Tuition & Tuition Assistance
Principia: A Present Possibility
The Principia Tuition Assistance program is designed to make a Principia education possible for all international and domestic families based on demonstrated financial need and the availability of funds. Admission decisions are made solely on a student’s merits, irrespective of the family’s ability to pay. Therefore, applying for tuition assistance requires a separate application from the admissions application.
Tuition and Tuition Assistance Information
Tuition
A Principia Education is Boundless
At Principia School, creativity, critical thinking, and character growth are the cornerstones of our college-prep program. Our student-centered and future-focused approach guides students in discovering their innate ability to create, inspire, and lead. If you are looking for a program abundant with opportunities where teachers see students as unlimited in their potential, Principia is the place for you.
An A+ Education
Principia provides a:
- Thoughtfully integrated curriculum
- Character-based education rooted in faith
- Rich academic opportunities at all levels that focus on building future-ready skills
- Intentionally small classes, designed to engage students
Principia School is ranked an A+ school by the nation's #1 school review site: niche.com. We're proud to be Missouri's #1 Best Christian High School and the #2 Best Private K–12 School in the St. Louis area. Come see why we rank high in excellence! If you're interested in visiting and seeing our award-winning program up close, visit us this fall.
View our Visiting Options
Tuition Amounts Per Level (2025–2026 School Year)
Early Childhood
Due to the extraordinary demand for our Early Childhood program, classes are completely full at this time. For additional information about applying for our wait pool and rates for the coming year, please reach out to Sukie Berberich, Associate Director of Early Childhood and Lower School Admissions at sukie.berberich@principia.edu.
Preschool
Lower School
Kindergarten–Grade 4 Tuition & Fees
Tuition |
$14,357 |
Fees* |
$1,188 |
Total |
$15,545 |
Grade 5 Tuition & Fees
Tuition |
$14,357 |
Fees** |
$1,613 |
Total |
$15,970 |
* Fees include Technology Fee (iPads in the Classroom), school lunch, field trips and PPA fees.
**5th Grade Fees increases to accommodate for their class trip.
Middle School
Upper School
Boarding Program (Grades 8–12)
Middle School (Grade 8) Boarding Program Tuition & Fees
Tuition |
$19,084 |
Fees* |
$2,716 |
Room & Board** |
$21,520 |
Total |
$43,320 |
Upper School (Grades 9–12) Boarding Program Tuition & Fees
Tuition |
$21,954 |
Fees* |
$3,056 |
Room & Board** |
$21,520 |
Total |
$46,530 |
* Fees include Technology Fee (iPads in the Classroom), school lunch, annual "Character Trip", regular field trips and PPA fees.
**Room & Board includes lodging and meals throughout the academic year (except during any breaks).
Tuition FAQ
- What are my payment options?
- What methods of payment are accepted?
- When is my first payment due?
- What if I fail to make payments?
What are my payment options?
Our standard payment plan is 9 monthly payments from August 15 through April 15.
On August 1, your annual bill will be published. At that point, you will be able to either enroll in the 9-month payment plan or pay the bill in full. You can pay in full, but please be aware that additional charges may accrue. PrinBill is also the billing mechanism for additional meals, after-school care, and other miscellaneous optional expenses.
If you choose to enroll in the 9-month payment plan, you will need to put a payment method on file and schedule monthly payments. PrinBill bills monthly on the 15th and your bill is considered late on the 25th of each month.
What methods of payment are accepted?
Principia accepts ETF bank transfers, all major credit cards (2% service fee), and checks.
If you choose to do so, you may enroll in the payment plan and not put a specific payment method on file. This will provide flexibility with how and when you pay, but will require additional diligence to ensure on time payment.
Milly Mensing, our Billing Officer, is responsible for all billing related questions and can be reached at (314) 514-3554.
When is my first payment due?
What if I fail to make payments?
Scheduled payments are due on the 15th of each month, starting in August. Your account is considered late on the 25th of the month and will be considered to be in default if you become more than 30 days past due. An account that is in default will be at risk of financial suspension. For further information about implications and potential remediations related to financial suspension, please contact Billing Officer Milly Mensing at milly.mensing@principia.edu.
For more information about Principia Billing policies, visit the PrinBill webpage.
Tuition Assistance
Tuition Assistance Purpose
Rooted in our core value of "LOVE", Principia's Tuition Assistance program seeks to provide resources to support our families based on their individual demonstrated need ensuring that all students have the opportunity to thrive academically, socially, and spiritually within our community.
