Admission FAQs

Our Tuition and Financial Assistance Video recording addresses tuition, extra expenses, deposits, payment plans, 529 accounts, and more. We also address the financial assistance program at SSSAS. This informative video answers many questions.

Financial Assistance questions may be sent to FA@sssas.org or call 703-212-2707.

Student billing questions—including tuition payments, lunch, extended day, transportation, and trips—may be directed to the BusinessOffice@sssas.org Student Accounts at 703-212-2727.

Start an SSSAS Admission Application

Start a Financial Assistance Application with Clarity

An email will be sent to families currently receiving assistance in early October announcing the opening of the season. The deadline for returning family applications is November 1.

The FA application deadline for new families applying for admission to SSSAS is February 1. Financial assistance is not available for Early Saints or Junior Kindergarten.

It is necessary to apply for financial assistance every year as awards are made only when need is indicated and only when the current school account has been paid in full.

Returning students applications are due November 1, 2025.

Returning Families May Update Their Clarity Financial Application 

Prospective student applications are due February 1, 2026.

Start a Clarity Financial Assistance Application

If you are applying for FA for more than one child, you need to fill out only one application per family. Financial assistance is not available for Early Saints or Junior Kindergarten.

All families are required to upload copies of the most recent pay stubs for all parents listed on the application and to complete the IRS Form 4506c within the application to consent to tax transcripts being sent to Clarity and SSSAS. Additional supporting materials may be requested after the application is submitted.

SSSAS takes the privacy and security of your personal information very seriously. Clarity is certified for both GDPR and SOC2 and uses enterprise-level security standards, including end-to-end encryption of all personally identifiable information. For more information, please refer to Clarity’s Privacy Policy.

Details can be added to the comments section, uploaded to your application as a miscellaneous document or submitted in a letter to the Financial Assistance Committee at FA@sssas.org.

Families whose parents are divorced or separated are required to complete two separate applications, one for each parent. Each application is separate from the other, and each parent will never have access to the other’s information. This requirement is for any parents who are in any way part of the child’s life, regardless of their desire for the child to attend our school and regardless of any financial arrangements made between the parents. If a parent refuses to comply or is not involved in the child’s life, an exception may be made by the Financial Assistance Committee.

Returning families will receive financial award information along with re-enrollment contracts at the end of January.
The financial assistance decision for prospective students will be included in Admission offers communicated on February 27, 2026. The enrollment contracts will reflect the financial assistance information.

Appeals are considered if there is new information or an error was made on the initial application.

Families can expect a similar level of assistance from year to year, assuming no significant change in their financial profile. This includes families who enrolled with no assistance. If a current family receiving no assistance wishes to apply, they must first complete two years of enrollment.

Beyond tuition, families should anticipate expenses for academic books in MS & US, Advanced Placement (AP) tests, US computer, select athletic equipment and optional program expenses (such as lunch, extended-day care, and transportation, global engagement trips) as provided within our Tuition, Fees and Payment Plans handbook. For families receiving financial assistance, resources are available to assist with some of these expenses (excluding lunch) by applying for additional funding through the Diane Dunning Fund.

For families receiving financial assistance, resources are available to assist with some of these expenses by applying for additional funding through the Diane Dunning Fund.

Semi-annual, quarterly, and monthly payments are made via automatic bank payments or by credit card. Monthly plans may begin as early as July or as late as September and payments must be complete by June.

Changes can easily be made to your scheduled payments by calling Blackbaud Tuition Management at 888-868-8828 or the Business Office at 703-212-2730.

Blackbaud Tuition Management can make adjustments to your account up to five business days prior to a scheduled payment date. Payments for incidental charges are added monthly to your Blackbaud Tuition account.

Yes, payments from 529 plans can be made to cover tuition charges. The annual calendar year limit is $10,000 per student. Payments can be made through your tuition account.

