Tuition may be paid through a monthly or quarterly installment plan, August through May. Individual and flexible plans are available. Tuition is pro-rated for all mid-year admissions.
Early Childhood Programs
2020/21 COVID-19 Adjustments
Due to COVID-19 and in order to comply with all Health & Safety and licensing parameters, our Early Childhood Program and tuition have been adjusted (see below*). This year we are offering three mixed age EC classes of nine children each. Classes are being conducted primarily outside following more of a 'forest school ' model.
Please Note: the tuition rate increase is due to the higher teacher to student ratio and the increased needs to accommodate protocols for COVID-19. Our hope for the 2021/22 school year is to return to something closer to the cost structure outlined below the COVOD-19 pricing.
Tuition* (2020/21)
- EC Class 4 Day
- EC Class 5 Day
- $7,900
- $8,900
9:00AM-1:00PM
Supply Fee
- $350
- $360
Tuition
- Chickadees 3 Day
- Preschool 3 Day
- Preschool 4 Day
- Preschool 5 Day
- Kindergarten 4 Day
- Kindergarten 5 Day
8:30AM-12:30PM
- $6,250
- $5,650
- $6,250
- $6,850
- $6,650
- $7,500
8:30AM-3:00PM
- n/a
- $7,150
- $8,100
- $8,850
- $8,500
- $9,500
Supply Fee
- $200
- $320
- $350
- $360
- $350
- $360
Grade School
2020/21 Tuition
- Grades 1-8
Tuition
- $10,800
Supply Fee
- $350
Activity Fee
- 1st: $200
- 2nd: $175
- 3rd: $275
- 4th: $450
- 5th: $450
- 6th: $350
- 7th: $450*
- 8th: $450*
Discounts
A 1.5% discount is given for tuition paid in full by August 1st, prior to each school year.
Supply and Activity Fees
Our supply fees cover the materials or “consumables” used throughout the school year. The activity fees covers the costs of field trips and flutes in First and Third Grades, and enables our students to participate in regional activities with other Waldorf Schools starting from Grade Three. An additional $100 for each grade was added in 2019 to be applied towards the culminating Eighth Grade trip. Any surplus or overages of activity fees are carried forward with each class.
*This does not completely cover the expenses of the Seventh Grade Adventuress trip or the Eighth Grade end-of-year class trip; the cost for these trips varies and is paid by fundraising and family contributions.
Financial Aid
Our school strives for an economically diverse community and has historically offered one of the highest percentages of financial support amongst Independent schools in Whatcom County. Financial Aid enables qualified students to receive the benefits of a Waldorf education when their families are unable to pay full tuition. Although we are not able to award any full scholarships, most awards range between 10% to 30% of full tuition. Assistance is available for Kindergarten through Eighth Grade. Approximately one third of the families in our school receive tuition assistance, although paying tuition should be a priority within the family budget. Both parents are expected to contribute to tuition through employment and other sources of income. We do not offer any “work exchange” arrangements.
In cases of severe financial hardship, Financial Aid up to 40% of full tuition may be offered. Parents are expected to contribute according to their means, taking into account total income, assets, number of dependents and other appropriate information. In order to assure objectivity, fairness and confidentiality, a standard approach has been adopted by Whatcom Hills Waldorf School to determine a family’s need. We use the financial needs evaluation process of Tuition Aid Data Services (TADS). It is used by hundreds of independent schools across the country including a great number of Waldorf schools like our own. We also ask each financial aid applicant to complete our own form to describe your personal situation.
We encourage families to apply early for Financial Aid. The priority deadline for applying for financial aid for new and returning families is March 15th. There is a fee, paid by the applicant, for each financial aid application submitted to TADS for evaluation. We are confident that this method of ascertaining the needs of our families results in our ability to benefit the greatest number of students and make Waldorf education available to families in Whatcom County. If you have further questions please contact Kathy Payne, our Administrative Director at (360) 733-3164.
To schedule a tour or attend an event (space limited) please contact:
Jess Berry | Enrollment | Registrar
Email | W: 360-733-3164 Ext. 1103
Waldorf Education in Bellingham since 1986!