Tuition and Fees
TUITION AND FEES
The decision to invest in an independent school education is a significant one for most families and can have a profound impact on your child’s future.
At Asheville Waldorf School, we are inspired by the philosophy of Rudolf Steiner, the founder of Waldorf education. We emphasize the importance of viewing school tuition not as a transaction to purchase a commodity, but as a contribution to provide a stable environment in which true learning may transpire. As families we contribute to the stability and growth of our school in many ways—through program fees, fundraising contributions, volunteer support and spreading the word about Asheville Waldorf School. Parent participation is an integral part of the culture of our school.
Asheville Waldorf School uses Tier-based Tuition Structure
This Tier-based system was created based on the following goals:
- To achieve long-term financial sustainability of our school
- To create a more robust and fair financial aid system for all
- To ensure continued accessibility to all families currently part of our school
- To continue our progress in making Waldorf Education accessible to children of all socio-economic backgrounds
We know our new structure and process can help us collectively achieve these goals and intentions of sustainability and accessibility in alignment with the mission, vision, values, and strategic plan of our Asheville Waldorf School community.
Early Enrollment
If you apply and enroll early, you can pay the prior year’s tuition rate for 2025-26, saving your family hundreds of dollars.
To qualify, you must:
- Apply by January 31, 2025
- Complete your Enrollment Registration by March 1, 2025
- Set up your billing account and pay your enrollment fee by March 15, 2025
- Sign your Tuition Agreement and pay a 10% deposit by March 31, 2025
| Program | Early Annual Tuition | Monthly Payments (over 10 months) |
| Bridge Class (1 day/week) | $2,150 | $215 |
| 5-Day Mixed-Age Early Childhood | $11,480 | $1,148 |
| 4-Day Mixed-Age Early Childhood | $9,471 | $947 |
| 3-Day Mixed-Age Early Childhood | $7,749 | $775 |
| 2-Day Mixed-Age Early Childhood | $6,027 | $603 |
| Grades | ||
| Program |
Early Annual Tuition |
Monthly Payments (over 10 months) |
| 1st – 6th Grade | $14,950 | $1,495 |
| 7th Grade | $15,450 | $1,545 |
Financial Aid
Financial Aid applications are available for 5-day students through Clarity to help make Waldorf education accessible to families of diverse economic backgrounds.
For more information please read our page on Financial Aid.
Sibling Discount
If your family is paying Tier I or Tier II Tuition, you qualify for our NEW Sibling discount:
- One child – full Tier (I or II) Tuition cost
- Second child – 5% off
- Third child (or fourth, fifth, etc) – 10% off
Financial Policies
AWS utilizes the following programs to support the admissions, enrollment, financial aid, and billing processes. Please note the important due dates. Financial Policies.
Additional Fees
Application Fee
$50 per application
New Student Enrollment Fee
Bridge Class: $200
Nursery: $400
Kindergarten: $500
Grades 1-8: $500
Returning Student Enrollment Fee
Nursery 2-5 days: $300
Kindergarten: $300
Grades 1-8: $300
If you believe that the lack of funds would determine whether or not your child could attend our program, we encourage you to apply for Financial Aid through Clarity.
We use Clarity, a nationally recognized educational financial aid service to evaluate a family’s financial situation. This ensures your privacy as well as an objective evaluation. Clarity will charge you a non-refundable fee of $60 (per household) for this service.
To participate in tuition assistance a family is expected to hold the Waldorf philosophy high on its list of financial priorities. The primary responsibility for financing a students independent schooling rests with the family. Because of the high demand for assistance, families are advised to seek additional resources prior to applying for financial aid. An adjustment is not intended to support discretionary items such as after school activities, luxury items, a second home or investment portfolios.
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Educating the whole child, in mind, body, and spirit,
for a life of continuous learning
and meaningful engagement with the world.
Asheville Waldorf School does not discriminate on the basis of race, gender, religion, sexual orientation, ethnicity, or national origin in its employment policies, educational policies, admissions policies, scholarship and loan programs, and athletic and other school-administered programs.