Tuition & Tuition Assistance Educational Impact

Unlock Potential Without Limits

Crystal is a significant investment; we recognize this. Incorporating diverse experiences and perspectives into a collective learning journey can significantly enhance an education. This is why over 24% of our students benefit from our comprehensive Tuition Assistance Program (TAP), with awards ranging from $1,000 to full tuition. On average, these awards cover 72% of tuition costs.

TAP extends to all aspects of school life, including books, computers, athletic gear, Bart buses, and school-sponsored events like homecoming, prom, and graduation ceremonies. This ensures every student can immerse fully in the Crystal experience without financial constraints.

We don’t offer merit scholarships; instead, we focus solely on need-based assistance. This approach ensures that all our students, regardless of their financial background, feel equally cherished, supported, and empowered to thrive.

Explore Your Options
If you’re considering Crystal but are concerned about affordability, we encourage you to explore our tuition assistance options and payment plans. Your child’s growth and individuality are worth the investment.

Tuition

For the 2025-26 academic year, tuition is $66,450.


Included in Your Investment:

  • Nutritious daily snacks and lunches.
  • Most field trips and class retreats.
  • iPads are provided to equip Middle Schoolers with the latest learning tools.
  • Extensive transportation options, including buses and shuttles to key train, BART, and Park & Ride locations.
  • A PE uniform to kickstart their athletic endeavors.
  • Membership in our Family Association.


Additional Essentials, Supported by Tuition Assistance:

Middle School:
Books and materials, averaging $400 - $600 annually.

Upper School:
Books and materials, averaging $600 - $800 annually.
Laptop, up to $1500.

If you believe your resources are not sufficient to meet tuition costs, we invite you to apply for tuition assistance. We understand that every family’s financial situation is unique.

If you have questions or need more insights into our Tuition Assistance program, please get in touch with Oriana Isaacson at oisaacson@crystal.org.

Make Crystal Affordable

Step 1
Go to https://app.clarityapp.com/sign-up.

Step 2
Begin your application and add Crystal Springs Uplands School to your student applicant entry. You can save your application and log out at any time and return later to complete it.

Step 3
Enter your financial information, review your application, and pay the $65 Clarity application fee. If you need a fee waiver, please email us at affordability@crystal.org.

Step 4
Complete the Clarity Enhanced Tax Verification (ETV) process to release your W2 and personal tax return transcripts from the IRS. You'll be asked to authorize the sharing of your tax transcripts and verify your identity. This is a one-time security measure required by the IRS to protect against identity theft and the compromise of personal information. Only those filing US taxes will be prompted to complete this step. Please review the step-by-step walkthrough of this process.
{Optional text - The IRS pathway is significantly faster, allowing for the tax documents to transfer to Clarity within 24 hours. For this reason, any applicant who applies after [date], will need to select the IRS pathway in order to meet our priority deadline. Clarity has found that families who have an IRS.gov account before starting the Clarity Application have a much easier time completing the process.}

Important Considerations when submitting the Clarity Application:
Please submit one application per household. Every parent or guardian in the applicant’s life, including biological, step-parents, and non-custodial parents, should complete an application through Clarity if living in a separate household or filing separately. We understand unique circumstances and are open to considering exemptions when necessary.

For parents who are divorced or separated, separate PFS submissions and tax documents are required from each party.

If you’re a current Crystal family seeking tuition assistance for the first time, please provide all tax returns from the year you applied for admission. Assistance is granted to those who’ve experienced notable financial circumstances since the admission year.

Our tuition assistance is an annual commitment. We reassess every family's financial need each year, so reapplication is necessary. Awards evolve with tuition adjustments and consider changes in financial circumstances, including the number of children attending tuition-charging schools.

Family Information Webinars

Clarity, the platform used for the Tuition Assistance (Financial Aid) application, hosts several Application Info Webinars for families. During the live session, Clarity representatives will go over some key aspects of the application, things to look out for, materials to gather, how to get help, how it works, and a robust Q&A. Typically these will run for about 60 minutes but can last longer if there are lots of questions.

Registration links for each date:

Financial Flexibility

If the cost of the application fee is a financial hardship for your family, use the code: GRYPHON25 on Ravenna for a waiver.

For any financial concerns regarding the application process, please reach out to us at admission@crystal.org.

Tuition Assistance: Lifetime Impact

Case Studies

There are unlimited possibilities for every student at Crystal, and we are determined to eliminate financial constraints that may hinder their journey. Here are a few real-life examples of families who have made a Crystal education possible for their children. Remember that each family’s situation is unique, and we’re here to assist you every step of the way.

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  • Family #1

    Two parents, two children in tuition-charging schools, one of whom is at Crystal

    Details:
    • Income: $376,000
    • Net Worth: $560,000*
    • Crystal’s Contribution: $25,056 (45% of full tuition)
    • Family’s Contribution: $26,944
    • Crystal assists with 45% of additional school-related expenses, from soccer gear to enriching summer trips like the Crystal Zambia experience.

    Extra Support:
    We assist with 45% of additional school-related expenses, from soccer gear to summer trips like the Crystal Zambia experience.

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  • Family #2

    Two parents, two children, both of whom are at Crystal

    Details
    • Income: $490,000
    • Net Worth: $1,000,000*
    • Crystal’s Contribution: $12,528 per child (24% of full tuition)
    • Family’s Contribution: $39,672 per child (Total: $79,344)

    Extra Support
    From English tutoring to summer trips like the Crystal China experience, we assist with 24% of all additional school-related costs.

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  • Family #3

    Two parents, one child

    Details:
    • Income: $175,000
    • Net Worth: $150,000*
    • Crystal’s Contribution: $38,628 (74% of full tuition)
    • Family’s Contribution: $13,572

    Extra Support:
    From math tutoring to class sweatshirts, we cover 74% of all additional school-related costs.

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  • Family #4

    One parent, one child

    Details:
    • Income: $101,000
    • Net Worth: $140,000*
    • Crystal’s Contribution: $52,200 (100% of full tuition)
    • Family’s Contribution: $0

    Extra Support
    Whether it’s daily commute costs like CalTrain tickets or enriching experiences like the Crystal France trip during Spring Break, we cover 100% of all additional school-related expenses.
*Net worth includes savings, investments, home equity, etc.

Your Questions Answered

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This is the start of Your Journey

Contact

Admission Questions:  admission@crystal.org

Middle School

10 Davis Drive, Belmont, CA 94002
650-645-1000

Upper School

400 Uplands Drive, Hillsborough, CA 94010
650-342-4175
Nondiscriminatory Policy: Crystal Springs Uplands School admits students of any race, color, national and ethnic origin to all the rights, privileges, programs, and activities generally accorded or made available to students at the school. It does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national and ethnic origin in administration of its educational policies, admissions policies, scholarship and loan programs, and athletic and other school-administered programs.

Website Accessibility Statement: Crystal Springs Uplands School is committed to making this website accessible to visitors with disabilities and is continually working to increase its accessibility and usability. We are on a regular basis seeking opportunities to bring all areas of the site up to the same level of overall web accessibility. If for any reason, you cannot access any of the material on our website, please email webadmin@crystal.org and we will work to resolve the problem as soon as possible.