Tuition

2024-2025 Rainbow Community School Tuition & Fees

Tuition & fees

Rainbow Community School’s Tuition & Fees information for the 2024-2025 school year. Tuition rates are updated in early February of each school year.

If you have any questions, please email West at admissions@rainbowlearning.org or call the school at (828)258-9264.

Base Tuition

Preschool

5 days AM:                               $9,200/year
5 full days FULL :                   $13,800/year
5 full days PM:                        $15,800/year

Please click here for tuition rates for Preschool part-day programs, extended day programs, and information about payments and fees.

Kindergarten – Eighth Grade

Kindergarten:                     $14,800/year
1st Grade:                             $14,800/year
2nd Grade:                           $15,000/year
3rd Grade:                            $15,000/year
4th Grade:                            $15,200/year
5th Grade:                            $15,200/year
6th Grade:                            $15,400/year
7th Grade:                           $15,400/year
8th Grade:                           $15,400/year

To keep tuition costs lower, there is an annual campaign to help cover the gap costs that tuition does not cover. Click here to see more information on payments and fees for K-8 programs for the 2024-25 academic year.

Annual Fees
(Non-refundable)

Enrollment fee: $300 (Non-refundable)

Classroom Supply fee: $60 (Non-refundable)

Annual Volunteer Investment:
As a true community school, there is a culture of volunteerism. K-8 families are asked to volunteer 30 hours a year, or 15 hours each half year (July-December, January-June). Preschool families are asked to volunteer 20 hours a year, or 10 hours each half year.

 

One-Time-Only Fees

 

Application Fee: $75 per student
A complete application and non-refundable $75 fee are required for all prospective RCS students.

Applications are accepted year-round, however, openings are generally announced in mid-April. Early applications are strongly recommended.

Unfulfilled applications are rolled forward to the next grade level.

New Family Entry Fee:
$625 This is a one-time, non-refundable fee that is due with your enrollment contract.

Base Tuition Payments
(Installments)

Preschool: Tuition is paid in ten installments, beginning August 2024, through May 2025. Families who elect to pay their balance in full by August 10, 2024 are eligible for a 2% tuition discount.

K-8th: Tuition is paid in twelve installments, invoiced monthly May 10, 2024 through April 10, 2025.

Families who elect to pay their balance in full by July 10, 2024 are eligible for a 2% tuition discount.

Voluntary Equitable Tuition (VET) Payments (Tax-deductible)

This is an addendum to your tuition contract that supports higher faculty and staff salaries and the financial aid program which helps to fund those who otherwise would not be able to attend RCS. Click here for full information and FAQ’s about Voluntary Equitable Tuition.

  • Tax deductible
  • Participation is voluntary
  • Monthly payments are billed along with your base tuition payments

Tuition Assistance

A limited amount of tuition assistance is available for families with demonstrated need who would not otherwise be able to send their child to RCS. One of the purposes of financial aid is to increase the economic diversity on campus.

Tuition assistance applications through TADS are due February 14. Awards will be announced by March 8, so parents are encouraged to apply as early as possible. You may still apply after this date if you are a new family or have a significant change in your financial situation, or funds become available when a family offered an award is unable to attend. We also have a Love in Action Fund to help support unexpected financial needs throughout the school year. Click here to visit our financial aid web page.

There is a $60 application fee. Families whose application shows that they would qualify for free or reduced lunch automatically have this fee waived.

Financial Aid awards will be announced on March 8. The last day to accept financial aid is March 15, 2024.

If you are eligible for the NC Opportunity Scholarship (see below), you must apply for that along with tuition assistance.

Please contact Business Manager, Margaret Gerleve, at ext. 125 or via email at margaret.gerleve@rainbowlearning.org with financial questions.


Multiple-Child Discount

Families with two or more children enrolled at RCS receive 10% off the second child’s tuition and 15% off the third child’s tuition. The full rate is paid on the highest amount. This discount applies to tuition only and not to any fees.

Vouchers

Accepted for preschool tuition and before- and after-school charges. Please be advised that vouchers will not cover the full cost of preschool tuition & fees; parents must be able to pay the difference. Apply for vouchers as soon as possible by calling Buncombe County Social Services, Childcare Subsidy Unit at 828-250-5500. Information is available at the Buncombe County website.

North Carolina Opportunity Scholarships

If you have a K-8 grade student attending RCS for the 24/25 school year, you may be eligible to receive up to approximately $7,000 in Tuition Assistance. The amount of funding available through this program has increased significantly along with changing guidelines to make these funds more accessible. All families should review the guidelines to see if they are eligible for this tuition support. If you currently receive an Opportunity Scholarship, follow the renewal instructions and timeline sent from their office.  

Applications for the 2024-2025 school year opens:
February 1st, 2024
Priority Deadline is March 1, 2024

The application process remains open until August 31, 2024, for students to be considered for a full-year award. Applications received after August and before December 31 will be considered for a spring-term-only award. For more information, visit https://www.ncseaa.edu/k12/opportunity.

ESA+ Program

The ESA+ program provides funding for students with disabilities. The application for ESA+ opens February 1 with a priority deadline of March 1. For more information, please see: https://www.ncseaa.edu/k12/esa/

Affirmative Action Policy

We are an affirmative action school. This means we apply weighted admission, giving preference to children and families of color who would like to join our community. Of course, this is the beginning. We need to ensure that once a family or child of color joins our community, we apply every effort to create a climate of inclusion and belonging. Affirmative Action means we exercise the right to interpret and apply policies differently for children and families of color. A commitment to Affirmative Action implies that when we build a culture of equity, instead of equality, we all benefit because our needs are met in compliance with our individualized experience. 

Unenrollment Policy

Families have until March 29, 2024, to withdraw from the contract. After that date, the following policy is used:

The Enrollment or Re-enrollment Contract confirms a family’s commitment to paying tuition at Rainbow Community School or Omega Middle School. The Tuition Agreement confirms the format preferred for tuition payments.

Families desiring to unenroll from Rainbow Community School or Omega Middle School after completing an enrollment or re-enrollment contract will be expected to pay 30% of their tuition if the decision is made prior to July 15th. Families receiving approval for release of contract after that point will be responsible for payment of services rendered and 30% of tuition. All exceptions shall be at the discretion of the Executive Director and Business Manager, with advisement. as needed, from the finance committee.

Families who would like to be considered for tuition forgiveness must submit a letter and appropriate documentation to the finance committee with request based on one of the following considerations:

  • Moving from the area too far away to commute
  • A serious medical complication that has arisen
  • If there has arisen, since the time of signing the contract, an extreme financial setback the parent/parents can document.
  • If special support needs are beyond the capacity of RCS to serve.

 Financial Questions?

If you have specific questions you can contact the Business Manager, Margaret Gerleve, at
Margaret.Gerleve@rainbowlearning.org or call 828-258-9264 ext. 125