Tuition & Fees

St. John’s Episcopal School strives to maintain a reasonable rate of tuition to allow as many children as possible in the Tampa area to attain the gift of a transformative education without the requirement of inordinate financial cost.  

At St. John's, we believe that affordability starts with comprehensive tuition, which supports essential school programs, and a robust financial aid program to meet a family's additional needs. Comprehensive, variable tuition helps us fulfill our mission by increasing socioeconomic diversity in our school community. We believe that economic diversity enriches our community, fosters inclusion, and enhances the educational and social-emotional experience for children as well as adults.

No family should hesitate to apply for admission because of their inability to pay the entire cost. St. John's is committed to making quality education accessible to all students, regardless of their financial circumstances.

Application Fee (PROSPECTIVE FAMILIES)

$100
 

Tuition Deposit (NEW FAMILIES)

$1,000
 

2022-2023 Tuition

K(4): $15,280
Our K(4) program maintains a flat-rate tuition, as we look for evidence of long-term partnership with our School before committing limited and widely sought tuition assistance to our families. That evidence is found in K(5) and beyond.

K(5): $2,948 - $15,280 (based on demonstrated need)

Grades 1-8: $3,068 - $15,840 (based on demonstrated need)

 

Legacy Growth Fee*

$750 (annually for first 4 years of enrollment)

*The Legacy Growth Fee total ($3,000) is assessed only once per family, irrespective of the number of children a parent(s) has attending the School.

These are exciting times for St. John’s! Many of you continue to express your deep appreciation for your children’s experience. 92% percent of the Class of 2021 was accepted to their ‘first choice’ private high school. Interest in the school continues to reach unprecedented levels. And Niche.com recently named St. John’s as Best K – Grade 8 Private School in the Tampa area! I could not be prouder to be associated with such a wonderful school community.

The Board of Trustees is pleased to provide information about tuition for the 2022-2023 school year. As a governing body, our priority is ensuring the school continues to offer an unparalleled value proposition. Setting the budget is an extensive process and takes into consideration many factors. We remain ever mindful of the number of economic challenges and work tirelessly to lessen these while also recognizing and respecting the sacrifices you make for your children.

The 2022-2023 school budget has two key drivers. The first is the fundamental transformation of annual giving (the Eagles Fund) and how every gift to the Eagles Fund is utilized. St. John’s is joining the handful of truly elite private schools throughout the United States in that tuition, endowment income, restricted gifts and auxiliary programs cover 100% of St. John’s $8 million annual operating budget. Eliminating what is commonly referred to as ‘the gap’ means every dollar given to support the Eagles Fund will create unprecedented opportunities for each child to discover their passion and reach their full potential. Making sure your children and their teachers are direct and sole beneficiaries of annual giving is another local, regional, and national differentiator for St. John’s. 

The second focuses on something even more important: ensuring your children are served by the strongest faculty and staff in the Tampa area. To continue to provide a wonderful experience for our students, to be able to identify, recruit and retain the best available teachers and administrators and, most importantly, provide salaries and benefits that make this possible, St. John’s must take steps to ensure it offers employee compensation that is more in line with that offered by peer independent schools. For too long, your children’s teachers have been at a competitive disadvantage in these critically important areas. This budget works to fix that.

We can do all the above and much more with only a modest increase in comprehensive tuition. Accordingly, the Board of Trustees recently approved the following tuition for the 2022-2023 school year:

• K(4) and K(5): $15,280 (4.25% increase or $620 more than 2021-22)

• Grades 1-8: $15,840 (4.25% increase or $650 more than 2021-22)

 Let me close by offering a word of thanks. I am inspired by your continued support of your children. A St. John’s education is an integral part of an extraordinary life, something all parents want for their children. The wonderful experiences that take place every day at our school are made possible by your commitment to our mission - and your willingness to fund it. I remain incredibly grateful for that.

Sincerely,

Eric Williams
Chair, Board of Trustees

What is Comprehensive Tuition?
St. John’s comprehensive tuition provides parents what very few private schools do: a clear, detailed and transparent representation of the most accurate cost of enrolling a child, as well as a more convenient way to manage that investment. By doing so, we further differentiate St. John’s from our peer schools and continue to demonstrate it is possible for parents to provide their children the gift of a transformative education without the requirement of inordinate financial cost. 

Why does St. John’s use this model?
The practice of publishing a tuition figure that does not include supplementary expenses that typically accompany enrollment is common to independent schools. Not at St. John’s. Transparency matters, and we believe all independent school parents should from the outset have a clear understanding of what they will be expected to pay for the full cost of enrolling their child, including any required or optional expenses beyond published tuition.  

View Comprehensive Tuition information

How is Comprehensive Tuition good for families?
The benefits to parents include the following:

• No ‘nickels and dimes’
  We do not want to ‘nickel and dime’ parents – the practice of repeatedly asking you to pay additional expenses throughout the school year and on top of tuition. Simply put, each child will continue to enjoy an unparalleled educational program, activities and offerings, with parents not required to pay supplementary fees (that typically run into hundreds of dollars over the course of the year).
   
• Even greater financial and educational value for families
  By incorporating activities and events that are at the heart of each child’s core experience into comprehensive tuition rather than charging piecemeal, we are able to provide additional cost savings to families. 
   
• Ease of financial management for parents
  The comprehensive tuition model provides greater ease of financial management for parents by requiring far fewer separate payments, with every family continuing to enjoy outstanding value.

Payment Plans

St. John's offers tuition payment and installment plans to suit family preferences and needs. For new families, a non-refundable enrollment deposit of $1,000 per child is applied to the following year's tuition. For returning families, a $500 tuition pre-payment is charged to continue to reserve a space for each child planning to attend. 

St. John's offers the following tuition payment plans:

1. Full payment on or before May 1st of the school year,
2. Semi-annual plan on July 5th or 20th and January 5th or 20th, 
3. Ten monthly installments, July 5th or 20th–April 5th or 20th, paid through automatic withdrawal (ACH) or credit card.

For more information, contact our Admission Office (813.600.4348)

A Legacy Growth Fee of $750.00/year over four (4) years for a total of $3,000.00 will be assessed to all parents or guardians enrolling a first new child in the School in K(4)-Grade 4.

A Legacy Growth Fee of $500.00/year for each year a child is enrolled in the Middle Division will be assessed to all parents or guardians enrolling a first new child in the School in Grades 5-8.

The Legacy Growth Fee is assessed only once, irrespective of the number of children a parent(s) has attending the School. The fee can be paid annually or monthly at the option of the parent or guardian.

Consider the Dewar Tuition Refund Plan to Protect Your Investment in Tuition

While not currently required, we do strongly encourage all school families to purchase the Dewar Tuition Refund Plan. The School offers this insurance opportunity to help families  protect their investment in their child(ren)'s tuition. When students are withdrawn or dismissed from school for covered reasons, the plan refunds a portion of the unused annual tuition and insured fees.

Because the School’s expenses do not diminish when a student leaves after the enrollment agreement is in effect, St. John’s policy is to enforce the financial terms of the agreement. Purchasing this insurance from Dewar can help you offset the cost of fulfilling the enrollment agreement. 

 You can take advantage of the plan for 2022-2023 by contacting Michael Matthews, CFO, at mmatthews@stjohnseagles.org for more information.