Application fees
- Lower School (K–3) application fee: USD 50 (non‑refundable).
- Middle School (Grades 4–9) application fee: USD 50 for domestic applicants (non‑refundable); USD 100 for international applicants (non‑refundable). Payment may be made online by credit or debit card or by check.
Tuition fees — annual and per‑term (school year organized in Fall, Winter and Spring terms)
Note: Hillside organizes the academic year in Fall, Winter and Spring terms. The figures below show the published annual tuition and a per‑term amount calculated by dividing the annual tuition by three (Fall/Winter/Spring). The per‑term amounts shown are the result of that division.
- Middle School (Grades 4–9) — annual tuition and per‑term (three terms):
- Day Student: USD 42,000 — Per term: USD 14,000.00.
- Day International Student: USD 46,620 — Per term: USD 15,540.00.
- 5‑Day Boarder: USD 59,900 — Per term: USD 19,966.67.
- 5‑Day International Boarder: USD 68,880 — Per term: USD 22,960.00.
- 7‑Day Boarder: USD 71,500 — Per term: USD 23,833.33.
- 7‑Day International Boarder: USD 83,000 — Per term: USD 27,666.67.
- Lower School (K–3) — annual tuition and per‑term (three terms):
- Kindergarten: USD 19,950 — Per term: USD 6,650.00.
- Grade 1: USD 22,950 — Per term: USD 7,650.00.
- Grade 2: USD 25,950 — Per term: USD 8,650.00.
- Grade 3: USD 28,950 — Per term: USD 9,650.00.
Other recurring or optional fees
- Tutorials (annual fees by program):
- Executive Function Tutorial: USD 5,210.
- Foundations of Language Tutorial: USD 9,000.
- Math Tutorial: USD 3,105.
- Social Skills Tutorial: USD 3,105.
- English as a Second Language (ESL): USD 8,000.
- Advanced Transitional English: USD 6,000.
- Boarding‑related fees:
- Laundry fee (boarding): USD 1,500 (mandatory for 7‑Day boarders; optional for 5‑Day boarders).
- Allowance fee: Hillside charges an allowance fee used for the Shades of Blue system, weekend allowance and various student activities; this fee is part of the school's fee structure for boarding/day students. (Amount is listed in student/enrollment materials).
- School store and uniform purchases: Uniforms, outerwear, and other school‑store items are purchased separately through the school store; prices vary by item.
Billing schedule and payment terms
- A non‑refundable enrollment deposit is required at the time of enrollment. The remaining tuition balance is due according to each student's enrollment contract. Families may select an installment plan through the school's SMART Tuition payment program.
- SMART Tuition payment options documented for Hillside include multi‑month installment plans (examples shown by school: 10 payments, June–March) and multiple due date choices. SMART Tuition charges a school administrative fee (example form lists an administrative fee) and imposes penalties for late or failed payments as described in the SMART/Tuition authorization materials.
Tuition Refund / withdrawal / refund insurance
- Tuition Refund Plan (TRP): Hillside offers a Tuition Refund Plan for families. The TRP provides reimbursement of a portion of unused yearly tuition in the event of withdrawal, medical withdrawal, or dismissal; reimbursement levels vary by category of withdrawal (examples in TRP materials include reimbursement levels such as 60% for certain medical withdrawals and 50% for non‑medical withdrawals or dismissal). Premium cost and enrollment details for TRP are described in enrollment materials and the TRP policy documents.
- Non‑refundable items: application fees and the enrollment deposit are non‑refundable.
Fee payment methods and administrative charges
- Application fee payment: online by credit or debit card, or by check payable to Hillside School mailed to the Admissions Office (Hillside School, 404 Robin Hill Street, Marlborough, MA 01752).
- Tuition and other account payments: accepted through the SMART Tuition program via web/telephone/mail, by automatic bank debit (ACH) or by credit card where permitted. SMART Tuition enrollment and authorization forms show credit card options (American Express, Discover, MasterCard) and bank debit options; the SMART Tuition form indicates convenience fees apply to credit‑card payments (example: 2.65% convenience fee) and that Visa may not be accepted through SMART Tuition in some forms. SMART Tuition also specifies late fees (example: USD 50) and a fee for failed electronic transactions (example: USD 25).
Other notes on charges and billing
- Any annual or recurring fees not listed above (for example: special activity fees, instrument rental for band, equipment fees for certain sports, travel, or optional program fees) are charged separately and billed as stated in enrollment or program materials. Hillside's published fee line items that include fixed amounts are the tuition categories, the tutorials listed above, and boarding laundry fees.
Summary of key numeric items (annual)
- Application fee (domestic): USD 50; (international): USD 100.
- Middle School annual tuition (Grades 4–9 — sample): Day USD 42,000; 5‑Day Boarding USD 59,900; 7‑Day Boarding USD 71,500; international variants shown above.
- Lower School (K–3) annual tuition (sample): Kindergarten USD 19,950; Grade 1 USD 22,950; Grade 2 USD 25,950; Grade 3 USD 28,950.
- Selected additional charges: Tutorials (USD 3,105–USD 9,000 depending on program); laundry fee USD 1,500 (boarding).
(End of fees overview.)
