Tuition & Financial Aid

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.

FAQ’s about Voluntary Equitable Tuition

VET Payments are:

• Tax deductible
• Voluntary
• Billed along with your monthly base tuition payments

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 7. Awards will be announced by March 7, 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.

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 7, 2025. The last day to accept financial aid is March 14th, 2025.

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

Please contact Business Manager, Shasta Morgan, at ext. 125 or via email at shasta.morgan@rainbowlearning.org with financial questions.

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.

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.

If you have a K-8 grade student attending RCS for the 24/25 school year (25/26 amounts TBD), 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 2025-26 school year open:
February 6, 2025
Priority Deadline is March 1, 2025

The application process remains open until August 31, 2025, 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.

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 go to: https://www.ncseaa.edu/k12/esa/

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.

Families have until March 28, 2025, 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 the annual enrollment deadline will have their nonrefundable deposit of $1,000 and non-refundable enrollment and new family fees retained.

At the start of school, families will accumulate “contact time.” Any family unenrolling during the school year will be obligated to pay for “contact time” in addition to the nonrefundable deposit and fees. All exceptions shall be at the discretion of the Admissions Committee and/or the Executive Director.

Families who meet one of the following outlined circumstances can apply for tuition forgiveness by submitting a letter and appropriate documentation to the Executive Director.

• The family is moving from the area too far away to commute
• A serious medical complication has arisen since the time of signing the contract.
• A documented extreme financial setback has arisen since the time of signing the contract.
• The enrolled student’s special support needs are beyond the capacity of RCS to serve.

All families remaining enrolled for the full school year will have their $1,000 tuition deposit applied to their final tuition payment of the school year, or have it applied to their re-enrollment for the following school year.