Admission

Tuition Assistance

Best Investment for Girls

A GPS education is a significant financial commitment for any family. At GPS, we feel strongly that the investment in your daughter’s academic and personal development will pay dividends over her lifetime as she pursues higher education, a fulfilling career, and, most of all, a considered and consequential life.

Tuition at GPS



Middle School Tuition for 2024-25
$30,990
Technology and lunch are included
Upper School Tuition for 2024-25
$32,400
Technology and lunch are included
GPS offers three payment plans: one payment, two payments, and 10-month payment plan. Tuition payments are adjusted accordingly for families receiving tuition assistance. An enrollment deposit is required at the time of enrollment. Click to learn more about the Federal Truth in Lending Act.

Tuition Assistance at GPS

Tuition assistance exists to help bridge the gap between a family’s ability to pay and tuition. Tuition assistance awards at GPS are made possible through a combination of generous forward-thinking donors, who set up endowment funds specifically for the purpose of providing tuition assistance to deserving girls, and through our general operating budget, because accessibility to the best independent education for the girls of Chattanooga is a priority.

We are committed to the integrity of the process, to sticking to our standard formulas for each family, and to ensuring we are good stewards of the funds entrusted to us. It is our intention to be considerate of each family’s situation and provide equitable awards with the overall goal of utilizing our resources to help as many deserving girls as possible. Below you will find the steps to complete the process for tuition assistance, important deadlines, and resources to help your family complete the process.


Tuition Assistance Process

List of 4 items.

  • + Step 1 | Family Conversation

    We encourage you to begin this process by discussing how your family values a GPS education and how this aligns with your education goals for your daughter. Setting up different budgeting scenarios based on your family’s priorities and discussing lifestyle adjustments to make a GPS education affordable for your family may be helpful.
  • + Step 2 | Explore Tuition Assistance

    Read the GPS Tuition Assistance Policy Guidelines and attend one of our information sessions or schedule a call with the Director of Tuition Assistance for a preliminary discussion of the GPS policies, process, and deadlines.
  • + Step 3 | Gathering Documents

    You will need the following documents (as applicable) for each parent for the most recent tax year to complete your tuition assistance application:
    • W-2s
    • 1040 individual tax return
    • 1099s
    • K-1s
    • bank statement
    • investment statements
    • mortgage statement
    • student loan statement 
    Additional documents may be needed depending on your situation. 
  • + Step 4 | Apply for Tuition Assistance

    GPS processes tuition assistance applications through the Clarity application. To get started, please go to the Clarity application and create an account. The application typically takes less than 30 minutes to complete and is mobile-friendly. You are able to save your progress and return anytime. In the application, you will sign and submit a Form 4506c, which will give Clarity permission to pull your prior year tax returns. This means that you don’t have to upload any of them yourself!

Tuition Assistance Information

School Name: Girls Preparatory School

School Code: 4685

Application Deadline: December 15
It is imperative for families to adhere to the Tuition Assistance application deadlines. Requests submitted after December 15 may not be included in the initial allocation of tuition assistance. As a result, the funding pool is decreased and funds may not be available to families who qualify.

GPS Tuition Assistance Policies

List of 1 items.

  • + GPS Tuition Assistance Policies

    • Parental responsibility – The primary responsibility for tuition rests with the family. Tuition assistance awards are need-based and exist to help bridge the gap between a family’s ability to pay and tuition (calculated need). 
    • Calculated need - A family’s calculated need is determined using a standard formula that considers a variety of factors but is primarily income driven. In addition to total income, other factors considered that increase or decrease ability to pay/need amount include net assets, family size, number of students in tuition paying schools, and certain non-discretionary expenses (medical, taxes, student loan payments, etc). For discretionary expenses (including housing), income is reduced by a standard cost of living allowance that is based on the part of the country we live in and your family size.
    • Awarding process - Awards are determined by the Tuition Assistance Committee upon review of your application and related documents. Awards are for tuition only and are based on a percentage of your calculated need. All tuition assistance is awarded at the sole discretion of the committee and is never guaranteed. Awards are dependent upon funds available for both the school year as a whole and for each grade level and there is not a standard amount given out per person/situation.
    • Priority - Priority for tuition assistance is given to families who complete the Clarity application accurately, submit all required documentation, and adhere to all deadlines. In order to be considered for assistance, you must complete the required paperwork on time. It is important to maintain your GPS account in good standing (“on time”).
    • Need-blind admission - Tuition assistance decisions are made independently from admissions decisions once an offer of admission has been made. New students must be accepted first through the admission process, and then are considered for tuition assistance through a separate process.
    • Non-working parent – Recognizing that each family bears the primary responsibility for financing education costs, if one parent chooses not to seek employment, the School imputes an amount equivalent to a tuition for a non-working parent. Exceptions are made if the parent is caring for a non-school age child or has ongoing medical complications that prevent them from working.
    • Divorce or Separation
      • For all families, full participation is expected of both biological parents, stepparents and/or the adults with whom the child lives, has custody or has financial influence and responsibility in the student’s life.

      • In the process of evaluating a family’s financial situation, the tuition assistance process requires the complete documentation of all parties and the full transparency of all those identified in the categories listed above, regardless of divorce, separation or estrangement. An award will not be issued unless we have required information from all parties. All parents, guardians, and stepparents must submit an application through Clarity and include all required documentation. 
    • Confidentiality – Recognizing the sensitivity of personal financial issues, we guarantee the confidentiality of the process and expect families to maintain the confidentiality of any award information, as well.
    • Ongoing requirements - When a family accepts an award for tuition assistance, they agree to partner with GPS and agree to support their student in school attendance and participation, satisfactory academic progress, good citizenship, and favorable financial standing with the GPS Business Office. 

    Renewal
    – Tuition assistance is evaluated each year, independent of prior years results,  based on demonstration of continued financial need. 

Meet the Team

List of 2 items.

  • Jennifer Morrison

    Director of Tuition Assistance and Controller
  • Suzanne Winchester

    Student Billing Manager and Assistant Controller

Have Questions?



Discover the opportunities for your girl at GPS.