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Important Information About the Start of School
Tuition, Fees & Payments
- 1. What are the tuition rates for the 2023-2024 school year?
- 2. What tuition payment plans do you offer?
- 3. How is payment for tuition and other fees made?
- 4. Are there other fees in addition to tuition?
- 5. Please describe the Tuition Refund Insurance Plan.
- 6. Are there outside tuition funding options that I can explore?
- 7. How can I get money to my student at school?
1. What are the tuition rates for the 2023-2024 school year?
2. What tuition payment plans do you offer?
The tuition deposit is due February 24 for re-enrolling students and April 10 for newly enrolling students and reflects 10 percent of the total annual tuition due. For the remaining tuition balance, Lawrence Academy offers the following payment plans:
Domestic Families
- a two-payment plan with 45 percent of annual tuition due on July 1 and Oct. 1.
- a monthly, nine-payment plan with 10 percent of annual tuition due each month on May 5 through Jan. 5.
International Families
- a one-payment plan with 90 percent of annual tuition due on July 1.
- a two-payment plan with 65 percent of annual tuition due on July 1 and 25 percent due on Oct. 1.
3. How is payment for tuition and other fees made?
The deposit can be paid when the enrollment contract is completed and signed through the parent portal. Payments can be made through VCPay after registration is complete. International families can only make payments through the parent portal if paying from a U.S. bank account. Otherwise, international families will need to initiate a wire to the school's bank account (please see wire instructions below).
The remaining tuition balance is paid as follows:
- Domestic families will pay tuition, according to the schedule on your selected payment plan, by an auto-draft using the bank account selected while completing your enrollment contract in the parent portal.
- International families have the option to pay tuition according to the schedule on your selected payment plan, by an auto-draft using the U.S. bank account selected while completing your enrollment contract in the parent portal or they can wire all tuition amounts, including the deposit, according to the following instructions (funds are to be transferred in U.S. dollars):
Name/Address of Bank:
JPMorgan Chase
270 Park Avenue, New York, NY 10017
Swift Address #: CHASUS33
ABA/Bank Transit #: 021000021 (wire transfers)
ABA/Bank Transit #: 083000137 (ACH payments)
Name of Account: Lawrence Academy
Account #: 833372276
For Account of: Student’s name
JPMorgan Chase
270 Park Avenue, New York, NY 10017
Swift Address #: CHASUS33
ABA/Bank Transit #: 021000021 (wire transfers)
ABA/Bank Transit #: 083000137 (ACH payments)
Name of Account: Lawrence Academy
Account #: 833372276
For Account of: Student’s name
Remittance of other fees (see No. 4, below) will occur as follows:
- Domestic students: by auto-draft on your scheduled payment plan date. Additional drafts to settle other fees will be made on Dec. 1, Feb. 1, and June 1 for families that have elected the two-pay plan. For families that have selected the monthly installment plan, additional drafts to settle other fees will be made on Feb. 5, March 5, April 5, May 5, and June 5.
- International students: by wire transfer (please see instructions, above).
4. Are there other fees in addition to tuition?
Potential additional fees include:
- Books: $400-$800/year for all students (dependent upon courses selected), purchased by families. More information will be available once the student’s course list is finalized. Students must have the ability to order and pay for books at any time during the summer or school year for additional purchases.
- There is a $300 term charge deposit for new domestic students and a $1,000 term charge deposit for new international students. This deposit is a one-time charge, due by July 1, 2023, that is used to cover incidental charges that are billed to the student’s account. Incidental expenses include, but are not limited to: new student orientation, outside music teachers, lost or damaged school property, studio fees, art fees, class trips, athletic supplies, entertainment, transportation, class fundraisers, graduation fees, and postage fees. Incidental charges can average $150-$1,000 per term. Parents/guardians will be notified each month to check their student invoices for new charges. Billing statements and current account details are always available in your online account.
- International Student Fee: All international students are charged a $1500 international student fee, due by July 1, 2023.
- Tuition Refund Insurance: The premium for the tuition refund insurance plan is 2.8 percent of the full year’s tuition, less financial aid. See below for more information regarding the tuition refund insurance plan.
- Winterim: $100-$3,500 (cost varies by course). All students in travel courses will also be required to purchase travel insurance through a group policy offered by the school. Winterim courses are selected with permission from parents/guardians in early December. This is an additional cost and will be added to your student account at the end of December, with payment due at the beginning of January. The family is responsible for the cost of the course even if the student must drop the course, regardless of the reason. Additionally, if the student needs to enroll in another course, the family is also obligated to pay the cost of the new course. Any boarding student that remains on campus is required to pay an additional fee that supports the evening program of activities. This fee amounts to approximately $175 and is subject to change.