Alternatively, checks including student name and grade level, should be made out to St. Stephen’s and St. Agnes School and mailed to the Business Office at 400 Fontaine Street, Alexandria, VA 22302 or

Yes. Transportation options are available to help families get their children to and from school. Options include a free inter-campus shuttle, free shuttles to and from the Metro and a fee-based bus service to the major local jurisdictions: Alexandria, Fairfax, Arlington, and Prince William Counties in Virginia; Prince George’s County in Maryland; and the District of Columbia. 

View our Transportation page

Extended Day care options for Lower School and Middle School students is available for a fee. Students enrolled in Extended Day may also enroll in enrichment activities.

Additionally, Lower School Vacation Club is an on-campus option provided on select days when school is not in session. 

Yes, St. Stephen's and St. Agnes school has a robust summer program named Summertimes. Offering more than 100 different sessions of camps and summer academic classes, Summertimes has something for everyone! 

Summertimes

Yes, St. Stephen's and St. Agnes Middle and Upper schools offer a number of avenues for enrichment from athletics, to clubs, performing arts, leadership and more. Ask your admission associate about how your interest is supported.

The Lower School offers after-school enrichment on-campus from 3:00 - 4:00 p.m. Led by teachers, they run an hour a week for seven weeks. These optional programs are made available for an additional fee on a trimester basis. If required, after-care is available to students (for a fee) once their enrichment class is over.

Commuter routes arrive to the first campus between 7:35-7:40 a.m. They drop at all three campuses.

Commuter routes depart from the Upper School Campus at 3:45pm. Students at Lower and Middle will take an intercampus shuttle at the end of the day.

Bus Agreements are sent to each family in August when they learn about their commuter route times and locations.

Middle School athletics end at 3:30 P.M. for sports taking place on the Upper School Campus and 3:10 P.M. for sports taking place on the Middle School Campus. Students on the Upper School Campus will walk to the bus stop in the parking lot to catch their commuter bus at 3:45 P.M. Students at the Middle School Campus will take a 3:20 P.M. shuttle to the Upper School to catch their commuter bus at 3:45 P.M. There is no P.M. bus service for Middle School students who participate in a game.

Families will have access to our Student Information System that will allow you to search for other families in your neighborhood. You can filter by grade, city, etc.

Not at all. We welcome students and families of all faiths and backgrounds—or none at all. Our Episcopal identity is rooted in inclusivity, curiosity, and honoring the dignity of every person.
 

All students attend chapel and take religion classes, but participation is approached with sensitivity and respect. No student is ever required to profess a certain belief or share anything personal unless they choose to. For those students interested in taking a leadership role, we have an Upper School student Vestry comprised of about 16 juniors and seniors. These students help the chaplains lead worship, and also give the student perspective on how to build up our school’s faith and Episcopal identity (though they need not be Episcopalian). The Lower and Middle Schools also have leadership opportunities at chapels. 

Chapel is once a week on each campus and is a reflective, joyful, and inclusive community gathering. It includes music, readings, student and faculty talks, and moments of stillness. Many students say chapel is a favorite part of their week—even if they don't come from a religious background. Here is a sample of what a typical week in a Middle School chapel looks like:

• Prelude music
• Opening Song
• Responsive recitation of a psalm
• Musical Anthem 
• Reading of scripture
• Chapel Talk 
• Prayers of the People 
• Concluding Prayer & Blessing 
• Closing Song 
• Newsreel and community announcements 
   

Our curriculum is academic in nature. In Lower School, students explore stories of faith and community. In Middle and Upper School, they study world religions, ethics, scripture, and spiritual traditions through a scholarly lens, always encouraging thoughtful reflection and respectful dialogue. We are not a school that tells students what to believe. We invite them into thoughtful exploration, grounded in care and respect.

Our values show up in how we care for each other, how we serve the broader community, and how we promote justice, inclusion, and empathy. The Episcopal tradition calls us to honor every individual as a child of God—regardless of their beliefs.

Yes! Our curriculum includes the study of world religions and visits to local houses of worship. We believe understanding different perspectives fosters empathy, curiosity, and global awareness.
 

Never. We welcome students to share if they feel comfortable, but our classes are designed to be respectful, inclusive spaces where all students can learn and reflect in their own way.
 

