Groton lists its 2026-27 tuition as $62,740 for boarding students and $48,850 for day students. It also says tuition is free for families with household income of $150,000 or less, and that all aid is based on demonstrated need. This guide explains how the cost and the aid process fit together for the application due January 15, 2027.
The tuition figures
The tuition and affordability page lists $62,740 for boarding students and $48,850 for day students for 2026-27. Groton's Fast Facts page also lists a $600 technology fee and a $400 health fee for boarding students. Incidental charges are billed directly to parents and are not paid through the FACTS payment plan.
Recheck the figures on the school website before you budget. Schools update tuition every year, and the page you read in November may change by next fall.
How financial aid works
All financial aid at Groton is awarded on the basis of demonstrated need, not merit. Groton does not offer scholarships based on particular talents or attributes.
Groton says tuition is free for students whose family income is $150,000 or less per household. This applies to domestic and international families alike, provided assets are in line with income. Families still submit the Clarity application with tax returns, so the school can confirm the numbers.
For families above that level, income is the primary driver in assessing what a family can contribute. Groton also considers assets, tuition at other schools, family size, debts and other factors. If a student's parents are divorced or separated, the aid committee considers the resources of both biological parents, and both should complete a Clarity application.
How to apply for aid
- Use Clarity. All new and returning aid candidates apply each year through Clarity. The application typically takes less than 30 minutes, and the Clarity fee is $60.
- Meet the deadline. The aid application deadline for new applicants is January 15, 2027, the same day as the admission application deadline.
- Apply at the start. Groton says a family that may need aid at any point during a child's time at the school must apply for aid at the outset.
- International families. International students are eligible for financial aid.
Does need affect admission?
Groton says it does not consider a family's financial circumstances in admission decisions. Admission and aid decisions are made independently by two separate committees. The school adds that applicants offered admission from the waiting list are treated with the same need-blind approach as those admitted in March.
What Groton reports about aid
Groton allocates $7.6 million to financial aid for a population of 379 students, and 40 percent of students receive some assistance. The school also describes its GRoton Affordability and INclusion (GRAIN) initiative, adopted as its first strategic priority in 2014, which contained tuition while increasing the number of students on aid.
Groton works with community-based partners including A Better Chance, Beacon Academy, Prep for Prep, the Wight Foundation, Inspiring Young Minds and New Jersey SEEDS. If your student is already part of one of those programs, ask the admission office how it fits into the application.
Payment plans
Groton offers an optional nine-month payment plan through FACTS. Families must enroll by May 15. Because incidental charges sit outside that plan, add them to your own budget separately.
Reading the numbers side by side
It helps to put the cost in three columns before you decide anything. The first is tuition, which is $62,740 for boarding or $48,850 for day in 2026-27. The second is the extra costs: for boarding students, the $600 technology fee and the $400 health fee on the Fast Facts page, plus whatever incidental charges the school bills directly. The third is what your family would be asked to contribute after aid, which you can only learn by applying.
If your household income is $150,000 or less, Groton says tuition is free, provided assets are in line with income. That statement still depends on the Clarity application, so do not treat it as a decision until you have submitted the forms and read the award. Families above that income line should expect the school to weigh assets, debts, family size and tuition at other schools alongside income.
Questions worth asking the admission office
- Which charges on the Fast Facts page apply to a day student?
- How are incidental charges estimated for a first-year student?
- If our circumstances change after we apply, how do we tell the aid office?
- Which documents does Clarity ask for from divorced or separated parents?
Write down the answers next to the date you asked, so you can compare them with the award letter in March.
Plan your own numbers
Gather tax documents early so the aid application takes an evening, not a week. Questions go to Director of Financial Aid Bill Riley at 978-448-7510. See the full tuition and aid page, the timeline and the FAQ.
If you want help thinking through how this fits your own student's plan, EduAvenues has a high school admissions page at https://www.eduavenues.com/highschoolprep.
Sources
GrotonPrep by EduAvenues is an independent service, not affiliated with, endorsed by, or sponsored by Groton School.