Support for Costs Beyond Tuition

College Prep strives to enable all our students to fully participate in all aspects of school life. Just as our need-based financial aid program for tuition allows students from a wide range of socioeconomic backgrounds to attend the school, we offer similar need-based support for the handful of expenses that are not included in tuition, such as books, an annual laptop fee, Intraterm, and more. The full cost of these standalone items is around $1,500 annually, though each family’s expenses vary depending on their child’s activities. 

Tuition includes the following costs for all students: athletics participation, the school shuttle, field trips, class retreats, an annual yearbook, and more. 

Beyond Tuition Policies for Students Entering in Fall 2025

Financial aid recipients receive partial to full support for costs beyond tuition under the following terms:

  • All financial aid recipients receive 100% school-provided coverage for required course books, Senior Snow Trip, and prom tickets.
  • Laptop insurance premiums are a separate cost from the laptop fee (detailed below). Premiums are approximately $100 annually and are fully covered for financial aid recipients with more than 50% tuition support.
  • College Prep offers an optional hot lunch program through Choicelunch for all students. Lunch support in the form of Choicelunch credits are provided for financial aid recipients with at least 85% tuition support.
  • A graphing calculator (approximately $100) for math classes is provided for all financial aid recipients with at least 85% tuition support. 

Tiered Support for Annual Expenses:
Annual fees for laptops, Intraterm, tuition refund insurance, and debate are covered based on a family’s percentage of tuition assistance under the following tiers:

      • If tuition aid is between 1-25%: 25% school coverage for these expenses
      • If tuition aid is between 26-50%: 50% school coverage for these expenses
      • If tuition aid is between 51-75%: 75% school coverage for these expenses
      • If tuition aid is between 76-100%: 100% school coverage for these expenses
 
Program Details:
Laptop Program: Students who opt in to the laptop program receive identical MacBook Air computers with common software prior to ninth grade. When the student graduates, the laptop belongs to them. The laptop cost is charged as a fixed annual fee. The full cost for students entering in Fall 2025 is $620 per year before financial aid is applied.  
 
Intraterm is a required one-week program of experiential learning in the spring that includes local classes and trips. The cost of Intraterm courses varies depending on each student's selection and ranges from no cost to a maximum of $600 before financial aid is applied. 
 
Tuition refund insurance is required for all families except those who pay their tuition in a single installment and is calculated at 0.65% of the tuition obligation after financial aid is applied. The maximum cost for tuition refund insurance for the 2025-26 school year is $390. 

Debate is an optional program at College Prep that many students enjoy. The first year debate course requires students to participate in two local tournaments that cost between $100-$200 total. Advanced debaters (typically 11th and 12th graders) may incur debate costs into the thousands of dollars between travel and tournament fees before financial aid is applied.

Rarely, unanticipated expenses arise for students beyond the items mentioned here. If your family has a school-related cost that you would like support for, please inquire with Jonathan Zucker in the financial aid office at 510-420-2345 or jonathan@college-prep.org.

Average Annual Beyond Tuition Costs

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    Jonathan Zucker 

    Director of Financial Aid & Enrollment
    510.420.2345

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