Our chaplains and religion teachers are experienced educators who create open, age-appropriate spaces for students to explore big questions, ethical dilemmas, and spiritual traditions with care and insight.

Whether through chapel, advisory conversations, or service learning, students develop their own moral compass, grow in empathy, and learn to reflect on their values—important tools for life in a diverse, complex world.

Episcopal schools uphold the dignity of every human being. Our mission to pursue goodness as well as knowledge is rooted in our faith tradition—and open to all. You do not have to be Christian or religious to belong here. You are valued simply for who you are.

CSDV is a non-profit organization that operates six Episcopal Church-affiliated schools in Virginia (Christchurch School, St. Catherine's School, St. Christopher's School, St. Margaret's School, St. Stephen’s and St. Agnes School, and Stuart Hall School). These schools are each separately accredited and share a common mission rooted in the Episcopal faith. CSDV was established in 1919 by the Council of the Diocese of Virginia.

The school began as two separate schools—St. Agnes School (SAS) and St. Stephen's School (SSS)— which merged to form a co-educational school in September 1991. The 2024-2025 school year marked the 100th anniversary of the original school’s founding. Learn more about our school’s history. 
 

Please complete the following form to request your official records from St. Stephen's and St. Agnes School. Kindly allow 3 business days for the request to be processed.

Please note: St. Stephen’s and St. Agnes School does not share any standardized or admission testing information, nor any student discipline or medical records. Parents may share those directly with the transfer school, if desired.

Acceptance decisions are communicated on Friday, February 27 at 4:00PM. Enrollment decisions must be made by Friday, March 13, 2026 at 4:00PM.

Yes, semi-annual, quarterly, and monthly payments can be made via automatic bank drafts or credit card. Monthly plans may start as early as July or as late as September, with all payments completed by June. For detailed information, please reference the Tuition Fees Booklet.

Changes to your scheduled payments can be made easily by calling Blackbaud Tuition Management at 888-868-8828 or the Business Office at 703-212-2730.

Blackbaud Tuition Management can adjust your account up to five business days before a scheduled payment. Incidental charges are added to your Blackbaud Tuition account on a monthly basis.

No. You may choose auxiliary services now or you may wait until the summer when your plans solidify. In the July timeframe, in our Summer Communication series, parents will receive an email with more information about Auxiliary Sevices including Before and After-Care, Transportation, and Lunch options. You will be reminded to make these service selections before school begins. And, if your family's needs change during the year, you can always contact the Business Office to make adjustments.

Families should plan for additional expenses such as books, global engagement trips, Advanced Placement (AP) tests, an Upper School laptop, and certain athletic equipment. You can find more details, along with information about optional programs like after-care and transportation, in our webinar.

Payments from 529 plans can be made to cover tuition charges. The annual calendar year limit is $10,000 per student. Payments can be made through your tuition account.

Alternatively, checks including student name and grade level, should be made out to St. Stephen’s and St. Agnes School and mailed to the Business Office at 400 Fontaine Street, Alexandria, VA 22302.

Yes, St. Stephen's and St. Agnes school has a robust summer program named Summertimes. Offering more than 100 different sessions of camps and summer academic classes, Summertimes has something for everyone! 

Summertimes

Yes. Transportation options are available to help families get their children to and from school. Options include a free inter-campus shuttle, free shuttles to and from the Metro and a fee-based bus service to the major local jurisdictions: Alexandria, Fairfax, Arlington, and Prince William Counties in Virginia; Prince George’s County in Maryland; and the District of Columbia. For more information, view our Transportation webinar recording or contact the Director of Transportation, Jim Supple at 703-212-2810.

View our Transportation page

The first full day of classes is Tuesday, September 1.

Lower School Orientation/Welcome Day is Monday, August 31 - times differ by grade. Parents may bring their children to their classroom on Welcome Day to view their new classroom(s) and meet their teachers and classmates. The first full day of classes is Tuesday, September 1.

Middle School New Student Orientation is August 10-13. 
Welcome Day for all grades is on Monday, August 31 - times differ by grade. The first full day of classes is Tuesday, September 1.