Principia Purpose
The primary purpose of The Principia is to "serve the cause of Christian Science" (Policy 1)
Principia School seeks to enroll students of strong academic potential , good character, and diverse backgrounds from families that understand and share the values of Principia School.
Tuition Assistance Options
- Merit Scholarships
- Need-Based Tuition Assistance (K-12th Grade)
- Outside Scholarships
- Faculty Staff Tuition Remission (Preschool–Grade 12)
Merit Scholarships
To recognize and reward students who reflect our core values, Principia offers scholarships to a wide range of students.
- Awards may vary based on the quality of the applicant/application and availability of funds.
- Scholarships are renewable but must be reapplied for each year.
- Merit-based scholarships must be accompanied by a Clarity tuition-assistance application.
- Scholarship applications are separate from the admissions application and must be completed prior to admission
- If scholarship applications are completed in a timely manner, awards may be delivered ahead of an admission decision
For information about all available scholarships, visit our scholarships page. To apply for scholarships, begin by opening an Admissions Account.
Need-Based Tuition Assistance (K-12th Grade)
Education is an investment. That's why Principia awards assistance to families with students who align with our commitment to excellence. We offer awards to families who qualify based on their application which illustrates need based on a combination of components. The process for tuition assistance is competitive as funds are limited.
- Principia is proud to to use the Clarity Tuition Assistance Application to determine a family's level of financial need.
- Once the Clarity Application is completed, our Tuition Assistance Committee will consider all information, including the Clarity "suggested tuition", family size, additional expenses not considered by Clarity, and any other extenuating circumstances to determine an award.
- For helpful answers to common questions, visit the Clarity FAQ Guide.
- For support completing the Clarity application, download the Clarity Application Guide.
If you need additional support while completing your Clarity application, you can reach their support team directly at support@claritytuition.com or 206.210.3752 in both English and Spanish.
Typical Need-Based Tuition Assistance Awards
Household income is one of many factors we take into consideration when determining how much tuition assistance to award. Tuition assistance awards are based on the cost of tuition and do not typically cover fees and additional expenses such as school uniforms, supplies, travel expenses, etc.
Below is a breakdown of typical tuition assistance amounts based on Household Gross Income:
Household Income | Typical Family Contribution |
$200,000–$250,000 | $18,000–Full Pay |
$100,000–$200,00 |
$12,000–$18,000 |
$50,000–$100,000 | $7,500–$12,000 |
Under $50,000 | $5,000–$7,500 |
While the above table is a great way to understand the amount of tuition assistance your student might qualify for, please keep in mind that household income is only one factor.
Additional factors that could impact your family’s expected contribution could include:
-
Number of additional children at Principia
-
Medical or other unplanned expenses
-
Impact of additional spouse, separated parent, step-parent, etc.
-
Timeliness and completeness of Tuition Assistance Application
Outside Scholarships
In addition to Principia-funded merit scholarships and need based tuition assistance, we encourage students to consider applying for outside scholarships, when applicable. Outside scholarships that our office actively works with include:
MoScholars (Today and Tomorrow Foundation or Herzog Tomorrow Foundation)
Provided to students transferring from public school to private school who fall into one of two categories—below a certain income threshold or students with recorded IEPs. If you feel that your student might qualify under either of these criteria, follow the link below to complete the quick survey to see if you qualify.*
MoScholars: Today and Tomorrow Foundation
MoScholars: Herzog Tomorrow Foundation
*If your student is currently enrolled in and is receiving MoScholars Scholarship money, please be sure to notify the Principia Tuition Assistance office so we can verify your award directly with that foundation.
Access Academy (Graduates of Access Academy Partner Middle Schools)
“Access Academy provides tuition assistance to our partner private, college-prep high schools”
https://accessacademies.org/programs/
Sunnyside (Texas, Christian Science Families)
https://sunnysidetexas.org/qualifications/
“The Sunnyside Foundation assists practicing Christian Scientists residing in Texas who regularly attend a Christian Science branch church or Sunday School, and are members of the First Church of Christ, Scientist, in Boston, Massachusetts and/or the branch church they are attending.”
*If you are aware of other outside scholarship opportunities that could be useful to members of our community, please reach out to let us know. We are always looking for new ways to support our families!
Faculty Staff Tuition Remission (Preschool–Grade 12)
Principia's employment policy provides tuition remission as outlined in the Employee Handbook and Benefits Guide.
