Killington Mountain School: An Investment in Academic and Athletic Excellence

Killington Mountain School (KMS) is a private boarding and day school located in Killington, VT, that caters to student-athletes in grades 6-12 and post-graduate studies. With a focus on individualized instruction and a flexible schedule, KMS provides a unique educational experience that balances rigorous academics with high-performance athletic training. This article delves into the tuition structure, the value proposition of a KMS education, and the various financial aid and payment options available to families.

A Tailored Educational Experience

KMS distinguishes itself through its commitment to providing a personalized learning environment. The school boasts a low student-teacher ratio of 2:1, ensuring that each student receives individualized attention and support. With 132 students representing 11 states and 5 countries and 117 different academic courses offered, KMS offers a diverse and stimulating academic atmosphere.

The curriculum at KMS is uniquely tailored to meet the demands of students who are simultaneously pursuing academic excellence and athletic training. Teachers and coaches collaborate to ensure that the academic and athletic demands on each student-athlete are balanced throughout the school year. Small class sizes enable differentiated and personalized instruction. Students also work closely with faculty for tutoring and mentoring, resulting in a uniquely tailored educational experience. The end result is graduates who are fully prepared for any and all future endeavors in higher education and beyond. All KMS classrooms are equipped with technology for students to learn both in-person as well as virtually. KMS's ability to "flex" as needed depending on time, place and/or circumstances of the teacher and the student(s) sets it apart.

Full-term students delve deeply into the practical application of academic subjects, making learning come alive in a non-traditional way. Full term students enjoy uniquely tailored courses that cross disciplines and encourage critical thinking. The KMS Winter-Term Program is designed for student-athletes in grades 7-9 to pursue skiing and snowboarding excellence while maintaining a high level of academics. A winter-term student will be supported by the KMS faculty in the exploration of math, science, humanities, and the arts via our full-term course offerings and electives. The KMS curriculum focuses on essential skills and will likely approximate what a student’s sending school might offer, while also offering students the ability to delve even more deeply into fields of interest due to small-class size and highly personalized instruction. Students in the winter-term attend their sending schools from September-November, enroll at KMS for December through April, and then complete their academic year with their sending schools. Students unenroll from their sending schools and integrate into KMS’ full-term curriculum. The BOOST Programs provide an introduction to KMS for our younger student-athletes. Our BOOST athletes will train and participate in academics alongside our winter-term student-athletes, and will be challenged both academically and athletically. The program also offers multiple three-day to one-week camp options during the fall, winter and summer seasons.

KMS has been recognized as a US Ski Team Gold Club and Center of Excellence. It provides year-round programming using the best practices in youth sports development, firmly rooted in sports science. Their curriculum emphasizes the development of critical thinking, collaboration, communication, and creativity.

Read also: Tuition and Aid at CRMS

Tuition and Payment Options

Tuition at Killington Mountain School for the highest grade offered is $56,000. KMS works to strike a balance between affordability and the financial demands of supporting growth in its academic and athletic programs. Tuition income does not cover all of the school's operating expenses. Significant effort is spent to raise the remaining income necessary to balance the school's budget through fundraising. Tuition must be paid in full for a student to begin classes or training unless enrolled in an approved payment plan.

KMS offers flexible payment options to accommodate families' financial situations:

Option 1: Pay in Full: Tuition payment will be made in full; tuition rates vary by the date payment is made in full.
Option 2: Payment Plan: Monthly tuition payments may be be made through Blackbaud Tuition Management. Blackbaud offers a payment plan that breaks down educational costs into monthly payments. After enrolling, you make payments to Blackbaud online or by phone with a checking account, statement savings account, or credit card.

What's Included

Weekday coaching fees, teaching fees for courses sent from a student’s sending school, transportation to day trip competitions and other school activities, and costs associated with normal dry land training activities.

Additional Costs

Additional costs for all students:

Books and special academic supplies, including science lab and art supplies
Special trips or activities
Competition entry fees
Equipment and athletic clothing
Lift ticket expenses for training opportunities at other mountains
Overnight trips for training or competition, including athlete and coach lodging, dining, coaches’ expenses, and travel costs. These expenses will be billed before the date of departure when possible. All travel expenses must be paid in full before a student departs for a trip. In the case of travel expenses billed after the completion of a trip, payment is expected within 2 weeks of receipt of the bill.
US Ski and Snowboard Membership Dues
OMARA Membership Dues
Other membership dues as applicable (VARA, FIS, USASA)
Tuition Refund Insurance: All students - Winter Term, Winter Term training only, Target Term, or Semester 1/2 - must enroll in a tuition refund insurance program that will pay 75% of covered tuition (i.e., “unused” tuition) for medically necessary withdrawals that meet the terms and conditions of coverage - see Tuition Refund Plan brochure for more details.

Financial Aid and Scholarships

KMS recognizes that a private school education is a significant investment, and the school is committed to making it accessible to talented student-athletes with demonstrated financial need. To apply for financial aid, please visit sss.nais.org to fill out an online Parents Financial Statement (PFS). Be sure to associate your application with Okemo Mountain School (SSS school code: 905129). You will also need to supply your 2024 tax returns to the Okemo Mountain School Scholarship and Financial Aid Committee. However, you must have a completed application or registration form and the accompanying fee on file to be considered. For priority consideration for the 2025-2026 school year, please have the PFS completed and tax returns submitted by May 1, 2025. Award decisions for applications received by May 1 will be made by May 15, 2025. Financial aid will be disbursed after May 15, 2025 only if funds are still available. No scholarships or tuition assistance are awarded outside of the process, aside from the Wendy Neal, George Nostrand, and Okemo Valley Impact Scholarships - more information can be found at the bottom of this page.