Upper School New Student Orientation is August 3-6. 
Welcome Day is Monday, August 31 is when all the students meet their Advisory group and briefly visit classes before the first day of school on Tuesday, September 1, 2026.

2026-2027 Major Calendar Dates 

Yes! At St. Stephen’s and St. Agnes, our Middle and Upper Schools offer a wide range of enrichment opportunities, including athletics, clubs, performing arts, leadership programs, and more. Our admission team can share how we support your specific interests.

At the Lower School, after-school enrichment programs are offered on campus from 3:00 to 4:00 p.m. These one-hour weekly classes, led by our teachers, run for seven weeks each trimester and include an additional fee. Registration information for enrichment programs is sent to families a few weeks prior to the start of each of the 7-week programs, beginning in the latter half of the fall semester. After-care is also available for an added charge for families who need supervision after enrichment. 

Extended Day care options for Lower School and Middle School students is available for a fee. Students enrolled in Extended Day may also enroll in enrichment activities.

Additionally, Lower School Vacation Club is an on-campus option provided on select days when school is not in session. 

• Extended day programs are available for students in Early Saints through grade 5. As students move to Middle School, Study Club is offered for grades 6 through 8.
• Lower School morning care begins as early as 7:00 a.m. and afternoon options run until 6:00 p.m.
• Fees are assessed based on the hours required.
• Optional 7-week Enrichment Classes are offered. Students enrolled in Extended Day may also enroll in enrichment activities.
• Drop-in care is available on a limited, reservation-only basis.
• Parents or (authorized persons) must check students out with a staff member to ensure the safety of our students.
• Extended Day is not offered when there are weather-related closings.

For Morning Care, our students begin each morning engaging in activities indoors as a "warm-up" to the day. When classrooms open, our Extended Day staff escort or release each child to their home room for the start of school. 

For After Care, our students begin each afternoon with their Extended Day friends eating a snack provided by the School. The remainder of the day is filled with outdoor play, crafts, reading, games, or participation in a variety of imaginative activities led by our group of experienced faculty members. A quiet period for rest and homework is set aside each day, applicable to the student's grade.

For more information, you may contact the Director of Extended Day, Mary Kelley at 703-212-2758.

We work hard here, and we make sure students play hard too. From big, school-wide celebrations to the kind of low-key hangouts that become everyone's favorite memory, there is genuinely something for every kind of kid. The school organizes a full calendar of age-appropriate social events in each division throughout the year, and clubs, teams, and extracurricular groups add even more to the mix on weekends and after school (think robotics competitions, theater rehearsals, Model UN, Chesapeake Bay clean-ups, and more). Here's a look at some of the highlights:

• Upper School: Movie night on the green, Coffee House (3x/yr), Homecoming events, Winter Formal, Sr.-Jr. Prom
• Middle School: Fall Family Festival (homecoming weekend), Halloween Jubilee, MS Game Night, MS Talent Show, Movie Night, MS Dance
• Lower School: Fall Family Festival (homecoming weekend), Math night, Halloween jack-o-lantern Jubilee, celebration, APT Holiday Illumination event, Celebration of Cultures night, Spring Festival, Grandparents Day, classroom parties
• Whole School/Whole Family: Fall Family Festival/Homecoming, Sleepy Thompson, Pancake Supper, SaintsGiving Community Service, Hanukkah celebration, Celebration of Cultures
• Parents: APT (Association of Parents and Teachers), grade level in-home receptions, DEIB Fall Social, Arts and Athletic booster events, philanthropic events, annual Winter Parent Party and Auction

One thing we hear from families year after year: they didn't expect to make such good friends here themselves.

Every new student is intentionally welcomed into the SSSAS community through division-specific programming designed to build connection before the first day of school even begins. Offering over 90 programs, Summertimes is a great introduction to SSSAS! Make new friends, become familiar with campus, and meet many of our amazing teachers, all before school starts in September.

