Choose-Your-Tuition

How does it work?

Step 1: We ask you to examine where your family stands using the prompts below when considering whether you should use the Standard Rate, Pay-It-Forward or Sliding Scale tuition model. 

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Step 2: Once you determine which model makes sense for your family's circumstances, please complete your program's registration form. In the form, we'll ask you information about you and your child/ren, about the program/s you're interested in and the tuition option you would like to use. We'll reach out within a few days of receiving your application with next steps. 

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Step 3: For the Gardens program, orientations are required. If you have not already scheduled an orientation, we will ask you to do so. Following the orientation, if our program is the right fit for your family, we'll offer you a tuition price according to the information you provide. Then, we'll invite you to complete the enrollment process by submitting tuition, which completes your child's enrollment and holds their spot. Next, we'll share all the fun stuff like connecting you with other families and your child's teacher, important school info, how to prepare for your first day!

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For this system to work (meaning it increases access AND we as a micro-school are able to sustain ourselves, pay our teachers and bills, provide awesome outdoor learning, etc.) the principles of truthfulness, respect for complexity, and accountability need to be upheld. Community thrives when accountability is a central value, because that is where trust grows and deep, meaningful work can be done. Our teachers deserve to get paid fairly, students deserve quality educational experiences, and families and caregivers deserve to have access to an education of their choice for their children. Our tuition model recognizes the multiple realities of economic access and privilege that exist. We invite you to join us in this journey towards greater economic justice and access.

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You may use the following prompts to help determine the best tuition model for your family: 

 

Sacrifice vs. Hardship

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If paying for a class, product, or service would be difficult, but not detrimental, it qualifies as a sacrifice. You might have to cut back on other spending in your life (such as going out to dinner, buying coffee, or a new outfit), but this will not have a long term harmful impact on your life. It is a sacred sacrifice in order to pursue something you are called to do/have/experience. 

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If, however, paying for a class, product, or service would lead to a harmful impact on your life, such as not being able to put food on the table, pay rent, or pay for your transportation to get to work, then you are dealing with hardship. 

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Folks coming from a space of hardship typically qualify for our sliding scale tuition model. If you would categorize paying for our service as a sacrifice, we ask that you pay the standard rate. If none of this applies to you and you have expendable income, we ask that you consider the Pay-It-Forward price. In choosing this option, you are supporting financial accessibility for those folks lower down on the scale.

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Consider the Pay-It-Forward model if many of the following are true:

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• My family's income is considered above the adequate standard of living per the Economic Policy Institute; 

• I have a degree(s) without having had loans;

• I live partially, mostly or all off unearned / gifted income;

• My family has plentiful assets, like investments;

• I received a large (over $50k) amount of money and gave/give it away;

• Someone else paid or pays my rent/mortgage; 

• I can choose to work or not;

• I choose to work part time or for less pay since I need less money/have external support;

• I own the home I live in;

• I have investments, retirement accounts, or inherited money;

• I travel recreationally;

• I have expendable income;

• I have access to family money and resources in times of need;

• I work part time by choice;

• I have a relatively high degree of earning power due to level of education (or gender and racial privilege, class background, etc.); Even if you are not currently exercising your earning power, we ask you to recognize this as a choice.

 

Select the Standard Rate model if many of the following are true:

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• My family's income is considered an adequate standard of living per the Economic Policy Institute; 

• I choose to go out to eat or drink weekly (or more);

• My race, ethnicity, skin color or gender doesn’t impact my income;

• I can cover my basic needs + some extras regularly;

• I’m able bodied;

• I can cover my basic needs regularly;

• I have student loans for professional or post-secondary education in my current field that I work in;

• I have student loans and most people in my family have higher education;

• I have a graduate degree and am paying off my loans;

• Someone in my family explained how careers work;

• My career is stable and moving forward;

• Family has many assets, like a paid-off house and/or parents have retirement accounts;

• Family of origin has assets, like a house they are paying;

 

Consider using the Sliding Scale if many of the following are true:

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• My family's income is considered below the adequate standard of living per the Economic Policy Institute; 

• I’m sick or disabled and that impacts my ability to work / earn money;

• My race, ethnicity, skin color or gender(s) does impact my income;

• I have non-optional health care costs to cover;

• I have a bachelors degree and am paying off my loans still;

• I am struggling to pay more than minimums on debt;

• I have student loans and I was among the first in my family to go to college;

• I help my family with money;

• I support others besides my own family on my income;

• My family has few assets;

• I have no family or access to family;

• My family has no assets; 

• I have significant debt;

• I have medical expenses not covered by insurance;

• I receive public assistance;

• I have immigration-related expenses;

• I am an elder with limited financial support;

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At the end of the day, our Choose-Your-Tuition model thrives on trust. We trust you to be honest in your assessment of your economic reality. And, you trust us to provide an awesome service at a reasonable, market aligned rate. 

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The scale is intended to be a map, inviting each of us to take an honest inventory of our financial resources and look deeper at our levels of privilege. It is a way to challenge the status quo that continues to create economic injustice in our country and work towards economic justice on a community level.