Understanding Forman School Tuition and Its Value

Choosing the right educational environment is a pivotal decision for parents, especially when their child has specific learning needs. Forman School, a coeducational boarding school located in Litchfield, Connecticut, specializes in educating students with diagnosed language-based learning differences such as dyslexia, executive function difficulties, and attention deficits. This article delves into the tuition fees associated with Forman School, what that tuition covers, and the overall value of a Forman education tailored to students who learn differently.

Overview of Forman School

Founded in 1930, Forman School operates on the belief that many gifted students were not being adequately served by traditional teaching methods. With Albert Einstein and Sam Orton as board members, the school integrated emerging knowledge in neuroscience and dyslexia into its curriculum from the very beginning. Today, Forman serves over 200 students from various states and countries, maintaining a 100% college acceptance rate.

Forman School is a coed, college preparatory boarding school for students in grades 9-PG, with diagnosed language-based learning differences, such as dyslexia, dysgraphia, dyscalculia, executive functioning, ADD, ADHD. The school employs state-of-the-art assistive technology that both supports and empowers its students. Each student works with specially trained teachers to study metacognitive skills, multisensory reading, thinking and writing, and executive function coaching. Tutors are available every evening for help with homework and reinforcement of learning skills and content from class. All Forman students are guided through a college preparatory curriculum.

Tuition Costs and What They Include

For the 2025-2026 academic year, the boarding tuition is $94,800. This comprehensive fee includes room, board, and all services provided by the school’s learning specialists and tutors. This all-encompassing approach ensures that students receive the support they need without incurring additional costs for essential services.

The Value of a Forman Education

A Forman education is grounded in the understanding that students learn differently. The school's average class size of 6 and a student-faculty ratio of 3:1 make it possible to tailor education to each student, preparing them for college and beyond. Forman's teachers and learning specialists are guided by the study of attention, memory, language development, and higher-order cognition. All students work daily with a learning specialist to receive direct, strategic instruction in reading, writing, and study skills.

Strategic instruction encompasses sentence, paragraph, and essay structure; vocabulary building, decoding, and reading comprehension; memorization, test-taking, and note-taking; and time management, materials organization, and assignment completion. The school's extensive visual/performing arts programs, as well as competitive athletic offerings, give students opportunities to explore new and existing areas of interest.

Integrated Learning Support

Forman distinguishes itself by integrating learning services, such as assistive technology, directly into the classroom. Skills-based instruction is embedded into the academic day, ensuring students do not miss out on classes or extracurricular activities for support. Teachers understand learning differences and how to teach students who learn differently. This approach ensures that students are not separated from their peers or labeled; they are accepted and assisted as unique and different learners in all aspects of life on campus.

College Preparation and Beyond

Forman's college preparatory program addresses students’ unique needs, emphasizing character development and intellectual curiosity. Students learn how to advocate for themselves beyond high school. The school offers a customized, evidence-based LD curriculum, and support extends beyond the academic day into the dorms, study halls, playing fields, and other areas.

Financial Aid and Affordability

Forman School recognizes that affording private education can be a challenge for many families. The school awards more than $1,300,000 in need-based grants annually to around 25% of its students. Forman offers only need-based financial aid, meaning it does not offer scholarships or grants based on academic merit or athletic ability.

Applying for Financial Aid

To apply for financial aid, families must complete the Clarity Application, a tool schools use to evaluate a family's financial requirements. The application process involves providing detailed information about your family's financial situation, including data on assets, income, expenses, and debts. The deadline for completing the financial aid application is February 2, 2026.

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Forman believes a family is primarily obligated to finance their child’s education. Factors such as family size, parents’ ages, extraordinary expenses, and retirement provisions are considered in determining a family's eligibility. The Financial Aid Committee assesses each family’s financial aid situation individually, expecting that all adult family members will work to contribute to their household income and their student’s education.

Experiential Learning and Extracurricular Activities

Forman School offers a number of hands-on, experiential learning opportunities such as travel/study Winterim program, boat building, sign language, rock & jazz band, videography & photography, and the Costa Rican Rain Forest project. These experiences enrich the educational journey, providing students with practical skills and a broader worldview.

Winterim Program

For two weeks in March, right before Spring Break, Forman students and teachers leave the classroom for the Winterim program. After choosing a course of study, students immerse themselves in an intensive hands-on learning experience. Courses may involve anything from producing a full-length feature film to exploring a foreign country. More than two dozen options are available each year, domestically and abroad.

Extracurricular Organizations

Forman School offers a range of extracurricular activities, including arts and music programs, recreational athletic programs, boatbuilding, cross fit, a culinary arts program, dance, mindful meditation and movement, and theater arts. These activities provide students with opportunities to explore new interests, develop their talents, and build friendships.

Student Life and Support

Forman School provides a supportive and structured environment for its students. Students are expected to make good use of evening study time and are typically assigned to the dormitory, the library, Ninth Grade Study Hall, or an instructional study hall. Each dorm has houseparents, who are often students’ teachers and coaches. There is a wide range of weekend activities for students, including board game competitions, shopping at nearby malls, movie trips, ice cream runs, shuttle rides into Litchfield center, and baking sessions.

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Community Standards

At Forman, the school holds itself to high standards. Students are expected to respect others at all times, in all ways, and on all platforms. The school strives for the ideals of honesty in action and expects students to be constructive, not destructive. The school prohibits the use of illegal drugs, alcohol, or weapons and expects students to respect boundaries and the law. The safety of the community is paramount.

Additional Programs

Summer Program

Forman School offers a four-week, coeducational boarding and day camp that takes place on the Forman School campus in Litchfield, CT. This program is designed as a major boost for students with ADHD and language-based learning differences. Under the guidance of expert faculty and staff, attendees discover their unique learning style, develop effective and tactical classroom and study strategies, and build confidence in their abilities.

Learning and Cognition Courses

Support for students with learning differences is built into the curriculum at Forman through expertly trained teachers and Learning and Cognition courses. These courses focus on developing active reading skills, increasing reading proficiency, and learning research-based strategies for planning study time, developing an understanding of the studying process, and reinforcing knowledge.

Notable Alumni

Forman School boasts a distinguished list of alumni, including J Seward Johnson II (Bronze Sculptor), David Rublin (Member of the band American Authors), Richard Henkels (Award-winning cinematographer), Eli Gesner (One of the founding members of ZooYork), Mitchell Block (Academy Award-winning producer and Academy Award-nominated filmmaker), Toni Fishman (Owner of Telefunken), Shawn Lerner (Owner of Zip-Flyer, LLC, creator of the largest zipline in the world, Las Vegas Slotzilla), Blake Miller (Professional lacrosse player), Nicholas Kraus (Founder of Wounded Warrior project), and Leigh H. These alumni exemplify the diverse paths and achievements that a Forman education can help students realize.

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