How to Apply for Financial Assistance: New Applicants

Visit the Clarity website to create your account. Complete the application with biographical and financial information. 

Each household should complete one application, regardless of the number of children applying. Custodial parents/guardians who have divorced, separated or never married and live apart must complete a separate Clarity application per household, in addition to uploading separate tax returns and signing the enrollment contract.

If one parent has had no involvement with the student for an extended period of time, the custodial parent should complete a Parent/Guardian B waiver form and provide documentation of the situation. Please reach out to financialaid@brearley.org to request the waiver form.

Sign and submit a tax verification form to give Clarity permission to pull your prior year tax returns directly from the IRS.

We suggest that families retain a copy of all Clarity worksheets as well as user names and passwords.

Detailed instructions for completing the Clarity application can be found here (instrucciones en español: haga clic aquí). 

Families will complete a tax verification form authorizing Clarity to securely retrieve your tax documents directly from the IRS.

This will include signed copies of joint or separate 2024 federal tax returns, including all schedules exactly as filed, each parent’s/guardian’s 2024 W-2 forms, 1099s, and K1s, as applicable. Extensions are not permitted.

Business owners must upload business tax returns, including 1099s and K1s, as applicable.

Once your application has been submitted, you may receive requests to upload additional tax documentation as needed.

A step-by-step guide to the Clarity tax verification process can be found here (instrucciones en español: haga clic aquí).

While admission decisions are made separately from financial assistance decisions, families admitted to Brearley that applied for financial assistance will receive both their admission decision notification and their financial assistance notification at the same time.