Tuition Assistance

University School of Milwaukee understands and appreciates the financial commitment that families take on in deciding to send their children to USM. The school is committed to maintaining a diverse student body and making our outstanding educational experience affordable to all families regardless of their resources.

In keeping with our mission and guiding principles, USM supports a tuition assistance program in order to provide assistance to families whose financial resources cannot fully cover the cost of an independent school education. In addition we offer scholarship opportunities for students in 7th through 11th grades.

Please note that tuition assistance is not available for Preschool (prekindergarten and junior kindergarten) students.

Tuition Assistance Application Process

Clarity Financial Application Process

  • Begin the Clarity Financial application process.
  • For Upper School priority consideration for the 2024-25 school year, please complete the Clarity Financial application by Friday, Nov. 17, 2023.
  • The tuition assistance application process continues on a rolling basis throughout the winter and spring for grades K-12.
  • Please note that tuition assistance is not available for Preschool (PK and JK) students.

The application fee for Clarity Financial is $60 (families will pay Clarity directly). Clarity offers 24/7/365 customer support by email (support@claritytuition.com).

Important Dates and Contact Information

Families requesting tuition assistance for the 2024-25 school year may apply beginning on Wednesday, Sept. 6, 2023. For more information, please contact the Enrollment Management office at admissions@usm.org or 414.540.3320.

Program Philosophy

USM provides tuition assistance to families with demonstrated need, or the difference between the cost of tuition and the financial contribution a family is able to afford. A family’s calculated contribution is determined by information presented on their tuition assistance application, tax returns, and other supporting documents. USM's tuition assistance program cannot be used to solve a family’s financial difficulties. Exceptionally high living expenses, credit card debt, or other consumer debt may not be considered as allowable expenses when calculating a family’s demonstrated need.

For more information, please email admissions@usm.org or call 414.540.3320.

Clarity Financial

In order to ensure our process for establishing financial need adheres to national standards of best practice, University School of Milwaukee utilizes the services of Clarity Financial as our tuition assistance management program. Families seeking financial support are required to complete an online financial analysis application with Clarity while moving through the admissions process.

USM utilizes Clarity because it is designed to be accurate, efficient, and highly responsive to our prospective and current families. Clarity is also flexible in terms of the information it will accommodate, thus allowing to represent their own particular circumstances most accurately. To make the online application process as simple as possible, Clarity provides outstanding customer service in a timely manner.

How Need is Determined

The tuition assistance committee allocates funds after careful consideration of a family’s financial need and to the extent that tuition assistance funds are available. To be considered for tuition assistance, families are required to file an application through Clarity Financial, an independent agency that provides a need-based financial analysis service. This ensures that our process for establishing financial need adheres to nationally established standards of best practice.

All financial information and grants are kept strictly confidential. Families are required to reapply each year for tuition assistance. Unless there is a significant change in the financial capability of the family, the committee strives to maintain a consistent level of support. USM expects recipients of aid, like all students, to work hard, be good citizens, and contribute to the life of the school.

Admissions Status and Tuition Assistance

Applications for admission and applications for tuition assistance are independent of one another, and a family's request for tuition assistance does not impact an admissions decision. All information from Clarity is confidential, as is all information pertaining to a family's tuition assistance request.