Last verified: October 2026
How should a Raleigh family ask a private school about aid?
Ask what you would owe after your Opportunity Scholarship tier is applied, which aid application the school uses, and its deadline. Schools that are not on the Direct Payment list cannot receive the state award at all, so their own aid has to do more of the work.
Write down sibling discounts, church-member pricing and any payment plan fees, and compare schools on the amount you would actually pay.
Do the biggest Triangle independent schools offer their own aid?
Many large independent schools run need-based aid programs, but we have not verified the terms school by school. Ravenscroft, Durham Academy, Cary Academy, Duke School and Carolina Friends were not on the 2026-27 Direct Payment list, so ask each one directly how its aid works.
School-Based Tuition Assistance: what it is, and what it is not
| School aid is | School aid is not |
|---|---|
| Set by each school's own budget and rules | Guaranteed or the same from school to school |
| Often calculated after state awards | A substitute for applying to NCSEAA |