Tuition & Financial Aid

2026-2027 SY

Tuition may be paid in full for a 1% tuition discount or paid in installments through the school's online payment processing portal, FACTS. 

Baltimore Lab School offers several options to pay for tuition:

• One payment in full, less a 1% discount by May 31, 2026 (made directly to the School)
• One payment in full, less a 1% discount by May 31, 2026 (made through FACTS)
• Three equal payments in May 2026, August 2026, and November 2026 (made through FACTS)
• Ten equal monthly payments commencing June 2026 (made through FACTS)
• Twelve equal monthly payments commencing April 2026 (made through FACTS)
   

Parents who opt not to pay tuition in full must select a FACTS payment plan. Baltimore Lab School will not accept checks mailed to the school on a monthly or ad hoc basis. A non-refundable enrollment deposit of $2,000, which is applied to the total cost of tuition, is due along with the submission of your Enrollment Packet as part of your tuition agreement with BLS.

Clinical Related Services: 

• Occupational Therapy
• Speech-Language Therapy
• Counseling Services

After-School Programs: 

• Dragon Club (After Care)
• After-School Clubs
• MS/HS Athletics
• Swimming & Rock Climbing

Payments for related services, tutoring, after-school, transportation, sports, and ancillary charges are made through the School’s online payment processing portal FACTS.

By the 10th of each month, the financially responsible party will receive an email notifying them that a new invoice has been posted to their account through the online payment processing system for all services provided to the student in the prior month. The financially responsible party may access the invoice by logging into the FACTS Family Portal.

Once you have reviewed the invoice, you may pay immediately or schedule payment for the due date. Alternatively, you may instruct the payment processing system to automatically pay all future invoices on their respective due dates.

Families should be aware that under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, there is a process in every public school jurisdiction for determining a child's eligibility for special education services. If it is determined that an appropriate education cannot be provided within the public school system, a child may be entitled to placement by that system through their Individualized Education Program (IEP). Baltimore Lab School is a nonpublic special education school approved by the Maryland State Department of Education (MSDE) and services students from numerous different local school systems. BLS is approved to serve students with the educational disability codes of Specific Learning Disability (SLD), Other Health Impaired (OHI), and Multiple Disabilities (where at least one listed disability is SLD or OHI).  We may also accept students who fall outside of those disability codes if they meet all other admissions criteria. 

The FACTS Grant & Aid application is available only electronically and must be completed online.  You will be asked to create an account as a first-time user. Space is also provided to fill out additional information that may be pertinent to your application.

While the availability of school resources, the number of qualified applicants, and overall budgetary constraints influence financial aid decisions, Baltimore Lab School is committed to making aid available to as many eligible applicants as possible.

In an effort to make this process fair to all, Baltimore Lab School considers the following when making aid decisions:

• The primary responsibility for financing a student’s education rests with the family.
• Both parents are expected to contribute to tuition. If a parent chooses not to work, Baltimore Lab School imputes an annual income for a non-working parent.
• In the case of divorce or separation, Baltimore Lab School requires both parents to file an application for financial aid. Baltimore Lab School is not bound by any divorce agreement specifying a parent’s responsibility for educational expenses.

Baltimore Lab School provides need-based financial assistance for new and returning families. Taxes and financial aid applications are due to FACTS Grant & Aid by March 31, 2026, for new and returning families. Families will be notified of financial aid decisions in April 2026. Beginning February 1, 2026, please click here to access the financial aid application for the 2026-2027 school year.

In order for Baltimore Lab School to allocate our limited resources wisely and fairly, Baltimore Lab School will use the FACTS Grant & Aid tool. FACTS does not decide whether financial aid will be given or how much to give; rather, FACTS provides a need-based financial aid analysis service. All information from FACTS is kept confidential. Applications are reviewed by the Financial Aid Committee, which recommends to the Head of School the allocation of financial aid resources for the coming school year. Upon approval by the Head of School, financial aid offers are sent to families.

