aid decisions.
  • Financial information submitted for all financial aid applicants will remain confidential and it is not made available to anyone other than Clarity and members of the Financial Aid Committee.

Please see the Financial Aid Application Process section below to access our financial aid resources and the Clarity online application to begin the process.


Financial Aid Application Process

Every tuition grant is made for one year and a complete application must be submitted every year. Below are step-by-step instructions to ensure a successful submission process. Please call, email or stop by to see Margie Stanbrook, Director of Financial Aid, if you have any questions or need assistance in completing and submitting your application.

mstanbrook@portergaud.edu | 843-402-4681 | Albemarle Point Center, 176 Croghan Spur Road, Suite 300, Charleston, SC  29407


PREPARE TO APPLY

The 2025-2026 online financial aid application can be accessed beginning September 1, 2024. Gathering documents and information like your most recent income tax documents can help you complete your application.

COMPLETE AND SUBMIT A CLARITY FINANCIAL AID APPLICATION

To get started, please go to the Clarity Application and create an account. 

Clarity Application

You will find that Clarity offers a streamlined and user-friendly financial aid application process that typically takes less than 30 minutes to complete. The Clarity Application is also mobile-friendly so you can complete it from anywhere. You are also able to save your progress and return at any time. At the end of the application, there is a $60 fee to submit the application. Furthermore, your 1040 and W2 documents from 2023 will be automatically transferred from the IRS when you complete the verification step, so you no longer need to upload those documents manually.


CLARITY SUPPORT RESOURCES

Clarity provides both a Family Application Guide and a Quick Reference Guide to walk you step by step through the financial aid application process.

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, both in English and Spanish. The application itself is also fully translated into Spanish.


PORTER-GAUD FINANCIAL AID COMMITTEE REVIEW

The Financial Aid Committee will begin its review of completed applications and make award decisions for the 2024-2025 academic year for returning students beginning in late January 2024 and for new students beginning in early March 2024.

IMPORTANT: A COMPLETE APPLICATION CONSISTS OF THREE PARTS: 1) THE ONLINE CLARITY APPLICATION, AND 2) YOUR MOST CURRENT FEDERAL INCOME TAX RETURN AND W-2’S (PULLED FROM THE IRS AS PART OF THE CLARITY APPLICATION) AND 3) ANY OTHER REQUESTED DOCUMENTS.


THE FINANCIAL AID PROCESS

Financial Aid Application Submission Dates
  • Current Porter-Gaud / O'Quinn Families (applying for financial aid for Porter-Gaud only):
    Please submit your application by November 15, 2024. Financial aid applications submitted after November 15 will be placed in a financial aid wait pool.
  • Prospective Families (applying for financial aid for Porter-Gaud only):
    Please submit your application by February 1, 2025.
Step 1: Complete and Submit a Financial Aid Application

The 2025-2026 online financial aid application can be accessed beginning September 1, 2024 through Clarity.
Clarity Application Website

No access code is needed. Simply select Porter-Gaud under “Select School” for each student applicant. Be sure to list all students applying for financial aid as student applicants.

The non-refundable application fee is $60

Step 2: If Requested, Submit Additional Documentation

Once your financial aid application has been submitted Clarity will retrieve your most recent federal tax return from the IRS. No need to upload your return. If additional documentation is needed we will request it through your Clarity portal account.

The Financial aid Committee will begin its review of completed applications and make award decisions for the 2025-2026 academic year for returning students and O'Quinn students beginning in late January 2025 and for new students beginning in early March 2025.

Please call, email or stop by to see Margie Stanbrook, Director of Financial Aid, if you have any questions or need assistance in completing and submitting your application:

Margie Stanbrook
Director of Financial Aid
Albemarle Point Center, 176 Croghan Spur Road, Suite 300, Charleston, SC  29407
P: 843-402-4681
Email:  mstanbrook@portergaud.edu