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Medical Insurance: Lawrence Academy requires that all international students participate in the school’s International Student Health Insurance. The fee for international students is $2,560 for the period Aug. 20, 2023, through Aug. 19, 2024, and is due July 1, 2023. A waiver for the insurance is granted only to international students with proof of medical insurance coverage provided by a U.S. company. Click here for the International Student health insurance brochure and here for the plan summary. Lawrence Academy offers optional Domestic Health Insurance for domestic students. The fee for domestic students is $2,940 for a $2,000 deductible plan for the period of Aug. 20, 2023, through Aug. 19, 2024, and is due July 1, 2024 . Click here for the Optional Domestic health insurance brochure for the no deductible plan and here for the plan summary. Click here for the Optional Domestic health insurance brochure for the $2,000 deductible plan and here for the plan summary. For all domestic students who choose to opt out of the Domestic Health Insurance, their families should ensure that their existing medical health insurance will adequately cover them while at school.
- Bus Transportation: This is a voluntary service for day students residing in the Andover, Concord, Acton, or Lexington, Mass., areas. Pricing will generally be $2,400-$3,000 depending upon town pickup and the number of interested students. The bus signup form will detail the exact pricing for the school year.
- Learning Support: If a student has registered with the Learning Support Office, they will work with a Learning Coach once or twice a week. This is an additional cost, and fees are dependent upon the number of weekly sessions elected. Fees are charged on a term-by- term basis.
- Required Guardian: All students must have a parent or guardian that is capable of picking them up from campus within 48 hours. Reasons for departure include, but are not limited to: medical emergency (including Covid symptoms, positive diagnosis or quarantine), discipline, natural disaster, etc. Students that do not have a local guardian are expected to enroll with the private company, Gold Star Emergency Student Support.
5. Please describe the Tuition Refund Insurance Plan.
Because the Enrollment Contract is a binding contract obligating you for the full year’s tuition payment even in the event of withdrawal or dismissal, we offer a tuition refund insurance plan for your consideration. The optional plan is offered through A.W.G. Dewar, Inc., and is designed to provide partial tuition payment coverage in the event of withdrawal or dismissal.
We strongly encourage families of students who are attending an independent school for the first time to consider purchasing this
coverage. The school’s policy regarding no refund or cancellation of tuition for absences, change in boarding status, withdrawal, or dismissal after July 1 as stated in the Enrollment Contract is firm and not negotiable.
If you elect to participate, coverage begins after the 15th day of school beginning with the first day of class for a non-medical withdrawals, absences, or dismissals. Coverage begins on August 1 for medical withdrawals or absences. The tuition refund insurance plan provides 50 percent coverage of the daily tuition rate for the number of days left in the school year for non-medical withdrawals, absences, or dismissals. The tuition refund insurance plan provides 60 percent coverage of the daily tuition rate for the number of days left in the school year for medical withdrawals or absences. Please refer to the tuition refund insurance brochure for a full explanation of the plan. The premium for the tuition refund insurance plan is 3.0 percent of net tuition.
6. Are there outside tuition funding options that I can explore?
The National Association of Independent Schools (NAIS) offers information about tuition financing in the Parents’ Guide on its website: www.nais.org.
Loan programs available for grades K-12 education are:
● Sallie Mae: www.salliemae.com
7. How can I get money to my student at school?
Students are encouraged to have a bank account at a local bank in Groton if they do not already have a U.S. bank account elsewhere. Lawrence Academy is unable to receive funds from students or parents/guardians for safekeeping or to cash checks or give cash advances. Citizens Bank is the closest local banking option. Students will need to have their Social Security number (U.S. citizen) or visa/passport number (international students) to open an account and a parent/guardian to sign the application form if the student is under the age of 16. International students may also find it helpful to have a credit card in their name.
Registration Forms, Technology & Bus Information
- 1. What forms are necessary for the start of school, and where can I find them?
- 2. What should I expect during student registration?
- 3. Where can I find information about bus transportation from Lexington/Concord/Acton or Andover?
1. What forms are necessary for the start of school, and where can I find them?
Enrollment Contract: This binding contract must be submitted by the deposit due date on the Enrollment Contract. The due date is March 10 for returning students and April 10 for new students.
Additional Forms: There will be additional information needed before registration and the start of school. These forms can be found on the parent portal and must be submitted electronically by Aug. 1. You will receive an email when the additional forms are ready for you to complete and submit. Lawrence Academy does not accept printed forms. At any time, you can access these forms via the parent portal by logging into: http://portals.veracross.com/la.