Payment Schedule

Enrollment is not guaranteed until a non-refundable deposit is received (and assuming space is still available when the deposit is received). Therefore, submitting the $5,000 non-refundable deposit by June 1 is recommended.

Gold Tuition Rate: $5,000 non-refundable deposit received by June 1. Balance paid through one of two Blackbaud Tuition Management payment plans: Single payment - August 1 OR Two payments - August and October (due date options - 1st or 15th)
Silver Tuition Rate: $5,000 non-refundable deposit received by June 1. Balance paid through the 9 month, July - March, payment plan in Blackbaud Tuition Management (due date options - 1st or 15th): OR $5,000 non-refundable deposit received after June 1. Balance paid through one of two Blackbaud Tuition Management payment plans: 1) Single payment - August 1 2) Two payments - August and October (due date options - 1st or 15th)
Bronze Tuition Rate: $5,000 non-refundable deposit received after June 1.

Named Scholarships

The George W. Nostrand Scholarship: This scholarship was created in memory of Attorney George W. Nostrand, who passed away on September 21, 2016. George was instrumental in the founding of Okemo Mountain School and later served on the OMS Board of Directors, providing countless hours of pro bono legal counsel. George's commitment to education, commitment to the community, and unmatched kindness and spirit of generosity will be remembered through this annual scholarship. The George W. Nostrand Scholarship will be awarded to one OMS student-athlete who embodies the following attributes: -Compassion for people in need -Involved in positively impacting his/her community -Dedication and commitment to academics and snow sports
The Wendy Neal Scholarship and Financial Assistance: This scholarship was created to honor the dedication, hard work, and commitment of former Head of School, Wendy Neal. Wendy was instrumental in the formation of Okemo Mountain School over 30 years ago. Over the years, Wendy served as the Director of the Competition Center, a Head Coach, and OMS Head of School.
The Gross Scholarship: The Gross Scholarship was established to support KMS students with an undeniable passion and aptitude for their sport; strong character, and a demonstrated financial need. It is with this in mind that Alex, Diana's husband, created the fund to continue Diana’s legacy of excellence and compassion.

KMS Community and Legacy

Killington Mountain School is more than just a school; it is a close-knit community of driven peers, supportive faculty, and dedicated coaches. The school's history dates back to 1975, and since then, KMS has been helping student-athletes discover their full potential in academics, athletics, and life after college.

The school is anchored by a close-knit community of driven peers, supportive faculty and coaches. Killington Mountain School helps student-athletes make it to the top in their own lives. The student-athletes get to train at the world-class venue, Killington Mountain. A college preparatory school for over 50 years, the school is an approved Vermont Independent School, accredited by the New England Association of Schools and Colleges (NEASC).

KMS alumni have gone on to achieve great success in both athletics and academics. The school is proud to have alumni who have competed in the Olympics and Paralympics, representing KMS and their home nations on the world stage. Killington Mountain School is bursting with pride as our community shines on the world stage at the 2026 Milano-Cortina Olympic Winter Games. Our student-athletes are making history and representing KMS as well as their home nations. At just 16 years old, Jess Perlmutter ’28 has captured international attention as one of the most exciting young talents in snowboarding. KMS Alumni Evan Dyvbig and Alex Wilson named to the Olympic Team.

Diana Gross, former director of the Killington Mountain School’s Freestyle program believed in coaching not only to help her athletes improve their skiing, but to learn how to be great people and contribute to their community. The legacy of the young athletes that Diana coached and developed is legendary in the Freestyle world. KMS is forever grateful for her influence on our program and the sport of freestyle.

Read also: BMCU: Faith and Academics

Giving Back to KMS

Killington Mountain School relies on the generosity of donors to support its mission of providing a world-class education to student-athletes. There are many ways to give back to KMS, including:

Monthly Giving: You can automatically debit your bank account or charge your credit card each month. For example, a gift of $300 is as simple as $25 per month.
Matching Gifts: The impact of your gift to KMS may be eligible to be doubled or possibly tripled. Many employers sponsor matching gift programs and will match any charitable contributions made by their employees. Some companies even match gifts made by retirees and/or spouses. Find out if your company has a matching gift policy. If your gift is match eligible, request a matching gift form from your employer, and send it completed and signed with your gift.
Donating Appreciated Securities: Donating appreciated securities allows you to potentially save taxes twice. You avoid paying capital gains tax and may be able to take a charitable income tax deduction.
Planned Giving: Planned Giving refers to charitable gifts that are arranged with forethought and are executed over an extended period of time or at some point in the future. A planned gift for KMS is a legacy that will impact the lives of student/athletes for years to come.
Amazon Smile: Do you shop on Amazon? Now you can give to KMS every time you do. Visit smile.amazon.com now and designate "Killington Tutorial Program" as your charity of choice. Then, bookmark that page and start your shopping at Amazon Smile each time you shop. Remember, only your orders that start at smile.amazon.com will benefit KMS.
KSC/KMS Golf Tournament: Join us at the Killington Golf Course for the annual KSC/KMS Golf Tournament. We'll tee it up for a fun-filled round with KSC Club members, KMS students, alumni, friends, supporters and community members.
Annual Scholarship Auction: Killington Mountain School and the Killington Ski Club are excited to host the Annual Scholarship Auction.

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