Dalian American International School

The Dalian campus is located at 2 Dianchi Road, Golden Pebble Beach National Resort, Jinzhou New District, Dalian, Liaoning Province, China. The Golden Pebble Beach area is a resort district about 60 kilometers east of Dalian's city centre. DAIS runs a transport service to and from the school that covers downtown Dalian, the Dalian Development Area (DDA), and Jinshitan.

DAIS is structured into four levels: Early Years, Elementary, Middle School, and High School. Early Years serves roughly 3–5 year olds, Elementary covers the next several years, Middle School includes early adolescence, and High School serves older teens (ages ~14–18). The school accommodates students from Pre-Kindergarten through Grade 12.

DAIS is a private international day school and offers boarding facilities for some grades on campus (an Elementary Boarding Program is described for younger students). This combination reflects a day-school model with selective boarding options.

DAIS provides a Learning Support Philosophy and uses assessments to identify and plan for learning needs. Non-native English speakers in Grades 2–12 participate in an English Language Proficiency assessment as part of admissions, and further testing may be used to inform placement and support.

There is no formal country affiliation for DAIS.

DAIS has no religious affiliation.

The DAIS Early Years day runs from 8:45 a.m. to 3:45 p.m., with lunch from 11:45 a.m. to 12:45 p.m. and a nap/quiet time for younger children from about 12:45 p.m. to 1:30 p.m.

DAIS operates a school transport service to and from the campus, with routes covering downtown Dalian, the DDA, and Jinshitan. Families are asked to accompany their children to and from designated pick-up/drop-off points.

Application & enrolment fees

- Application fee (non-refundable): RMB 2,000, payable at the time of application.
- Enrollment / Re-enrollment deposit (non-refundable and non-transferable): RMB 10,000. The deposit is due upon acceptance (returning students: due by April 25, 2025 if applicable) and may be applied to the last tuition payment for the 2025–2026 year; it cannot be applied to the second payment in the three-payment plan and is non-refundable for early withdrawal.

Tuition fees (annual and installment amounts) — by year group

- Kindergarten – Grade 5:
- One annual payment (full year): RMB 205,000.
- Two-payment plan: RMB 105,600 per payment (two payments). Handling fee of 3% is included in the two-payment plan; payments are due June 12 and November 21. The first two-payment instalment covers 14 Aug 2025 – 21 Nov 2025; the second covers 22 Nov 2025 – 11 Jun 2026.
- Three-payment plan: RMB 71,750 per payment (three payments). Handling fee of 5% is included in the three-payment plan; payments are due June 12, November 21 and February 27. The three payments cover the school year in three time blocks: 14 Aug–21 Nov 2025, 22 Nov 2025–27 Feb 2026, and 28 Feb–11 Jun 2026.

- Grade 6 – Grade 8:
- One annual payment (full year): RMB 240,000.
- Two-payment plan: RMB 123,600 per payment (two payments). Payment dates and coverage periods follow the same schedule as above.
- Three-payment plan: RMB 84,000 per payment (three payments).

- Grade 9 – Grade 12:
- One annual payment (full year): RMB 245,000.
- Two-payment plan: RMB 126,200 per payment (two payments).
- Three-payment plan: RMB 85,750 per payment (three payments).

Billing schedule and payment terms

- Payment frequency options: one, two, or three installments. The two-payment plan includes a 3% handling fee; the three-payment plan includes a 5% handling fee. The one-payment option is the only plan that qualifies for a tuition refund on early withdrawal.
- Due dates (2025–2026): one annual payment due by June 12; two payments due by June 12 and November 21; three payments due by June 12, November 21 and February 27 (with coverage periods tied to each payment as noted above).
- Proration and late entry: Tuition is prorated only for enrollment on or after October 1 (proration is on a monthly basis). Any subsequent payments follow the selected payment schedule.
- Late payment and delinquency: Tuition not paid by the due date is subject to a 5% late charge on the total unpaid tuition. School records may be withheld for financial delinquency, and a student with tuition outstanding for more than five working days may not attend school until payment is made.

Boarding fees

- Boarding is offered as part of school services, and a residential programme is in operation. The published 2025–2026 fee schedule and materials reviewed do not specify a separate, published boarding charge in the fee schedule document. Any boarding charges or the detailed cost structure for different boarding options are not listed in the 2025–2026 fee schedule and should be treated as not specified in the publicly published fee schedule.

Other costs and optional fees

- Elementary school lunch: RMB 25 per meal (RMB 4,550 for the school year).
- Secondary (middle & high) school lunch: RMB 30 per meal (RMB 5,460 for the school year).
- Bus transportation: fee varies by location; the bus application form contains specific fees. A minimum 30-calendar day written notice to the Business Office is required to cancel bus service; without such notice families are subject to an additional month of bus transportation fee.
- Learning support services: fees or arrangements are not set as a flat item in the published fee schedule; details are handled through the school's learning support processes.
- Uniforms and other incidental items: a specific uniform fee is not listed in the 2025–2026 fee schedule. Uniforms or school-branded items (if required) are not itemised as a compulsory fee in the published schedule.

Refunds and withdrawal policy

- Refund schedule for tuition when a family withdraws a student (written notice requirements and timing apply):
- Withdrawal within 14 calendar days from the beginning of the school year: 100% of the tuition refunded (minus the enrollment / re-enrollment deposit), with unpaid fees deducted.
- Withdrawal on or before November 21, 2025: 40% of the tuition refunded (minus the enrollment / re-enrollment deposit), with unpaid fees deducted.
- Withdrawal on or before February 27, 2026: 20% of the tuition refunded (minus the enrollment / re-enrollment deposit), with unpaid fees deducted.
- Withdrawal on or after February 28, 2026: no refund.
- For withdrawal during the school year, a 30-calendar day written notification to the Divisional Office is required for tuition refund eligibility. Failure to provide required notice will result in loss of any tuition refund. Expulsion for disciplinary reasons results in no refund. Families that choose two- or three-payment plans are not eligible for tuition refunds (only the one-payment plan allows the tuition refund schedule to apply).

Discounts

- Longevity discount: After three complete and consecutive years of enrollment at the school, a parent is entitled to a discount of RMB 7,000 per child, applied at the start of the child's fourth year.
- Sibling discount: A 10% tuition discount is applied to the tuition fees of a family's third child (applies to the child with the lowest tuition fee).

Fee payment methods and bank details

- Accepted payment method: bank deposit or bank transfer to the school's accounts. All school fees are required to be paid in full in RMB. For payments from overseas bank accounts, the Finance Office should be contacted; any bank or remittance charges incurred are the responsibility of the payer. Forwarding the bank deposit/remittance slip with the student's full name to the Finance Office is requested for prompt recording.
- The published fee schedule includes the school's RMB account numbers for bank transfer. Tuition payment by credit card is not specified in the published fee schedule; the available and recommended method shown is bank deposit / bank transfer.