After logging in, the following must be completed:
- Registration Form (Due Aug. 1)
- Travel Form (Only required for boarders, due Aug. 15)
- Health Forms (Due Aug. 1)
Please Note: The Health Forms tab will link to our secure student electronic medical record called Magnus. Health forms consist of a number of parent/guardian consent forms, health history questions, and forms that must be filled out by a medical provider. The consent forms need to be signed after June 15 so they will not expire before the end of the school year. Physicals are valid for 13 months after the examination date and must be renewed annually. Proof of immunization is also required per state guidelines. Students with medications or certain medical conditions must have additional forms, which can be downloaded from the Magnus site.
2. What should I expect during student registration?
All registration and health forms must be submitted through the parent portal by August 1. The Pre-Arrival Task List must be submitted by August 15.
During the registration process, you will receive your student ID number, advisor’s name, school email address, network access information, mailbox information, and dorm assignment and room key/fob if you are a boarding student. Boarding students will pick up their laundry bag if they have pre-registered with E&R Laundry. You can also sign up for laundry service during registration. All medications, (prescriptions, over the counter, supplements, inhalers and epipens) must be brought to registration and reviewed with the nursing staff. After completing the registration process, boarding students may move into their rooms.
Please bring your laptop with you to registration. Our Technology Department must register your laptop to work on the school network.
3. Where can I find information about bus transportation from Lexington/Concord/Acton or Andover?
Dormitory Life
- 1. What should I bring to school for my dormitory room?
- 2. What will be my mailing address at school?
- 3. Is there a laundry service for boarding students?
- 4. When will I find out roommate assignments?
- 5. How do I sign out if I want to leave campus during the academic day or for the weekend?
- 6. May I have a car on campus?
- 7. Where do I stay when the dormitories are closed for Thanksgiving break, winter break, and spring break?
1. What should I bring to school for my dormitory room?
Each dorm room contains a bed, a desk, a chair, a bureau, and closet space. Each room also has at least one window, and the windows are supplied with shades. The shapes and sizes of the rooms vary greatly, so new students are advised to delay bringing extra furniture, large rugs, or window curtains until they have lived in the room for a while. Usual items to bring for your dorm room include a desk lamp, a wastebasket, closet hangers, and other decorations.
- Bedding and Laundry: Students must bring their own sheets, pillows, blankets, and bedspreads. You will need extra-long fitted twin sheets (mattress size 36 in. x 80 in.; flat sheet size 66 in. x 102 in. or 167 cm. x 259 cm.; fitted sheet size 99 cm. x 203 cm.). Students who wish to do their own laundry will find coin-operated machines in several locations on campus. An outside laundry service is also available, if that is your preference. You may register online by visiting the E&R website.
- Room Decorations: Room decorations are limited by good taste, and dorm parents may ask that offensive material be removed. To preserve the paint and plaster, students may not tack, nail, or use adhesive tapes to affix anything to the walls. Students must use non-permanent hooks and hangers if displaying decorations directly on the walls. Due to the hazard of fire, no fabric wall hangings are permitted.
- Clothing: During the academic day, Lawrence Academy expects students to adhere to a dress code designed to allow for comfort and individuality while maintaining a standard conducive to an academic setting. All clothing must be neat, clean, modest, and in good repair. Further explanation of LA's dress code may be found in the student handbook, accessible via your Veracross Portal.
- Prohibited Items: For safety reasons, no electrical or cooking appliances may be used in dormitory rooms, except UL-approved stereos, computers, radios, clocks, electric blankets, irons, lamps, and low-power hair dryers. Prohibited items include halogen lamps, heating coils, hot plates/pots, rice cookers, refrigerators, monitors that exceed 25 in., candles or incense burners, any other open flame, televisions, and all types of pets.
2. What will be my mailing address at school?
For letters or packages sent through the United States Postal Service:
(STUDENT’S NAME)
LAWRENCE ACADEMY
P.O. BOX 992 GROTON, MA 01450
For packages sent through shipping companies (UPS, Federal Express, DHL, Airborne) or Amazon.com:
(STUDENT’S NAME)
LAWRENCE ACADEMY
26 POWDERHOUSE RD.
GROTON, MA 01450
Mail is delivered Monday-Friday to the mailroom in the Student Lounge area of the Schoolhouse building. Once the mail is received in the mailroom, it is sorted into individual mailboxes. Overnight mail/packages sent on a Friday will not reach the mailroom until Monday and will then be sorted into individual mailboxes.
It is the responsibility of all boarding and day students to check their mailboxes regularly for mail, packages, comments/papers from teachers, and other school communications.
