PCD Freezes Tuition

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 

The Providence Country Day School (PCD) announced a tuition freeze for the upcoming school year. The school confirmed in a letter to families and applicants that tuition rates for the 2022-2023 school year will be the same as the current year. This bold move is even more notable because it comes on the heels of a major tuition reset, where PCD reduced tuition by 36% for 2021-2022.

In the announcement, Head of School Kevin Folan highlighted the positive effects of these initiatives: “The impact (of the tuition reset) on our school has been transformative: applications nearly tripled, with many families saying they had never considered private school before. This is a trend that will continue, allowing PCD to sustain and build upon the well-deserved reputation as an elite school with a welcoming community.”

“The most common concern we hear is whether the tuition decrease means cutting programs,” according to Melanie Parsons, director of admissions and financial aid at PCD. “The truth is that we are thrilled to be able to continue to offer a more accessible tuition while also expanding our offerings across all grade levels in academics, athletics, arts, and extracurriculars. PCD is the best value in education in Rhode Island.”

Household wages have increased by 15% over the past generation while many private schools have seen tuition rates increase by 400% — annual tuition hikes have become the norm. 

“Many schools have already announced tuition rates for 2022-2023 that are 3-5% higher than current rates. Our Board of Trustees felt strongly that a tuition structure which outpaces inflation and household wages is not sustainable, and is not in line with our values as an institution,” said Folan. “That is why we reset tuition, and that is why we will freeze tuition for all grades at PCD next year.”

Folan was hired as head of school at PCD in 2019, and under his leadership the 99-year-old school has already announced multiple newsworthy initiatives aimed at reimagining the private school experience. These include the tuition reset, which was first announced in October 2020 as part of “The PCD Quest,” which also included the creation of an online academy called PCD Online Academy to offer the school’s college preparatory curriculum to students who live too far away to benefit from attending PCD in person. The school, which has traditionally been for students in grades 6-12, also announced in March 2021 that they would be adding Henry Barnard School to their community in order to offer a cohesive PreK-12 educational experience.

Folan gives credit for these bold moves to his team: “These past few years have been incredibly hard on educators, and yet our faculty remain committed to creating the best possible experience for students. None of this would be possible without our incredible team. A PCD education is one of the best investments a family can make in their child’s future, and the best value for private education in Rhode Island.”

Founded in 1923, PCD is a college preparatory school located in East Providence, RI on 30+ acres of green space, where they currently offer Grades 5-12. Henry Barnard School is currently offering PreK-5 in the Mount Pleasant neighborhood in Providence, RI. Plans are being made for a new building on the PCD campus to accommodate the elementary school within 2-3 years.  Tuition will be frozen at both PCD and HBS for the upcoming school year.