Faculty staff tuition remission is available beginning in Preschool 3 (PS3) and can be supported by additional need-based tuition assistance if substantial need is demonstrated in the accompanying Clarity Application.
Faculty staff remission is a “One-Principia” benefit, which means the benefit applies to all personnel working for the Principia School, Principia College, and Shared Services.
Students receiving faculty staff remission are welcome to apply for scholarships, when applicable, but should understand that scholarships earned will always be awarded first and will not reduce the net tuition beyond the faculty staff discount.
Scholarships FAQ
- Should my child apply for a scholarship?
- When should my child apply for scholarships?
- Can I receive scholarships in addition to tuition assistance or faculty/staff remission?
- Why do I have to apply for scholarships every year?
Should my child apply for a scholarship?
If your child qualifies for a scholarship, we strongly encourage you to review the requirements and consider applying. Scholarship decisions and admissions decisions are separate, but since scholarships can be determined and delivered prior to admissions decisions, one can certainly support the other.
Scholarships can also be a great way for families who might not qualify for need-based tuition assistance to receive a reasonably-sized recognition for their commitment to Principia’s values, character, and personal growth.
When should my child apply for scholarships?
Can I receive scholarships in addition to tuition assistance or faculty/staff remission?
Yes, but keep in mind that scholarships are applied first. Additional tuition assistance will then be supplied, based on need demonstrated in the accompanying Clarity Application. Because scholarships are applied first, you cannot apply for scholarships after the fact in order to "top off" your existing awards. For this reason, a student receiving need-based tuition assistance or faculty staff remission is welcome to apply for scholarships but should be aware that these scholarships will not directly affect their total award or resulting net tuition.
Why do I have to apply for scholarships every year?
Tuition Assistance FAQ
- When will I learn how much tuition assistance I will receive?
- How much does the Clarity Application cost?
- Can I apply for a fee waiver?
- Should I apply for tuition assistance?
- When should I apply for tuition assistance?
- What if I don't have an income?
- What if I am separated or divorced?
- Why do I have to apply for tuition assistance every year?
When will I learn how much tuition assistance I will receive?
Tuition assistance applications must be submitted during the admissions application process so that all awards are prepared prior to admission. Depending on the timeline of your admissions application, you may receive scholarship awards prior to an admissions decision, but need-based tuition assistance will be delivered in the enrollment contract after an admit decision has been made.
How much does the Clarity Application cost?
Can I apply for a fee waiver?
Families with income below a certain threshold will receive an automatic waiver through Clarity. Before requesting a fee waiver, please complete the application and progress to the point where the fee is requested to see if it will be waived by their criteria. If you feel that you have extenuating circumstances where a fee waiver is necessary, send an email directly to Mitchell.Stock@Principia.edu for processing. We have a limited number of fee waivers and will use them sparingly.
Should I apply for tuition assistance?
If you are asking this question, then the likely answer is "yes". Applying for tuition assistance will not guarantee an award, but there is no harm in applying and under no circumstances can we provide an award without a tuition assistance application. As a helpful guide, refer to the table above (Typical Need-Based Tuition Awards) to see what range your family’s expected contribution might fall into.
When should I apply for tuition assistance?
What if I don't have an income?
Everyone has some income in some form, and we need you to list whatever sources of income you do have. Your Clarity Application should illustrate your need, but it should also illustrate that you have the means to both support your existing expenses and the additional price of tuition. For every family entering the Principia community, we do not want Principia to be a burden, but rather a blessing.
What if I am separated or divorced?
Principia expects all parents to contribute to their child’s educational costs to the best of their ability. If a parent has remarried, the stepparent’s financials should also be included. Where multiple families are involved, both natural parents and their current spouses must complete separate Clarity tuition assistance applications. The enrolling parent is responsible for ensuring the other parent submits their application.
Why do I have to apply for tuition assistance every year?
Applying for tuition assistance every year ensures that the committee has the most up-to-date information about your family financial situation. The Tuition Assistance Committee will always consider the previous years' award when determining the next award, but will also consider information from the most recent application. If the new application shows significant increases or decreases in any area, then these changes will be considered as well.
Contact Us
For questions about tuition assistance or scholarships, contact our Director of Tuition Assistance, Mitchell Stock.
Email: mitchell.stock@principia.edu
Phone: 314.514.3142
Mitchell Stock, Director of Tuition Assistance