Tuition & Financial Assistance | The Dunham School | Private PreK-12 | Baton Rouge, LA

Upper School
Grades 9-12 - $23,300

Middle School
Grades 5-8 - $21,980

Lower School
Grades 2-4 - $20,060
First Grade - $17,940
Kindergarten - $16,150
PreK 4 - $14,305
PreK 3 - $13,355

Dunham Early Childhood Center
$13,950 (10-month contract)
$16,740 (12-month contract)

• Re-enrollment fee (PK3-12) - $300, non-refundable; due on or before Jan. 31; increases to $550 after Jan. 31
• Technology fee (PK4-12) - $650
• Dining Services - $625 (PK3/PK4); $955 (K-4); $1,165 (5-8), $1,265 (9-12)
• Facilities Fee - $300 (PK3-12)
• New Student Enrollment fee (K-12) - $750 (one time, non-refundable fee for new students only; waived for children of alumni)

• Option 1 - one-time payment due by March 20
• Option 2 - payment in four (4) equal installments due March 20, April 20, May 20, and June 20 or the 1st four consecutive months after enrolling.
• Option 3 - payment in equal monthly installments beginning the month following enrollment with the final payment due February 20; please note that six percent interest is added to monthly payments (PK3-12 only)

Academic Tutoring*
$55 per hour

Reading/Dyslexia Remediation*
$65 per hour

Homework Helpers
$240 per quarter after school for grades 1-4; $255 for grades 5-8

Shadowing*
$20 per hour

Accommodations: Out-of-Class Testing and Extended-Time Testing:
‍Fees are determined on a sliding scale and are dependent upon the degree of assistance needed for the particular test. The fees that may be charged are $10; $15; or $35 per test.

MAC Courses**
$7,000 annually (one student)
$6,000 annually (two students)
$5,000 annually (three students)
$4,000 annually (four or five students)

*Fees for Academic Tutoring, Reading/Dyslexia Remediation, and Shadowing are reduced when two or more students grouped together.

**A maximum of five students may be scheduled into individual MAC courses; fees are billed by the month and are adjusted when others join or drop the class.
 

2025-2026 Tuition
Compensation I Tuition (grades K-2) - $30,900
Compensation II Tuition (grades 3-8) - $29,725
Bridges Program Tuition (grades 9-12) - $28,715

Students enrolled in the Compensation Program are provided a variety of extra fee-based services that may be added to their tuition. These services may include, but are not limited to, shadows, tutors, out-of-class testing, or other services specific to the individual student's needs.

• Dunham accepts students based on their qualifications without regard to financial status; decisions concerning admission and tuition assistance are made separately. You are encouraged to apply for financial aid if you feel you have a need, and you are encouraged to apply, as funds are limited.
• Tuition Assistance is intended as support for those families who, no matter what amount of sacrifice, would be unable to afford the tuition.
• Tuition Assistance is an outright grant used to offset the cost of private school and does not have to be paid back.
• Tuition Assistance does not cover fees such as dining, facilities, technology, and other miscellaneous fees.
• Tuition Assistance is designed to help families cover a portion of tuition; please note that all families pay something to attend The Dunham School.
• Tuition Assistance is not available for the Dunham Early Childhood Center’s two-year-old program.
• Tuition Assistance awards are not automatically renewed. Families must reapply annually.
• Current students and alumni receive first priority in the awarding of financial aid.
• While no distinction is made among students, each tuition assistance recipient is expected to maintain the highest standards for him/herself and to make a positive contribution to the Dunham community.
• Financial need is evaluated by FAST, a service powered by Independent School Management (ISM). This service provides schools with a third-party analysis and guidelines for making tuition assistance awards fairly and equitably on the basis of need. By submitting a FAST application, you grant permission for a financial evaluation and calculation of your suggested parental contribution for education. FAST then forwards this computation to The Dunham School.
• All financial information submitted or discussed is held in the strictest confidence and will have no bearing on admission decisions.
• The FAST analysis serves as a guide for the School and is not a guarantee of an award amount. All tuition assistance decisions are made in-house, and the School may not be able to grant the full amount of financial aid that FAST has recommended.

1. Students must be currently enrolled in 7th through 9th grade at any school and in good academic and disciplinary standing.
2. Core coursework grades earned for two consecutive years must be equivalent to a 3.75 GPA or higher. A student whose achievement levels place him or her at the top 10% of the class will be given priority selection consideration.
3. National standard test scores of 90th percentile or higher for two consecutive years.
4. Students must have a composite ISEE score of 32 or above.

1. Candidates should submit a standard admission application indicating that they wish to be considered for the Virtus Scholarship along with documentation that demonstrates they meet all eligibility requirements.
2. Candidates will complete the ISEE test and submit an essay; testing will be scheduled during the school week if the candidate has not been tested at Dunham within the past six months.
3. Once a candidate’s admission file is completed and reviewed by the Virtus Scholarship Committee, candidates will be contacted to schedule an interview.
4. Scholarship award notification will be made within five days of the interview.

1. The Virtus Scholarship covers full tuition for one year.
2. Awards do not include fees for dining, technology, facilities, or miscellaneous fees.
3. Upon notification of the award, students and parents will be required to sign the Virtus Parent and Scholarship Agreement.
4. The award is reviewed each year and renewed only if the student continues to meet high expectations for academics, leadership, and citizenship.
5. The award recipient must maintain a GPA of 3.5 or higher. The student must be enrolled in honors quality courses and must be in pursuit of an Honors Diploma.
6. Scholarship recipients will have a review of grades and progress with the Division Head prior to re-enrollment.
7. Included with the notification of the award will be instructions for completion of the online enrollment contract. This binding enrollment contract must be completed within five days of the award offer. For contracts not completed by the deadline, the School will assume that the interest in the scholarship no longer exists, and the offer will be withdrawn. At that point, the scholarship will be awarded to the next candidate.

Any new student entering grades 7-10 who meets the following criteria may be considered for a Merit Award.

1. Students must be currently enrolled in 6th through 9th grade at any school and in good academic and disciplinary standing.
2. Core coursework grades earned for two consecutive years must be equivalent to a 3.5 GPA or higher.
3. National standardized test scores of 90th percentile or higher for two consecutive years.
4. Composite ISEE scores of 24 or above.
5. All candidates are evaluated based on demonstrated leadership, character, and contribution to the school community.

1. Candidates for Dunham Merit Awards are identified through the admissions testing and interview process.
2. Prospective students should submit a standard admission application.

1. The Dunham Merit Award is a yearly award.
2. Awards do not include fees for dining, technology, facilities, or miscellaneous fees.
3. Upon notification of the award, students and parents will be required to sign The Dunham Merit Award Agreement.
4. The award is reviewed each year and renewed only if the student continues to meet high expectations for academics, leadership, and citizenship.
5. The Division Head and Merit Award Committee reserve the right to increase or decrease a Merit Award amount in subsequent years based on student performance. 
6. The student must be enrolled in honors quality courses and must be in pursuit of an Honors Diploma. 
7. Award recipients will have a review of grades and progress with the Division Head prior to re-enrollment.
8. Included with the notification of the award will be instructions for completion of the online enrollment contract. This binding enrollment contract must be completed within five days of the award offer. For contracts not completed by the deadline, the School will assume that the interest in the award no longer exists, and the offer will be withdrawn. At that point, the award will be granted to the next candidate.