If your family has been saving in a 529 education savings plan, those funds can help pay for Baltimore Lab School tuition. While 529 plans are most often used for college, federal law also allows families to use them for K–12 expenses — including tuition and certain related services at Baltimore Lab School.
What you can use:

• Up to $20,000 per year, per student. Beginning in 2026, you may withdraw up to $20,000 per year for each child for qualified K–12 expenses. These withdrawals are federally tax-free when used for qualified expenses. The limit applies to all K–12 expenses combined, across all 529 accounts for that child.
• Tuition — and more. In addition to tuition, qualified K–12 expenses now include educational therapies for students with disabilities provided by a licensed or accredited practitioner (such as occupational, speech-language, behavioral, and physical therapy), as well as tutoring by a qualified tutor, curriculum and instructional materials, and standardized testing fees. For many BLS families, this means 529 funds may help cover related services, not just tuition.
• What doesn’t qualify. Transportation, extracurricular activities, and after-school or enrichment programs are generally not qualified K–12 expenses.
• Maryland considerations. Maryland’s tax treatment of K–12 withdrawals may differ from federal rules, and in some situations prior Maryland state tax benefits may be subject to recapture. Confirm with your 529 plan administrator or tax advisor before making a withdrawal.

How to access your funds:

1. Contact your 529 plan administrator to request a distribution.
2. Specify that the withdrawal will be used for qualified K–12 expenses at Baltimore Lab School.
3. Most plans can send funds directly to the school.
    

Good to know: Keep documentation of your withdrawals and the invoices they paid. 529 funds can be combined with other options — BLS payment plans, financial aid, HSA funds, or the medical expense tax deduction — to create an approach that fits your family’s budget. Just note that the same expense can’t be counted twice: tuition or therapy paid with tax-free 529 funds can’t also be paid with tax-free HSA funds or claimed as a medical expense deduction. A tax advisor can help you decide which expenses to assign to which source.
To learn more, see IRS Publication 970, “Tax Benefits for Education”, visit the Maryland 529 distribution guidelines, or contact your 529 plan provider directly to confirm eligibility and withdrawal procedures.
 
 

Because the IRS recognizes tuition at a qualified “special school” as a medical expense, families may also be able to pay Baltimore Lab School tuition using tax-free funds from a Health Savings Account (HSA). HSA withdrawals are tax-free when used for qualified medical expenses — and for a child with a diagnosed learning disability, tuition at a school whose primary purpose is to help students overcome that disability can qualify.
What you’ll typically need:

• Letter of Medical Necessity: Most HSA administrators require a Letter of Medical Necessity from your child’s doctor stating the diagnosis and recommending specialized schooling. The same documentation gathered for the medical expense tax deduction generally serves this purpose.
• Records & Receipts: Keep tuition invoices, payment records, and your Letter of Medical Necessity together in case your HSA administrator or the IRS requests verification.

Good to know:

• Annual HSA contribution limits mean an HSA will typically cover a portion of tuition rather than the full amount — but families with savings built up in an HSA over time may draw on that balance for qualified expenses.
• Tuition paid with tax-free HSA funds cannot also be claimed as an itemized medical expense deduction — families should work with a tax advisor to determine which approach, or combination, works best.
• Flexible Spending Accounts (FSAs) may work similarly with a Letter of Medical Necessity; however, Dependent Care FSAs cannot be used for K–12 tuition.

Eligibility rules and documentation requirements vary by plan administrator, so confirm with your HSA provider and consult a qualified tax professional. See IRS Publication 969, “Health Savings Accounts and Other Tax-Favored Health Plans” and IRS Publication 502 for more information.
 
 

If your child has a diagnosed learning disability, you may be eligible to deduct Baltimore Lab School tuition as a medical expense on your federal and Maryland tax returns if you itemize your deductions. The IRS recognizes certain “special schools” as part of a child’s medical care when the school’s primary purpose is to alleviate a diagnosed physical or mental disability through specialized instruction.
What you’ll typically need to qualify:

• Doctor’s Diagnosis & Recommendation: A written diagnosis and a doctor’s recommendation for specialized schooling.
• Proof of School’s Specialization: Documentation from BLS describing its therapeutic and academic programs.
• Invoices & Payment Records: Tuition invoices, receipts, and billing records for added related services (e.g., occupational therapy, speech-language therapy, reading interventions).
• Letter of Medical Necessity (if possible): A brief letter from a treating therapist confirming that placement at BLS is necessary for your child’s condition.

Medical expenses are deductible only to the extent that total qualifying medical expenses exceed 7.5% of your Adjusted Gross Income (AGI). Maryland also allows itemized deductions for medical expenses, so families who itemize may be able to claim a similar deduction on their Maryland return. IRS Publication 502 and Revenue Ruling 78-340 confirm that tuition for a qualified special school can be treated as a medical expense.
Many BLS families have successfully claimed this deduction. Because every family’s situation is different, please consult a qualified tax professional and see IRS Publication 502 for more information.