Tuition & Financial Aid

• To begin, please create an account via Clarity.

• Application: Start by clicking on Clarity Tuition, creating your account and following the instructions carefully.

• 2023 Federal Income Tax Return(s) (1040) and 2023 W-2s: The IRS will transfer these documents directly to Clarity once the application is complete. If your child has filed a federal tax return, please upload the full and accepted return.

• 2024 W-2(s): Employers are required to provide 2024 W-2 forms to their employees by Jan. 31, 2025. Once you receive your W-2s, please upload copies of your 2024 W-2 (or 1099s) to the Clarity application as soon as possible.

• Additional Information (if necessary): Include any other relevant financial information in a separate written statement and upload it to your Clarity account.

• New/Prospective Families: Submit your completed application via Clarity by Feb. 15, 2025. 

• Returning Families: Submit your completed application via Clarity by Dec. 15, 2024. 

• All families: upload your 2024 W2s/1099s by Feb. 15, 2025.

Pace Academy only offers need-based financial aid, which means that a family contributes to tuition what is realistically affordable to them, while Pace’s financial aid budget covers the difference between a family’s contribution and the total tuition. 

Additionally, Pace is a member of the Atlanta Area Association of Independent Schools (AAAIS), none of which offer merit-based scholarships of any kind.

If you plan to apply for financial aid at Pace and will require assistance with the application fee, we are happy to provide you with a code to reduce that cost. Please contact the Director of Financial Aid for the code. We will follow up with additional details about applying for financial aid once you submit an application for admission.

Families who complete the Clarity application for financial aid and whose responses meet the criteria will automatically be granted a waiver when they go to submit their application. Schools do not have waivers they can offer.

Families may email the Director of Financial Aid to request a fee waiver. 

The deadline to apply for financial aid via Clarity is Feb. 15. For separate households, we require a full financial aid application for both parents, custodial, non-custodial, biological and step-parent.

Non-custodial biological parents are required to complete their portion of the financial aid application process in order for a child to be considered for financial aid at Pace. Our financial aid committee must have a full picture of a child’s financial resources in order to consider a child for financial aid. Aid applications missing this information will be considered incomplete and cannot be processed. Pace Academy is not bound by the assertion that one parent disclaims financial responsibility for the education of his/her child.

Tuition covers lunch, fees, school accident insurance, science and computer lab fees, school publications and academic extracurricular field trips (with one or two exceptions), and books (included in Pre-First through grade 5; additional in grades 6-12). 

Additional charges and fees, which we refer to as “non-tuition essentials,” are dependent on your child’s activities, grade level and classes. For an estimate of the range of costs for these non-tuition essentials by division see the Tuition and Fees sections above.

Parents of students who completed the financial aid application and have been admitted to Pace will receive an email with their financial aid decision on April 5, 2025, shortly after admissions decisions are posted in Ravenna.

We have an appeal process in place. Families who believe that their financial aid decision or grant amount will not enable their child to attend Pace should submit any additional information in writing to the director of financial aid for the committee's consideration.

Pace does not offer transportation assistance. Pace families reside in 75 different zip codes across metro Atlanta, and we will attempt to offer solutions should your family want to discuss carpool arrangements for drop-off and pick-up.

There is no separate tax credit application. To receive tax credit funds, a student must first complete the admissions and financial aid applications. The Financial Aid Committee will then consider for the program those students who have been accepted to Pace, qualify for financial aid, and meet one or more of the following criteria:

• Attended a public school in the state of Georgia prior to attending Pace.

• Are transferring from a private school but are zoned for a failing public school.

• Are applying to Pace in Pre-First or first grade.

• Received tax credit funds at a previous independent school.

If you are applying for both Pre-First admission and financial aid, you may be eligible for the Pace Access Fund if your family income falls within a specific middle-income range. Families selected for the Pace Access Fund will be notified on April 5, 2025. Financial aid is awarded annually, and families must reapply each year. If your financial situation remains consistent, you can expect to receive approximately 50% tuition assistance.

Families who experience a significant change in their financial situation, whether they currently receive financial assistance or not, may reach out to the Director of Financial Aid. Families can apply for financial aid at any time, and emergency assistance can be provided when unforeseen financial situations occur.