Tuition & Financial Aid

$45,800. There’s no way around it - it’s a lot of money for most people. If you are feeling anxious, please keep reading as we think we can help. We’re hoping you’ll walk with us, step by step, so we can show you how your family might be able to afford a Marlborough education. If something isn’t clear, ask questions. We want to hear from you. As much as we can, we want to keep this process from becoming overwhelming.

Here’s the most important thing we want you to understand - Marlborough wants, and is committed to, having a diverse community that reflects greater Los Angeles. It means having a community that represents different races, ethnicities, zip codes, religions, family structures, and socioeconomic backgrounds. The best academic institutions are heterogeneous, not homogeneous. We value you and what you bring to our community because diverse communities inspire creativity and drive innovation. It’s also why the most successful schools have endowments and budgets that fund financial aid.

We’re guessing that you’re asking, “How many students receive money?” and “Should I apply?”

Currently one in five Marlborough students receives financial assistance. The awards range from 5%-100%, and along with tuition, covers most school expenses such as books, school trips, bus transportation, college counseling workshops, laptops, extracurricular activities and more. The average award for the 2021-2022 academic year is $30,686, which covers close to 70% of a student’s tuition and educational expenses.

As you can see from the chart below, the distribution of financial aid has every band represented.

First page of the PDF file: DistributionChart

While applying takes time and asks that you share your family's financial information, we think your child is worth the effort. And remember, we're here to help.

2021-2022 Tuition and Fees

Tuition and Fees

Tuition for 2021- 2022 is $45,800. To extend greater transparency and provide families more predictable supplemental billings, the cost of most course-related and some extracurricular activities have been included in the annual tuition cost.

Most course-related and some extracurricular activity fees are included in the tuition. In addition, financial aid is applied to most additional costs, including student fees, books, laptop computer, and transportation.

Senior Fee: $2,250 - required to cover additional expenses associated with a student's senior year.
New Student Fee: $3,000 - a one-time fee required of all newly enrolled students.

Textbooks

Bus Information

Marlborough offers bus service on six different routes: Brentwood/Westside, Pacific Palisades/Santa Monica, Pasadena, Pico (East of 405), South Bay, and Valley.

Families can choose round trip or one-way service. In addition, students can purchase daily passes. Financial aid is applied to the cost of bus transportation.

Round Trip Service: $3,250
One-Way Service: $1,625
Senior Reduced Rate: $300

Marlborough offers two afternoon bus departures. The first leaves right after school; the second departs at 5:45 pm.

For more information, please contact Scott Appel at scott.appel@marlborough.org.

Bring Your Own Laptop

How to Apply for Financial Aid

Marlborough uses the School and Student Services (SSS) to evaluate and process financial aid applications. The application for 2022-2023 will be available online in October 2021. Based on the information you provide to SSS—your Parents' Financial Statement (PFS) and supplemental documents—SSS calculates an estimated amount your family can contribute toward educational expenses. Information includes your assets and living expenses, and takes into account individual family situations and budgets. There is a space in the application to elaborate on any situation you feel the committee needs to know. Every financial aid application is then reviewed by the school's Financial Aid Committee with a thoughtful eye to each family’s individual circumstances while also prioritizing equity across our community.

Step 1: Indicate Financial Aid Interest

Step 2: Access the Parent Financial Statement

Complete and Submit the Parent Financial Statement (PFS)

The online PFS application is available in October 2021. Deadline for the completed financial aid application, including all pertinent documents, is due January 14, 2022.

New applicants create a PFS account with your email and password (you will use this information each year when you apply for financial aid, so please keep this information in a safe place). Use Marlborough School’s Code 4875 to create your account. School and Student Services (SSS) by Community Brands assists the Financial Aid Committee in computing financial aid awards, Families supporting two households must complete a PFS for each household. All material submitted to SSS is secure.

Please note that the PFS Workbook and Instruction Booklet is available in English and Spanish.

The application for the 2022-2023 academic year will be available online in October 2021.

Step 3: Submit Application Fee

Step 4: Submit Tax Documents

Submit tax documents. See deadlines below.

Instructions on how to upload and submit additional documents will be on the SSS site. Please submit the following pieces of information:

1) 2019 & 2020 Federal Income Tax forms (Form 1040, including all schedules, W-2s, and/or 1099s). Deadline January 14, 2022.

