Financial Assistance

We are excited to announce that Lab has chosen Clarity as our new financial assistance application system. Our goal is to make the application process as easy as possible for your family.

Families apply for financial assistance using Clarity. Clarity does not decide whether financial assistance will be given or how much to give; rather Clarity provides a need-based financial assistance analysis service. Based on this analysis, Clarity will recommend a financial assistance grant and a family contribution amount. Lab may make a financial assistance grant to a family which may be more or less than the Clarity recommendation based upon the needs of The Lab School.

You will find that Clarity offers a streamlined and user-friendly financial assistance application process that can take as few as twenty minutes to complete. It is mobile-friendly, so you can complete your application on your phone or tablet! Furthermore, your 1040 and W2 documents from 2023 will be automatically transferred from the IRS when you complete the verification step, so you will no longer need to upload those documents manually. These are just a few ways in which Clarity enhances the financial assistance application process at Lab.

We know that you may have questions about this change and how it will impact your family. We welcome you to reach out to us with any questions or concerns. We also invite you to review the Why We are Switching - Parent FAQs to learn more about Clarity!

The process of applying for financial assistance is kept separate from the admissions process.

All information from Clarity is kept confidential. Applications are reviewed and grants are made by the Financial Assistance Committee. See below for a link to Clarity – added later this fall. 

The Lab School offers limited financial assistance and while it is not possible to meet all requests, the School makes every effort to assist as many families as possible.

Tax Deductible Lab Expenses

The Lab School of Washington provides special-education services and therefore, payments to The Lab School of Washington may be considered deductible medical-care expenses under the Internal Revenue Code. The regulations under Section 213 of the Internal Revenue Code provide that:

"While ordinary education is not medical care, the cost of medical care includes the cost of attending a special school for a handicapped individual, if his or her condition is such that the resources of the institution for alleviating such handicap are a principal reason for his or her presence there."

Whether expenses of The Lab School of Washington will be deductible in a particular case, however, will depend upon the facts and circumstances of each individual student’s situation. There are also percentage limitations applicable to otherwise deductible medical expenses, depending on the parents’ income. Before taking a tax deduction for expenses relating to the special education of a student, parents should confer with their tax lawyer or accountant about the rulings and regulations under Section 213 of the Internal Revenue Code and other applicable laws.

529 College Savings Plans for K-12 Education Expenses

Account owners of 529 College Savings Plans can now make withdrawals to pay for qualified K-12 tuition expenses up to $10,000 per year per student.

Eligibility for Special Education Services

You should also be aware that under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Improvement Act there is a process in every public school jurisdiction for determining a child's eligibility for special education services. If it is determined that an appropriate education cannot be provided within the public school system, a child may be entitled to placement by that system. For more information: Child Find and Equitable Services for students attending private schools in DC. 

The Clarity application is available beginning December 1, 2024. The entire application must be completed online. Deadline for returning Lab families to submit a complete application is January 17, 2025. The application deadline for new families who are applying to Lab is February 14, 2025. There is a $60.00 fee to process this application (payable to Clarity).

Families who are applying for financial assistance and admissions for the 2025-2026 school year must have a completed admissions application file by January 15, 2025 to receive a financial aid decision with your admissions decision on the first Friday in March 2025. Typically, all of Lab's financial assistance grants are allocated in March for the following school year.

Clarity provides a Spanish-translated application and Spanish speaking support services.

Family Support Contact Information
All available in English and Spanish. The application itself is also fully translated into Spanish using the drop-down in the lower left corner.

• In-app support through the “Help” button in the lower left corner
• Email support at ****support@clarityapp.com**
• Phone support at 206-210-3752

Standard (April through September)

• Monday to Friday, 8 am to 8 pm ET

Extended Peak (October through March)

• Email and Chat Support
  • Monday to Friday, 8 am to 11 pm ET
  • Saturday and Sunday, 9 am to 5 pm ET
• Phone Support
  • Monday to Friday, 8 am to 8 pm ET
  • Saturday, 9am to 5 pm ET

Clarity Quick Reference Guide

While all families can apply for financial assistance for the 2025-2026 school year, priority is given to returning students.