Financial Aid

Lowell offers financial aid based on a variety of factors. No single income level automatically qualifies or disqualifies a family for financial aid, as we assess your entire financial picture. Families should apply if they feel the full cost exceeds what they can afford.

If you believe that you will need financial aid, please submit a financial aid application when you begin the admissions process. Do not wait until your child has been admitted to apply for financial aid.

Financial aid applications submitted after the due date or that are incomplete upon submission will only be considered if funds become available. Families who wait until after they are accepted to apply for financial aid, barring extenuating circumstances, are very unlikely to receive financial aid.

Admission decisions are made separately by an Admissions Committee, without any knowledge of family financial information. The Financial Aid Committee assesses financial aid applications, makes budget decisions, and offers awards to as many students as possible within the budget.

We expect all families to contribute to the cost of their child’s education. Awards are set in alignment with a family’s demonstrated financial capacity. 

Students receiving tuition assistance will receive support for general After Care at the same rate. There will also be a small discount for specialized after-school programming.

All students are eligible to apply for financial aid.

In line with best practices set forth by the Association of Independent Schools in Greater Washington (AISGW), our financial aid program is based on demonstrated financial capacity, not merit-based or athletic scholarships.

Award decisions are aligned with a family’s demonstrated financial capacity. To determine this, Lowell begins with the report from our financial aid processor, Clarity, and then runs an in-house analysis to ensure we have considered several contributing factors, including income, assets, expenses, liabilities, and any unique circumstances carrying a financial impact.

Applications received after the deadline will only be considered if funds remain in the budget. Once your application is complete, we will make award determinations as funds become available.

If you believe there are extenuating circumstances or new information that the Financial Aid Committee did not have when an award determination was made, please get in touch with Kara Díaz, Director of Financial Aid, at kdiaz@lowellschool.org to discuss. At which point, you may be asked to provide additional documentation through Clarity for further review. We strongly encourage you to provide as much information as possible about any change in circumstances as soon as possible.

There is a section on the application where you can describe circumstances such as job loss, medical emergencies, pending events, or other financial burdens. We also encourage you to submit a letter outlining these circumstances in greater detail, along with your required documents, so we may better understand your unique situation. You may also contact our Director of Financial Aid, Kara Díaz, at kdiaz@lowellschool.org to discuss.

Whether married, separated, divorced, or remarried, all parents have a responsibility to contribute to the cost of educating their child to the extent they can. We require each parent/guardian in each household to apply and complete the Clarity application process. A lack of information from either parent/guardian may prevent the determination of financial aid eligibility. Once we determine each household's total capacity, we make a single award determination and leave payment logistics to the parents/guardians.

Guardians who are financially responsible for an applicant student should complete a Clarity application. Any parent/guardian who can claim the child as a dependent on their taxes must also complete a financial aid application.