Affording GMS
The Girls’ Middle School strives to be an inclusive and equitable community that is accessible to everyone. An integral part of our mission is to develop a student body from diverse backgrounds, including families from all income levels.
To achieve this goal, we offer a Flexible Tuition Program and The Bennett Scholars Program. These two programs enable families in a variety of financial circumstances to afford the cost of attending GMS. Approximately 28% of our families are enrolled through one of these two programs.
We encourage all families to learn more about these programs and contact our office with any questions. We are committed to enrolling students from all backgrounds and we make admission decisions independent of a student’s application for tuition assistance.
Tuition
GMS tuition in the 2024-25 academic year is $48,200. After-school sports and homework club, course textbooks, and all school trips are included in tuition. Additional costs not included in tuition include a one-time technology fee for the student laptop, school uniforms, hot lunch, and shuttle transportation.
Flexible Tuition Program
We offer Flexible Tuition to families who qualify. Flexible Tuition is determined through an annual review process that considers many factors affecting a family’s capacity to pay tuition. A family’s income, family size, assets, expenses, other tuition obligations, and extenuating circumstances are all considered in determining the family’s tuition. With Flexible Tuition, a family’s tuition contribution could be anywhere from $5,000 to $40,000, depending on individual family circumstances. The average tuition paid by families in the Flexible Tuition program last year was $20,500.
You can learn more about Flexible Tuition by reviewing these FAQs or attending our Tuition Assistance Information Session.
The Bennett Scholars Program
The Bennett Scholars Program supports high-achieving students who often attend under-resourced elementary schools and represent the first generation in their families to be college bound. Bennett Scholars receive a comprehensive scholarship and wrap-around support to enable them to attend GMS. Our goal is to help each student launch themselves on a new trajectory from middle school to college and beyond.
While at GMS, in addition to tuition, we provide Bennett Scholars with laptops, lunches, uniforms, one-on-one tutoring, and the costs of all trips and material expenses.
We know that families face barriers beyond financial need. Bennett Scholar families are offered an array of additional support, ranging from transportation and language interpretation to counseling and mentorship. Our Bennett Scholars receive testing and application support in applying to high school, and graduates receive support and tutoring to prepare for college applications.
To Apply
To apply for Flexible Tuition or The Bennett Scholars Program, families must complete an application through Clarity. To get started, please go to the Clarity Application and create an account.
More information about the process can be found in the following documents:
- Clarity Family Application Guide or the Clarity Quick Reference Guide
- Guía de Aplicación Para Las Familias o Como aplicar: Una guía de referencia rápida
Clarity is hosting a series of webinars for families to learn more about the Clarity Application. Here are the dates and registration links:
Sept 24 - 6:30pm Eastern Time
Sept 25 - 7pm Pacific Time
Oct 28 - 6:30pm Eastern Time
Oct 29 - 7pm Pacific Time
Dec 10 - 5:30pm Pacific Time
There is a $60 fee to submit your Clarity application. You can share your application with additional schools for no additional charge. If this fee poses a hardship, please contact our office to request a fee waiver.
The deadline to complete the Clarity application is February 3, 2025.
Learn More
We will host a Tuition Assistance Information Session on December 11, 2024. Please register through the Ravenna system.
If you have questions about Flexible Tuition, please contact Sue Kramer at 650-968-8338 x123
To learn more about The Bennett Scholars Program, please contact María Pérez at 650-968-8338 x102.
For More Information
Sue Kramer
Director of Admission and Tuition Assistance
650-968-8338 x123
skramer@girlsms.org
María Pérez (en español)
Bennett Scholars Program Director
650-968-8338 x102
mperez@girlsms.org