Financial Aid

Every year, the Lycée Lycée Français de San Francisco, allocates a certain amount of its budget to school financial. You are encouraged to apply if you believe that your resources are inadequate to meet tuition costs.

Financial aid is granted to children attending Pre-School to Gr12 (there is no aid for La Petite Ecole), without regard to race, color, religious affiliation, national origin or ethnicity. Financial Aid decisions are made independently of admissions decisions.

DEADLINE TO APPLY

• DEC 2024 for returning students
• JAN 2025 for new students

Please contact: financialaid@lelycee.org if you missed the deadline. 

financial need ASSESSMENT and decision

LFSF uses Clarity to determine a family’s needs.  All requests for financial aid are strictly confidential. Your application will be processed when your application is complete. Please ensure you check all emails from both Clarity and our services, as incomplete applications may experience delays or rejection.

After reviewing applications and documents, the LFSF Financial aid Committee makes the Financial aid decisions. 

By submitting your application and all required documents by the deadline indicated above, you allow us to inform you of the Committee’s decision at the same time as the Admission decisions.  

French families who qualify for a French Government scholarship (AEFE) must also apply with the consulate in February 2025. We encourage you to visit the French Consulate’s website to determine your potential level of financial aid. The LFSF Financial aid will be estimated and contingent upon applying for the AEFE Scholarship. Note that based on the French Government aid, your LFSF Financial aid will be adjusted.

Application procedures

The application process typically takes less than 30 minutes to complete. 

Key information you need to know as you complete your application:

• Our school’s full name:  Lycée Français de San Francisco

• Our school’s Clarity code:  1907

To begin a financial aid application for the 2025-26 school year, families should follow the steps below:

• Go to the Clarity portal and create your account.

• Begin your application for Academic Year 2025-26. You can log out of your application at any time, then return later to complete it. Attached is the Clarity application guide to assist you with your application.

• At the end of the application, a $60 fee is required to submit your application.

Remember to return to your dashboard after completing and submitting your Clarity application to upload the required documents, including:

For all families

• Letter of request detailing your financial situation and reason for financial aid request. We advise you to use our template. 
• Last 3 months bank statements of personal account for each parent, business and/or foreign accounts.
• Latest investments statements (such as stocks, bonds, life insurance, or similar account that produce income).
• Medical, unusual expenses and debt invoices if you have imputed such amounts in your application.

If you received income in the US in 2023

• 2023 Tax Return - form 1040 with all schedules
• All 1099 forms for 2023 (Income, unemployment, interest, dividend etc. ….)
• If you are salaried :
  • All 2023 W2s
  • Both parents available 2023 pay stubs (for all salaried)
• If you are self-employed :
  • Sole Proprietorship: 2023 Schedule C
  • Partnership: 2023 K1 and 1065
  • S-corporations: 2023 K1 and 1120S

And /or if you received income in a foreign country in 2023

• Both parents’ latest 2024 pay stub
  If you had multiple jobs upload all pay stubs
• All 2023 Pay stubs
• 2024 Foreign Tax Return (on 2023 income)

If you are divorced/separated/remarried 

• If the student lives with a stepparent, the stepparent must be included in the application and his/her documents must be uploaded
• Divorce decree ; highlight all information concerning tuition payments, alimony and child support
• If only one parents apply for the scholarship, additional documentation will be required

PLEASE NOTE: For divorced or separated families, the school expects both natural parents to contribute to the cost of education to the extent of their ability. Clarity considers divorced parents living apart to be separate households, and as such, each parent should complete a separate application and upload all required documents. If the student lives with a stepparent, the stepparent must be included in the application and his/her documents must be uploaded.

If a parent or child is a French citizen: Verify your eligibility for a French Government scholarship
Indicate in your letter of request:

• If you intend to apply for a government scholarship in February 2025
• If you think you are not eligible, please explain why. 
• If you arrive in the US after March 2025, add the date of arrival in your letter. You will have to apply for a government scholarship in the Fall of 2025. 

Incomplete files may be subject to delays or rejection
The Scholarship Committee reserves the right to request additional information.
Families in need of financial help must reapply each year.

