ENROLLMENT PROCESS

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If interested in enrolling in our program, please contact our Administrative Coordinator to request an admission application, inquire about our two-tiered tuition system and cost, and schedule a tour. If after visiting one of our campuses you decide Bend Forest School is a fit for your family, your completed application will hold a spot on our waitlist for your child. If there is availability in the upcoming school year for the program you are applying, your completed application AND a deposit will be collected to secure your child's place on the roster. Once your child is on the roster for the upcoming school year, your family will be asked to submit a tuition application through School & Student Services to determine which tuition tier your family falls within. Families who would like to forgo the tuition application process entirely can do so by choosing to opt in to tier two if within their affordability.  After your tuition application has been submitted and processed, your family will be notified of which tier you fall within and enrollment for your child or children will be complete.

 

Tuition assistance is available for families who qualify. Please keep in mind that funding for tuition assistance is less, if still available, for new, incoming families who apply after May 22, 2023.

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TUITION EQUITY & ACCESSIBILITY

 

Our philosophy of meeting and nurturing the whole child where they are at encompasses meeting families where they are at financially and situationally. Bend Forest School believes that all families who seek compassion-based community education models, rooted in social emotional development for their children, should have equal access to it.

 

BFS follows a two-tiered tuition model that determines how we handle operating costs and financial accessibility for families in our program. A tiered tuition model allows for us to cover our overhead cost, allocate a small amount of funding for growth, and contribute to our growing Equity Fund for tuition assistance.

 

Bend Forest School is for everyone and we do our best to ensure families within our program pay according to their means.

 

In support of growing our Equity Fund, some Bend Forest School families also choose to pay more than the cost of their own child’s tuition. This "overpayment" is added to the fund to support fellow Bend Forest School families. For example, a family might choose to pay $40, or $400 additionally per month on top of their tuition tier's minimum amount, with awareness and understanding that access to income is inequitable in our society. 

 

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OPERATING COSTS AT BFS

 

In contrast to many early-childhood programs, our tuition model allows Bend Forest School to maintain the low teacher-to-student ratio our program was built on, as we continue to grow, while hiring and maintaining livable salaries for skilled teachers with practice in anti-bias teaching, play-based outdoor education, emergent curriculum and social emotional support training. 

 

 

COST & BENEFITS

 

For the 2023-2024 school year, the monthly tuition amount a family pays is determined based on their financial situation, the program(s) they are applying to, and the amount of tuition assistance they are eligible for. We work with SSS to help determine tier placement and eligibility for tuition assistance based on your family’s finances. We guarantee that all financial materials provided remain under strict confidentiality.

 

To review the SSS online application process, create your family’s account and submit your tuition application click here.