Tuition & Financial Aid

Tuition & Fees

Each year, the tuition for the Chesapeake Watershed Semester is established at ½ of the full Gunston School tuition, plus a required Expedition and Program Fee. Students who wish to reside with host families pay an additional fee for housing.

  • Tuition for Fall of 2025: $15,475

  • Expedition and Program Fee for Fall of 2025: $5,600

  • Host Family Housing for Fall of 2025 (includes room and board): $4,000

  • Bus Transportation: (Optional) Charged per month, with costs depending on the length of the route taken.

Day Student Total: $21,075

Residential Boarding Student Total: $24,275

Financial Aid & Gunston’s Environmental Scholars Fund

Our Board of Trustees is committed to making the semester affordable for motivated and talented students who meet our admissions criteria. The Chesapeake Watershed Semester works to the best of its ability to meet the financial needs of each family through our generous financial aid program. Our hope is that every accepted applicant can attend. Each student can apply for Financial Aid from the Gunston School. Based on income and financial assets, an award will be determined that applies to the base Gunston Tuition and the Chesapeake Watershed Semester fee.

As a result of a grant awarded to Gunston from the Edward E. Ford Foundation, we established the Gunston Environmental Scholars Fund in order to provide need-based financial support to students so that Gunston’s environmental teaching and learning programs are more accessible. If a family feels that they need assistance beyond the regular financial aid award, the Gunston Environmental Scholars Fund may be able to help.

Process for Receiving a Scholarship from the Gunston’s Environmental Scholars Fund

  1. Apply to the Chesapeake Watershed Semester.

  2. Upon acceptance, notify the CWS Director that your family would like to apply for financial aid.

  3. Our Admissions Associate will email a link to apply for financial aid through the school’s financial aid evaluation platform, Clarity.

  4. The family will be informed of the amount of the financial aid award.

  5. If a family feels they need additional funds for a scholarship from the Environmental Scholars Fund, the family should contact the Director of CWS.

  6. The accepted student writes a short essay that explains which aspect of CWS interests them most and how it connects to his or her future plans. The family sends the essay to the CWS Director.

  7. The CWS Director brings the request and essay to the CWS Admissions Committee.

  8. The CWS Director informs the family of the committee’s decision on a scholarship from the Environmental Scholars Fund.