Access & Affordability

Goal 5: Access and Affordability: Latin will work towards eliminating the barriers to accessing a full Charlotte Latin experience for prospective and current families.

Rationale

Independent schools are a costly investment for any family.  Charlotte Latin has a generous financial aid program with 14% of students receiving some funding. In 2021-22 Latin offered $3.125M in financial aid. Still, for many families seeking a private school education, our posted tuition is a barrier to entry - and for some, the financial aid process can feel intimidating and stigmatizing. Many families who hurdle that obstacle often arrive with tuition assistance but are unprepared for the additional costs that are associated with our program and not included in tuition, including the costs of athletics, school trips, and other activities. It is our belief that all students, regardless of the ability to pay tuition, should have equal access to all that goes into the full experience of a Charlotte Latin education. Tuition assistance is an important first step to attracting qualified candidates who otherwise could not afford an independent school but broadening the reach to include the cost of the experience and support to families with need will foster a greater sense of belonging and community for all families.

Strategic Initiatives

5.1 Latin will assess and address the full costs of a Latin Education. Latin will conduct a comprehensive audit of the full costs of a Latin education, including tuition, trips, extracurricular programs, and out of school experiences that are common to most Latin students in an effort to ensure all students have equitable access to the full program.

5.2  Latin will explore the articulation of its financial assistance program in order to better communicate its comprehensive nature and remove any potential stigma associated with the program.

5.3 Latin will seek to generate the funds to meet the needs of its families. Through both annual fundraising and increasing endowment dollars, Latin will provide the necessary budgets to meet the demand for financial assistance and to fund the ever-growing cost of attendance.

5.4 Latin will explore ways to reduce the barrier of distance for families living far from the school through transportation options and other strategies to be more accessible both during the admissions process and once a family has joined the community.