Affording The Little School

Diversity is one of the three founding pillars of The Little School, and socioeconomic diversity is an essential part of that commitment. We therefore provide adjusted tuition to families in order to help them afford our school. 

Our goal is to make The Little School accessible to all children and families who are committed to the mission of the School.

Adjusted tuition includes full-day tuition and the summer program. The Little School encourages families to apply for adjusted tuition, even if only a modest grant would make a difference.

FUNDING SOURCES & TIERS

Early Learning For All (ELFA)

The Little School is happy to be an Early Learning for All provider school. The Early Learning For All (ELFA) program helps provide universal access to preschool-aged children in San Francisco.

To determine eligibility, families can refer to the ELFA eligibility thresholds to check which tier, if any, they qualify for (ELFA Free Tuition / ELFA Full Tuition Credit / ELFA Half Tuition Credit).

  • ELFA Free Tuition: If your family's income is less than 110% AMI, you will qualify for a full tuition credit and $0 tuition (our internal Adjusted Tuition program will meet the gap between city funding and TLS tuition).  Tuition at The Little School is $0 for families earning up to 110% of the Area Median Income.

  • ELFA Full Tuition Credit: If your family’s income is between 111-150% AMI, you will qualify for a tuition credit of approximately $2000/month directly from the city of San Francisco (managed by the school). You can choose to receive this credit with or without applying for our internal Adjusted Tuition program. 

  • ELFA Half Tuition Credit: If your family's income is between 151-200% AMI, you will qualify for a tuition credit of approximately $1000/month directly from the city of San Francisco, beginning in the 26-27 school year (managed by the school). You can choose to receive this credit with or without applying for our internal Adjusted Tuition program. 

Adjusted Tuition (AT): 

  • If your family's income is more than 110% AMI, you have the option to apply to our internal Adjusted Tuition Program. Depending on your income, your award may be funded by a combination of ELFA and AT, or solely by AT.

  • We do not guarantee that assistance will be granted to all who apply, but we do encourage all families for whom tuition represents an unreasonable burden (for whatever reason) to apply.  Applications are processed and reviewed by The Little School Leadership Team. 

  • The adjusted tuition process at The Little School is simple: applicants submit an online form, the Parents’ Financial Statement (PFS), to Ravenna Financial Aid (RFA). RFA is a third-party organization that keeps your information confidential. The PFS gathers information about family income, expenses, assets, liabilities and other factors that might influence a family’s ability to pay tuition. Ravenna Financial Aid impartially analyzes the financial information families provide and computes a recommended family contribution for tuition. To learn more about financial guidelines for families and best practices for schools, please read Ravenna Financial Aid's Guiding Principles for Families. 

  • Admission decisions and adjusted tuition award information are sent to families in mid-March. Families apply for adjusted tuition annually; however, if your income does not vary significantly year to year, you can expect to receive a similar percentage of discount each year.

Key Dates for Adjusted Tuition Applications

December 7, 2026, 9:30-10:30am

Adjusted Tuition Workshop - Please RSVP below:

December 14, 2026

Admissions Applications Due to The Little School

February 1, 2027

Parents’ Financial Statement due to Ravenna Financial Aid

How to Apply

February 17, 2027

Completed 2026 tax documents due to School and Student Services including:

 

  • 1040 with all schedules and attachments

  • W2(s)

  • 1099(s)

  • Paystubs

  • State Tax Return

Updated August 2026