• In the Lower School, parents may bring their children to their classroom on Welcome Day, August 31 to view their new classroom(s) and meet their teachers and classmates. Every Lower School classroom is built around the Responsive Classroom approach, which means building community, learning each other's names, and feeling safe are woven into every single day from the start. Within the first week of school, a parent back-to-school night is offered. Additionally, teachers schedule listening "Hopes & Dreams" conferences with parents early on in the school year to get to know your child and your family better.
• In the Middle School, new MS student orientation is August 10-13. Sixth-grade orientation is on August 31. Each student is thoughtfully placed in an Advisory group of 8-10 students who begin meeting and forming bonds on the first day of school. At the end of September, the whole school goes on an overnight bonding trip to a retreat center where students play, explore, and forge friendships across grades that often last all three years.
• In the Upper School, new US student orientation is August 3-6. Welcome Day on August 31 is when all the students meet their Advisory group and briefly visit classes before the first day of school. It's a practice run for the next day. The Ninth Grade Bridge Program brings rising freshmen together with new freshmen through the fall for required lunches, small group activities, peer-led discussions, and a culminating team-building day at Bretton Woods.

Simply put: making sure your child feels they belong here is not an afterthought. It's the whole point.

SSSAS takes parent communication seriously, and there are several consistent touchpoints to keep you in the loop. 

Newly enrolled families will begin to receive communication from admission and your child's divisional leadership this Spring. They partner to communicate logistical information such as Upper School placement tests and course selection, summer reading, health forms, supply lists, carpool drop-offs, and so much more. Bi-weekly Summer communications begin in June.

Saints Corner is the school's parent communication hub, where you'll find division newsletters, important updates, and school news all in one place. Each division also emails weekly newsletters: the Lower School WIT (What's Important Today), the Middle School Messenger, and Upper School Courier communications keep you informed week to week when school is in session.

Beyond newsletters, you'll have access to MySSSAS, the school's secure student information portal for grades, schedules, and school information. We are thoughtful and intentional about what we share publicly versus behind a password - faculty email addresses, event details and field trip logistics are a couple of examples of what is secured.

Teachers hold regular conferences throughout the year and send progress reports. Lower School homeroom teachers are the primary point of contact for items related specifically to your lower school child. Middle and Upper school advisors serve as the primary point of contact for items related specifically to your child.

The Association of Parents and Teachers (APT) is also a wonderful way to plug into the community and stay connected.

We recently held a webinar for parents to see and hear what the school is doing along with a division specifics.

View these slides from our Parent AI Information Session webinar on February 19, or watch the webinar recording to learn more about how AI works, how we are teaching AI literacy, the tools students are using in school, and our approach to academic integrity, safety, and developmentally appropriate use. You can also explore a collection of AI resources for parents to help parents better understand AI and how to navigate it with their children.

SSSAS has over 108 clubs, teams, and enrichment activities across all three divisions. In the Upper School alone there are more than 50 student-led clubs spanning arts, STEM, service, languages, social awareness, and more. Upper and Middle school clubs are free.

Middle and Upper School club information and sign-up processes are shared with students at the start of each school year, and the Admission team can give you a preview of what's available in your child's division. A Clubs Fair is typically offered within the first month of school, where students may learn from student club leaders what activities to expect from joining and belonging to the club.

Lower School enrichment activities run in 7-week sessions each trimester and registration information is sent to families ahead of each session. Some academic clubs are free, some after-school clubs are fee-based.

Not at all, and we want to be really clear about this: roughly half of our families are not Episcopalian or Christian. Our Episcopal identity is rooted in inclusivity, in honoring the dignity of every person as a child of God, and in welcoming students and families of all faiths and backgrounds, or no religious background at all.

All students attend weekly chapel and take religion classes, but both are approached academically and with deep respect. No student is ever asked to profess a belief or share anything personal unless they choose to. Our Religion curriculum explores world religions, ethics, and spiritual traditions through a scholarly lens. Chapel itself is, as our chaplains describe it, a space for thoughtful stillness and unconditional welcome. Many students who come from secular families or other faith traditions say chapel becomes one of their favorite parts of the week.

Our Episcopal values show up most powerfully not in what we ask students to believe, but in how we ask them to treat each other.