The French Consulate published the information on its Financial Aid program for the 2025-2026 school year.

French families may apply for a French Government Scholarship for the school year 2024-2025 at the French Consulate of San Francisco.  

Families who apply for a school scholarship and are admissible for a Government scholarship must prepare an application for the consulate. Please note that the International Track is not eligible for a French government scholarship.  

We encourage you to visit the French Consulate’s website to estimate your potential level of scholarship.

Exclusion thresholds (2023-2024) :
Home Equity * : 300 000 € ≈ $ 354,000 (to be confirmed)
Savings **: 100 000 € ≈  $ 118,000
* Home equity is purchase price (not home value) less loan balance.
** Pension plans (401k-type) and investments are partially taken into account in the estimation.

If you are not admissible but have special circumstances you could be considered for an exception, you may contact the consulate directly.

Deadline to Apply

• February 2025 for families currently living in the US renewing their application and families for whom it is the first request.
  Families applying late for 25-26 or requesting a review of their 24-25 application must also do so by February 2025. 
• September 2025 for families arriving in the US after March 2025, families requesting a review of their 24-25 file and in some cases for families whom could not apply in February. 

If you are not sure you can apply for the second commission or missed the deadline contact the consulate directly: francoise.ouapeu@diplomatie.gouv.fr.

Application PROCeDURES

Application forms and a list of required documents are available on the French Consulate’s website and at the reception desk of each campus. All required accompanying documents must be included with the application. 

submission of your application

Before being submitted to the consulate, your full application must be stamped and signed by the LFSF Business Office Department. 

Families must schedule an appointment with a member of the Business Office and bring their completed file and documents for review and signature.

FIRST TIME AND RENEWING APPLICANTS: Completed applications must be submitted to the French Consulate, by appointment only. You can request an appointment here.  

Decision

The results will be communicated by the French Consulate at the end of June for requests made in February, and in December for requests made in September. Rejections may be appealed by families. 

Please note:  You will need to enroll your child(ren) prior to obtaining the results of your French Government Scholarship application in order to secure a space in their respective grade level.

Scholarship applications must be renewed every year.

For more information on French Government financial aid applications, please visit the website of the Agence Française pour l'Enseignement Français à l'Etranger. 

The Seona Herail Scholarship is a merit scholarship granted by the Lycée, upon recommendation from a pedagogical committee, to a high school student (9th to 12th Grade). This is a four year scholarship for 25% of a full tuition, renewed annually as long as the student remains eligible. 

A number of programs in the Bay Area provide scholarships to assist in paying private school tuition. We recommend you conduct your own search for available resources. You may also want to consult the following websites:

The Basic Fund 
(415) 986-5650 | basicfund.org 
K to 8th

If you wish to apply for financial aid but missed the deadlines, please contact financialaid@lelycee.org

No. Admission decisions and financial aid assessments are made independently.

LFSF grants awards to students enrolled in Preschool through Grade 12. La Petite Ecole students are not eligible. We strongly encourage all families, new and current, to apply for financial aid if they believe aid is needed in the upcoming school year.

Home Equity : $ 354,000
Home equity = purchased price – loan balance
Savings : $ 118,000
Includes pension plans  

Yes. Financial need and awards are recalculated every year using current information. 

No. All students are expected to maintain solid academic and personal standing within our school community.

At the Lycée Français de San Francisco, we recognize that each family's situation is unique. We offer scholarships that are awarded on a case-by-case basis. We encourage interested families to reach out and learn more about how they can benefit from these opportunities, ensuring that our enriching bilingual education remains accessible to all.

The Lycée’s Full Scholarship Program is available to new students entering Grades 9-12 and for the entirety of their High School journey. Scholarships are awarded based on demonstrated financial need and academic potential. We are dedicated to making a Lycée education accessible to global-minded families who are eager to embrace our values of excellence, curiosity, respect and empathy.

In addition, our current middle school students, eligible to enter the Lycée's High School program, may be considered for the Seona Herail Scholarship, a merit-based award granted upon recommendation from our pedagogical committee. This scholarship reflects our commitment to recognizing and supporting outstanding students as they continue their educational journey with us.