Admissions
Cost should not stop your child from starting the journey.
We know tuition is a real consideration for most families. Before you rule Amistad out, let us walk you through subsidies and financial aid — many families find the actual cost is far more manageable than they expected.
Your path to aid, in four steps
Check subsidy eligibility
See whether your household qualifies for Working Connections Child Care (WCCC) or the City of Seattle Child Care Assistance Program.
Review income eligibility and copaysApply with the subsidy provider
Submit your subsidy application directly to the state or city program. You do not need to wait for a result before applying to Amistad.
Start a WCCC applicationApply for Esperanza Rising Fund aid
Financial aid is requested alongside your admissions application. Every application is reviewed with care and confidentiality.
Open the financial aid applicationTell us, and we coordinate
Let our admissions team know what you have applied for. We help with documentation and adjust your tuition accordingly.
Contact admissionsWho receives aid at Amistad
Families across every program, income level, and home language receive assistance here. Applying for aid is common at Amistad — not the exception.
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Of families receive some form of tuition assistance
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Use a state or city childcare subsidy
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Receive need-based aid directly from Amistad
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Home languages represented among aided families
Placeholder figures — pending confirmed school data.
What subsidies cover
Early Learning
In many cases, state and city subsidies cover a portion or most of the tuition for our Early Learning program. Families receiving subsidies are responsible for any remaining tuition balance. To be considered for additional support, families must also apply for financial aid through Amistad.
Kindergarten through 8th Grade
State and city subsidies do not cover tuition for K through 8th grade. However, subsidies may apply to before- and after-school programs. Families seeking tuition assistance for K through 8th grade are encouraged to apply through Amistad's financial aid program.
Programs we accept
Working Connections Child Care
When a family qualifies and chooses an eligible provider, the state pays a portion of the cost; parents may be responsible for a monthly copayment.
Visit the program siteSeattle Child Care Assistance Program
CCAP assists income-eligible Seattle families with child care tuition and can be combined with state support.
Visit the program sitePrograms we provide
The Esperanza Rising Fund
The Esperanza Rising Fund provides need-based tuition assistance and covers school-related costs beyond tuition so no student is left out of a shared experience because of cost.
Opening Doors to Bilingual Education, Keeping Families in Community
The Esperanza Rising Fund is Seattle Amistad School's financial aid fund. It makes a Spanish-English two-way dual language immersion education possible for students whose families share our commitment to joy, belonging, and academic excellence, but for whom the full cost of tuition is out of reach.
Named for the resilience and hope at the heart of Pam Muñoz Ryan's beloved novel, the fund began as a promise: that a family's hardest moment would never become the end of a child's education at Amistad. That promise still stands. When job loss, illness, or displacement threatens to pull a student from our community, the Esperanza Rising Fund is there.
Today the fund carries that same spirit further. Through need-based financial aid, it helps families of every circumstance choose Amistad and stay at Amistad, from infancy through 8th grade. Support may include tuition assistance, school supplies, and after-school care, so that finances never stand between a child and a bilingual, biliterate, multicultural education.
A two-way immersion community is only as strong as the diversity of families within it. Every student we keep in the community is a future leader using their unique gifts to create positive change in their communities, families, and lives. The Esperanza Rising Fund reflects Amistad's intentional commitment to honoring students' experiences, ensuring that the linguistic and cultural richness we celebrate is one every family can be part of.
Join us in keeping Amistad within reach for every family who belongs here.
What to gather before you apply
- Recent income documentation for your household
- Information about any childcare subsidies you already receive or are exploring (WCCC, Seattle CCAP, employer assistance)
- A sense of your child's desired program and start date
- Any questions you want to ask our admissions team directly
We would rather you ask the question than assume the answer. Every financial aid application is reviewed with care and confidentiality.
Financial Aid Q&A
Looking for rates? See Tuition & Fees, or browse our Financial Aid FAQ.
Ready to apply for financial aid?
We review every application with care and confidentiality.
Apply for Financial AidVisit Amistad