2) 2021 Federal Income Tax forms (Form 1040, including all schedules, W-2s, and/or 1099s). Deadline April 15, 2022.

3) Completed, signed IRS Form 4506-T “Request for Transcript of Tax Return.” Deadline January 14, 2022

Important Note: Because admissions decisions will be released in early March before many families complete their tax forms, we make preliminary financial aid awards prior to receiving your 2021 Federal Income Tax forms. Awards are contingent upon the verification of the tax returns and subject to change and/or may be revoked should the 2021 Federal Income Tax forms differ from the information provided on the Parents’ Financial Statement (PFS) through SSS.

Frequently Asked Questions

Who is eligible for financial aid?

How does applying for financial aid affect a student’s admissions decision?

Although Marlborough has a robust financial aid budget, unfortunately we are unable to fund every admissible student who requests financial aid. Therefore, students who apply for financial aid are placed into a more competitive admissions pool.

Candidates who meet the admissions requirements and who have applied for financial aid are prioritized by the Admissions and Financial Aid Committees based on the school's enrollment goals. A student who applies for financial aid will receive an acceptance decision only if a financial aid award is offered or if it is determined that she does not qualify for financial aid.

Does Marlborough offer academic scholarships? Athletic scholarships?

Marlborough does not offer any merit, athletic, or talent scholarships. All financial aid awards at Marlborough are based on demonstrated economic need that is determined using the SSS national, standardized formula that employs an impartial third-party analysis of a family’s financial situation. Marlborough maintains that the primary responsibility for financing a child’s education rests upon the family.

On what factors is a family’s financial aid award determined?

Marlborough School subscribes to the School & Student Services (SSS) by Community Brands. This calculation considers gross taxable income, assets, liabilities, family size, daily living expenses, and number of children in tuition-charging institutions, among other things. Based on this information, coupled with data gathered from tax documents you submit, the Financial Aid Committee determines what amount, if any, your family can pay for tuition.

Marlborough's calculated parental contribution may differ from the SSS's calculation. For example, Marlborough may disallow losses attributable to second homes, investment properties, hobby business, and certain types of depreciation.

What if parents are divorced or separated or never married?

Marlborough School considers the assets of both parents in reviewing students for a financial aid award. Custodial and non-custodial parents are responsible for educational expenses and therefore both must participate in the financial aid process by submitting the financial aid application form and tax information. Until both parents complete the process, the Financial Aid Committee will not review the financial aid application.

If either parent has remarried or is living with another adult who is contributing to the household income, the school will consider the assets of the step-parent or partner, always bearing in mind that the primary responsibility for payment rests with the natural parents.

Is there an expectation that both parents work?

Marlborough expects both parents to contribute financially to their child’s education. If a parent is not receiving a salary, the school will make a financial adjustment to the application to account for the income the parent might receive if she or he chose to work.

Since each application is reviewed individually, there may be exceptions to this policy, such as caring for a child not yet of school age, or another individual who cannot care for her/himself, or a parent who is not able to work. Under such circumstances, we ask that you explain in writing why the parent is not employed when you submit your initial application.

Can I submit an admissions application as a “full-pay family” and then apply for assistance after my daughter has been admitted?

If a family believes they will need financial aid at any point during a child’s time at Marlborough, they must apply for aid when they submit their application for admission. A “full-pay” application communicates that a family is capable of covering all educational expenses for the duration of their daughter’s time at Marlborough. In other words, Marlborough School will not consider an application for financial assistance at any time once a family applies and is admitted as a "full-pay" student. This includes financial assistance in the subsequent years following her first year of enrollment.

What expenses are covered by financial aid at Marlborough?

A Marlborough financial aid award, which can range from 5-100% of school expenses, covers most necessary expenses that your child will incur as part of the Marlborough experience. This includes items such as books, bus transportation, college counseling workshops and experiences, a laptop computer, and participation in extracurricular activities. Our goal is to help parents with expenses, and to enable financial aid recipients to participate fully in school life.

Do I need to reapply for aid each year?

Yes. We will ask you to file a new PFS and submit your tax returns and W-2 and/or 1099 forms each year. The school will continue to award a level of aid appropriate to your level of demonstrated need until your child graduates from Marlborough. Unless there is a change in circumstances you should expect roughly the same financial aid amount each year your child attends the school.