Since its founding in 1977, Glen Urquhart School has a long history of partnering with families to make a GUS education accessible.

Tuition in the early years started at $100 a month, and a noted early priority included making a “high-quality education available to students from all walks of life.” Today, while tuition rates have certainly changed over 46 years, that original commitment to meeting families where they are has not. That is why we are proud to announce the launch of a new approach to the tuition program here at GUS - Family Individualized Tuition, or GUS FIT.

“One of the most meaningful ways that any independent school demonstrates its commitment to equity is in the way it handles tuition… Family Individualized Tuition completely rebuilds the financial relationship between a school and its families, making the process of paying tuition simpler, more transparent, more equitable and more predictable.” - The Gordon School

Over the last two years, as outlined in our Strategic Plan and our 5-Year DEI Plan, we have been working to revise our financial aid policy, in consideration of access and equity, to better articulate a philosophy that is in line with the GUS mission and values. This fall, we partnered with the Gordon School in Providence, RI, which pioneered its version of the FIT model in 2018. Since its launch, the school has come to be recognized among independent schools as a leader for those looking to update traditional financial aid models in favor of a more authentic, equitable, and sustainable alternative. They have been partnering with schools across the country to help them adopt the model, or modify it for use in their unique communities. While the GUS FIT model shares many similarities with Gordon’s, we have adapted it to meet the specific needs of our school.

At GUS, Family Individualized Tuition will offer families from a broad range of economic circumstances a tuition package that fits their personal economic profile. Each family’s financial commitment will be customized based on their income, expenses, and assets, along with the current GUS tuition rates, to ensure that every family’s financial investment in a GUS education is in equitable proportion to their economic resources. GUS FIT replaces the traditional financial aid model of discounting tuition or offering "awards," allowing all GUS families to contribute meaningfully. We will be transitioning this year from School & Student Services (SSS) to a new, easy-to-use, free portal, custom-built for GUS.

All families will be required to engage with the GUS FIT Portal during re-enrollment or during the application process. Families who choose to invest in GUS at the maximum FIT price will have the option to indicate that in the portal and will not be required to submit financial information. Families will receive their GUS FIT Tuition within ten days of completing their economic profile in the GUS Fit Portal - well ahead of the traditional late spring decision date.

“As a school committed to social justice and equity, we are proud to launch GUS FIT in an effort to make an independent school education more accessible to all families. Our hope is that by providing a more transparent and simplified process for determining the right tuition for every family, and by providing that tuition number earlier on in the application process, that more families feel encouraged to explore whether GUS is the right educational fit for their family” - Gretchen Forsyth, Head of School

We plan to launch the GUS FIT portal to all current and prospective families in the new year and will share additional information as the launch date approaches. In the meantime, if you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to contact Katie Chhu, Director of Admission.