Tuition and Financial Information
Financial Information
The benefits of a Hood River New School education - exceptional teachers, individualized attention, engaging academics and a nurturing, positive community culture - are invaluable, and the investment can be significant. We encourage families who are unable to afford full tuition to apply for financial assistance.
Fostering community lies at the heart of Hood River New School. We are committed to creating a school that brings high-quality education to as many members of our community as possible. We believe broadening access creates a wider perspective within the classroom, strengthening our students, our school, and our community at large. To that end, we will strive to keep our tuition as low as possible and offer a needs-based flexible tuition program that aims to meet families where they are financially, supporting those families that would not otherwise be able to attend at full tuition. Tuition is set by the Board of Trustees in the winter for the following year. Re-enrollment contracts, including tuition and payment option information, are available in February to all current families. Tuition is set for one year only, and an annual increase should be expected.
We understand that a commitment to the New School is no small endeavor and that paying the tuition is a significant financial investment for any family. While tuition dollars support our work as an Independent School, private donations will allow us to set individual tuition rates, providing access to more students.
Tuition & Payment Options
2026–2027 Tuition: $15,500 A non-refundable deposit of $1,550 is required to secure your student's space. To avoid a $1,000 late enrollment fee, deposits must be received by May 15, 2026.
Flexible Payment Plans We offer two primary ways to manage your tuition investment:
One Installment: Pay the full balance in a single payment.
Six Installments: Spread the balance across six equal monthly payments.
Additional Costs to Budget
Technology Fee: ~$730 (One-time fee for new families). Includes a student iPad with AppleCare+ which the student keeps upon graduation.
Uniforms: ~$150 annually. A community "hand-me-down" program is available to all families to help reduce this cost.
Billing & Policy Payments are due on the 1st of each month. A $50 fee is applied to payments received after the 5th.
Mailing Address: Hood River New School 220 Clearwater Lane, Hood River, OR 97031
Flexible Tuition Program: Tuition Assistance
To be eligible for Tuition Assistance, families must also submit an enrollment application.* Tuition Assistance is available to all students.
Fostering community lies at the heart of Hood River New School. We are committed to creating a school that brings high-quality education to as many members of our community as possible. We believe broadening access creates a wider perspective within the classroom, strengthening our students, our school, and our community at large. To that end, we will strive to keep our tuition as low as possible and offer a needs-based flexible tuition program that aims to meet families where they are financially, supporting those families that would not otherwise be able to attend at full tuition.
We understand that a commitment to the New School is no small endeavor and that paying the tuition is a significant financial investment for any family. While tuition dollars support our work as an independent school, private donations will allow us to set individual tuition rates, providing access to more students.
The New School is necessarily budget conscious and we recognize that we will not be able to meet everyone’s needs. Additionally, we understand that circumstances may change dramatically over the course of the year and we plan to support families who may have catastrophic life events that occur during an academic year. We pledge to use compassion as our critical guiding principle in all that we do regarding Tuition Assistance.
Key Dates:
February 1, 2026: Applications open for Flexible Tuition
Deadline for applications: April 27, 2026
Decisions communicated by: May 8, 2026.
*The enrollment deposit is waived for families applying for Tuition Assistance until an accepted Financial Aid offer is signed, at which point the deposit is due alongside the Financial Agreement form.
Determining Aid
To help us objectively assess what a family is able to contribute to their child's (ren’s) education expenses, we employ School and Student Services (SSS) as a trusted third party. The SSS analysis of a family’s “Estimated Family Contribution” is a starting point for our financial decisions. To arrive at our final tuition decision, we use the SSS figure as a baseline for review, taking into consideration our budget, our student population needs, our school policies, and priorities. We also understand that families are much more than numbers, so we ask all applicants to submit a personal letter, explaining any family circumstances that may not be represented by the SSS Family Report. Due to the variety of factors that contribute to financial aid decisions, our school may ask your family to contribute a different amount than what is estimated on the SSS Family Report. Awards vary based upon a family’s demonstrated need and the resources available in the School’s financial assistance budget.
To learn more about Flexible Tuition, please review the 2026-2027 Flexible Tuition FAQ and Policy Document