How to Apply
Summit enrollment 2025-26 is now open. Spots are limited in grades 1-5, and other classes are full/waitlisted.
The first step for prospective families is to inquire online. Summit’s admission team will reach out to schedule a private tour if there is availability. The best way to learn about what’s happening at Summit is to witness it for yourself, and tours give you a glimpse into our community and methodology. We may also invite students to join us for a half day of school prior to enrolling.
Once your family and Summit’s staff has determined and agreed that this is the place where your child(ren) can flourish and grow, you will be invited to complete an application with a non-refundable deposit to secure your place on our waitlists, or in one of our classrooms. We maintain small class sizes, so don’t delay. If a classroom is currently full, we’ll add you to a waiting list and reach out if we have an opening.
Families are invited to apply online for financial aid. There is a $45 FACTS processing fee per family that is associated with this application.
If you have any questions about the enrollment process please contact info@summitschools.org or call 319-294-2036 when school is in session.
Current Summit families are encouraged to submit on online admissions inquiry for younger siblings in 2026-27 and beyond to guarantee a spot in upcoming school years. Space will be limited and not guaranteed for any student not in our admissions portal.
Summit Schools does not discriminate on the basis of gender identity, race, color, disability, religion, sexual orientation, or national origin in the administration of our admission policies and financial aid programs.
FAQ’s
Summit Schools is a private non-parochial business, and does not have additional resources to backfill our expenses. Summit dramatically decreased tuition during the pandemic to make Summit more accessible for families and to remain open, and now the school needs to move tuition closer to what it actually costs to educate a Summit student, which is approximately $14,500. Summit’s operating costs have increased significantly over the past two years. On average, tuition has only covered around 60% of the operating expenses for the last seven years.
In addition to phasing out fundraising for year-to-year operations for the first time since opening 25 years ago, Summit needed to set a salary scale for teachers that is more in line with the public school’s salary scales. Private school teachers make notably less money than public teachers because there are limited funding sources. The salary-scale adjustment that Summit’s Board of Trustees has approved is an important step to retaining valuable staff and attracting the best candidates in the future, especially at a time when there is a national teacher shortage.
Summit’s school hours are 8:30 a.m.-3:30 p.m. Monday-Friday. Extended Daycare is available from 7:15-8:20 a.m., and 3:30-5:30 p.m.
Summit offers financial aid from two pools: income-based and special case-based. Financial Aid online applications are considered in each pool. Applications are considered on a case-by-case basis. We encourage you to apply early.
Income-Based Financial Aid:
Summit, together with Scattergood Friends School, is part of the Independent School Association of Eastern Iowa School Tuition Organization, Inc. (EISTO). Our STO enables us to provide funding to eligible families whose income during the previous calendar year (determined by most recently completed tax information) does not exceed an amount equal to four times the most recently published federal poverty guidelines so that their children can attend Summit. This can vary each year.
2025 STO qualifying calculations are as follows:
Number in household Fed. Poverty Level 400% poverty level
| 2 in household | $21,150 | $84,600 |
| 3 | $26,650 | $106,600 |
| 4 | $33,150 | $128,600 |
| 5 | $37,650 | $150,600 |
| 6 | $43,150 | $172,600 |
| 7 | $48,650 | $194,600 |
| 8 | $54,150 | $216,600 |
The EISTO is a 501(c)3 organization formed to help qualifying families who seek a private education for their children that otherwise may be financially out of reach. As such, STOs are charitable organizations created to receive cash contributions from individual Iowa tax payers, and then allocate those funds to eligible families who attend accredited non-public schools represented by the STO. The amount of funds an STO is allowed to raise each year is based on the certified enrollments of each school in the STO and determined by the state of Iowa.
Special Case-Based Financial Aid:
Summit recognizes that from time to time, families may experience financial hardships. We try to raise funds specifically for these times. It is never guaranteed that these funds will be available from year to year.
Upon completion of 8th grade, Summit students have integrated well into both public and private schools. Summit students adapt well in larger environments as they have already experienced what a community of learners looks like and have developed leadership skills as well as a sense of urgency.
Summit is an educational environment with rich diversity. We have a history of families from countries outside the US who attend Summit, including families speaking languages other than English in the home. Currently, our students travel from 8 different school districts to attend Summit each day and come to us with all types of gifts and talents. At Summit we value all types of learners and work closely with each student as an individual.