Enrollment at Compass
Steps to Enrollment
Step One — initial Inquiry
Send us an email or give us a call and we’ll get the process started with a conversation. A good dialog is the first step to building a strong and successful relationship. In the initial conversation, we’ll review the student’s recent educational experiences and discuss the unique Compass approach to education.
Scroll down to the bottom of the page to fill out the form and get started!
Step Two — Visit with Us
The best way to get a sense of all we do here is to spend a day with us.
We want to help interested students get a good sense of school life. We’d be happy to connect you with some of the Compass teachers who you might have if you came to school here. Compass School has a distinctive character and approach to learning that is best understood through this personal experience.
Parents are encouraged to meet with the Director to get your questions answered and learn more about the school. You are also welcome to join us for one of our upcoming online informational meetings, or view some of the upcoming school community events hosted online this year.
Step Three — Enrollment forms
Once the student is ready to move forward, we’ll complete the process with the online Enrollment Forms.
Parent Forms: The Parent Enrollment Forms are an opportunity to share important information with the school to deepen our understanding of the student so we can serve them best right from the start.
Student Forms: We ask students to think about how they learn, what challenges they might face as a student, and in what type of environment they feel they would flourish. Students are encouraged to have fun with the enrollment submissions and consider writing, works of art, or other projects they feel represent them best.
One part of the student application is to put together a small portfolio.
Click here for information on how to complete this student portfolio.
Step Four — Enrollment Review
Once all materials have been received and a school visit completed, we’ll review everything and ask for any additional information needed to ensure Compass is the best fit. In the case of existing IEP plans, additional meetings with our Student Services Director may be needed for review and planning. Typically, you can expect an enrollment confirmation within three weeks.
We enroll students from a wide geographical area, including over 20 towns in Vermont, New Hampshire, and Massachusetts. Compass is part of the Current Bus route serving towns from Brattleboro to Springfield, and many families carpool from Marlboro and Keene.
Compass School does not discriminate against any applicant on the basis of race, color, religion, age, gender, sexual orientation, disability or national origin.
Tuition, Scholarships, and Financial Aid
Our mission is to be a publicly accessible option. To this end, Compass sets its tuition at the Vermont public school average. We provide both a Scholarship program and Financial Aid to help ensure that all families with a desire to attend Compass have the opportunity.
Vermont Town Pay Tuition: Towns without age-appropriate educational facilities (“tuitioning” towns) pay a set tuition for their students to attend local public and private schools. This means that if you live in a tuitioning town, your Compass tuition is paid in full by your town (Enrollment and Required Fees remain the responsibility of the family).
Need-Based Financial Aid : We want our program to be accessible to students from a variety of cultural and economic backgrounds, and we are committed to working with families to make affording Compass a realistic possibility.
Generous financial aid is available for Compass families based on demonstrated need as determined by information provided by the family to TADS (Tuition Aid Data Service). Families seeking financial aid need to submit an online application to TADS in order to be considered. We encourage families seeking aid to apply early, and more information about submitting materials is provided during the enrollment process.
CLICK HERE TO BEGIN THE FINANCIAL AID APPLICATION PROCESS
Merit Scholarships: We have merit scholarships for which students can apply separately. Merit Scholarship Information
Payment Plans: We offer a range of payment processing plans and are dedicated to working with each family to find a payment schedule that works.
Tuition and Fees
2024-2025 information to be available April 15.
2023-2024 Tuition and Fees
Application Fee: $50
Tuition : $18,266
Support Services: Dependent upon student need and arrangement with family
Enrollment Fees (payable at time of enrollment)
Tuition Insurance: 2% of tuition ($366 for 2023-2024)
Payment Processing Fee $50
Required Fees
Technology Fee: $50
Student Activities Fee: $300
Financial Aid Information and Getting Started
We use a third-party, Tuition Aid Data Service, to facilitate the financial aid process. The link below leads to TADS, where you can begin by creating an account and review the worksheet and application process.
Let’s Begin . . . .
Let’s begin the conversation about enrollment at Compass
Fill out the form below to schedule a visit or give us a call to get the process started.
“My son has grown and flourished because of the caring and supportive nature that is found at this organization - I can’t say enough about the school and the staff. I would recommend this school to anyone who is searching for an education that promotes a love of learning and individuality.
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