The purpose of this dress code is to provide guidance to students, parents and the school community regarding appropriate attire for school and any school function. The dress code is also a means of teaching students a life skill in how to present themselves while they embody the culture of a larger community. Uniform attire remains available for purchase through Lands' End. In addition, the SSSAS store stocks school attire that meets dress code requirements. Please be sure to order sizes that allow clothing to adhere to the dress code.

Additional dress code detail is available in MySSSAS in the Parent Information tile and is detailed in the Student/Parent Handbook (password-protected viewable in MySSSAS).

Each division has a dress code here is an outline of each:

General Dress Code Rules 

• All attire should be in good repair with no rips, shredding, or holes, even if manufactured that way.
• Tops and dresses should cover the full torso, front and back, and two inches of the shoulders.
• Clothing must fully cover undergarments and the areas typically covered by undergarments at all times.
• Head coverings (including hats and hoods) may be worn during the school day only outside or for religious purposes.
• Attire must be in keeping with our school mission. Clothing with inappropriate, suggestive or derogatory pictures or phrases may not be worn.
• Any non-SSSAS logo, graphics, images, or text must be small enough to be fully covered by a closed fist.

Daily Lower School Student Attire:

• Navy blue or khaki bottoms (shorts, long pants, capri pants, skirts, skorts). Note: leggings are permitted under skirts but not by themselves unless it is a dress down day
• Collared shirts or turtlenecks in solid red, navy blue, dark green, yellow, or white; collared shirts or turtlenecks should not have any logos except for the Saints logo if desired.
• Collared polo-style dresses in solid red, navy blue, dark green, yellow, or white sweatshirts (with no logo except “Saints”) or sweaters in solid red, navy blue, dark green, yellow, or white; gray “Saints” sweatshirts are permissible
• Jumpers or skirts in the school's plaid
• Shoes or sneakers that provide substantial foot support for walking, recess, outdoor play and learning, and physical education classes

Middle School Student Attire:

• A top with a collar (no t-shirts without a collar)
• Sweatshirts, quarter zips, vests, or sweaters (all may be solidcolor, striped, patterned, or official SSSAS gear)
• Bottoms, including opaque leggings, that are non-athletic; no blue denim
• Skirts, dresses, and jumpsuits
• Jackets (denim included) that meet the above General Rules
• Formal or informal footwear with the exception of slippers, slides, foam shoes, rubber flip-flops, or shower shoes (or the like)

Upper School Student Attire:

• Tops with sleeves or straps of at least one inch
• Solid colored or patterned T-shirts in good repair, without graphics, logos, or text on the front or back larger than two fingers
• Solid colored sweatshirts with no graphics other than those representing college or SSSAS sweatshirts
• Sweaters, fleeces, and jackets
• Opaque leggings (No mesh or open panels)
• Non-athletic pants (including corduroys and khakis) or solid colored, non-“blue jean” denim (no fading, whiskering, or acid-washes)
• Skirts or dresses with sleeves or straps of at least one inch, which meet the coverage requirements and permit freedom of movement (freedom of movement includes sitting on the floor as well as walking up stairs with no tugging, pulling, or risk of undergarment exposure)
• Non-athletic, non-blue jean shorts that meet the coverage requirements and permit freedom of movement that includes sitting on the floor as well as walking up stairs with no tugging or pulling
• Team attire ONLY when expressly permitted by the athletic directors
• Shoes should fit the occasion and therefore slippers, slides, rubber flip-flops, and shower shoes are not permitted

New Upper School student accounts will be created on approximately May 1. This information will be emailed directly to parents, and we ask for your assistance with sharing the instructions on initial setup with your child. Additional guidance is provided during orientation.

Middle School student accounts will be created and shared during Middle School orientation in August. Time is spent educating on proper tech use throughout the setup process and the year.

Select grades in the Lower School receive student accounts. They are created and shared sometime in the fall after the students have been on campus and educated on proper use. They are well supervised and educated on appropriate tech usage throughout the year.

Financial assistance decisions for prospective students will be included in admission offers communicated on February 27, 2026. The enrollment contracts will reflect the awarded financial assistance.

Appeals are considered if there is new information or an error was made on the initial application.