3. Is there a laundry service for boarding students?
Students who wish to do their own laundry will find coin-operated machines in several locations on campus. However, there is an outside laundry service, E&R Laundry, that offers a full-service plan to accommodate your cleaning needs. E&R Laundry will be on site during registration for those students who would like to sign up. You may also register online by visiting the E&R website.
4. When will I find out roommate assignments?
5. How do I sign out if I want to leave campus during the academic day or for the weekend?
The sign-out system will be reviewed with all boarding students during the first weeks of school.
For a general overview, see below:
- Weekday Sign-Outs: All weekday absences or sign-outs must be called in by a parent/guardian (978-448-1518), emailed by a parent/guardian (LA@lacademy.edu), or submitted in person by the student to the Office of Student Life or the faculty member on duty (OD).
- Weekend Sign-Outs: All boarding students who plan to leave campus for a weekend must sign out through their Veracross student portal by 12:30 p.m. on the Thursday before their departure from campus. For three weekends during the school year, our boarding community will come together for on-campus weekends, when no sign-outs are permitted. Typically, these on-campus weekends occur the first weekend of each term, although dates are subject to change each year. Please review the Travel Calendar for this year’s on-campus dates. The Travel Calendar is available via your Veracross Portal.
- Boarding Student Returns: Sunday evenings are crucial to the boarding life of our school. We ask that families organize their weekends so that students arrive back on campus by 7:30 p.m. the night before classes resume.
6. May I have a car on campus?
7. Where do I stay when the dormitories are closed for Thanksgiving break, winter break, and spring break?
The Lawrence Academy residential facilities close during Thanksgiving vacation, winter vacation and spring vacation. All students must depart campus during these breaks. During vacation, students must be supervised by a responsible adult that is 25 years of age or older. This adult must be present for the entirety of the student's stay. Students may not stay in a hotel by themselves. Families that do not have a plan for the above vacations should contact the office of student life (LA@lacademy.edu) no later than July 31st. We can provide you with a list of possible home-stay options.
Academics
- 1. How do I see which courses are available? What are the diploma requirements?
- 2. Which courses do new ninth graders take?
- 3. My child is transferring to LA from another high school. Which classes should they take?
- 4. What are important Academic Office summer milestones for my new student?
- 5. Who can help my international student with questions?
- 6. My transfer student is a likely college athletic recruit. Who can help us ensure that their courses comply with NCAA eligibility center requirements?
1. How do I see which courses are available? What are the diploma requirements?
Please refer to our 2022-2023 academic course guide and diploma requirements at www.lacademy.edu/academics. The 2023-2024 catalog will be added in May.
2. Which courses do new ninth graders take?
All incoming ninth graders will be enrolled in Artistic Expression, Physics, Global Cultures (history), The Journey (ninth grade English), and math and language courses based on their placement assessments (held in May in person at LA, or remotely by special arrangement with the registrar for students who are unable to come to campus). If your student has never taken a world language, they can select a language with the Language Department at this time as well.
3. My child is transferring to LA from another high school. Which classes should they take?
If your child attended ninth-12th grade at any other school prior to enrolling at Lawrence Academy, you must provide LA with those transcripts to complete the admissions process.
Please have the prior school send official final transcripts to admiss@lacademy.edu or by mail to the Lawrence Academy Admissions Office no later than July 1. These will be required to determine appropriate course selections.
All students must be enrolled in a minimum of five classes in any term. Math and language classes will be determined by placement assessments and current teacher recommendations. New 10th, 11th and 12th grade students may sign up for elective courses (using a course request form that will be available in the new parent portal) in July if their prior school final transcripts been received.
Tenth graders will be enrolled in The Individual and Society (10th grade English), Conflict and Change in Society (10th grade history), and chemistry. Students who have completed chemistry will be enrolled in biology. Math and language courses will be determined by departments. Up to three term-length art courses may be requested.
Eleventh graders will be enrolled in English Composition (11th grade English). They also take biology and U.S. History; if you have completed either of these classes, you may contact the registrar to discuss your science and/or history enrollment options. Or you may simply make your science and history selections, along with up to three term-length art electives, using the course request form in July.
Twelfth graders will be enrolled in Senior English Seminar. Other course selections can be discussed with the registrar to ensure that diploma requirements are met, in consultation with the director of college counseling, and based on prior school transcripts.
4. What are important Academic Office summer milestones for my new student?
- May: Math and language placement exams are offered on campus; dates and times will be announced. Students who are unable to come to campus in May must make alternate testing arrangements with the registrar or department chair. Placement test results, together with teacher recommendations and your transcript, help us place you in the most appropriate course level. Incoming ninth graders who have not yet studied a world language will have an opportunity to choose a language at this time. New students who do not speak English as the primary language at home and/or who have not been studying in a school using an English-taught curriculum for the past four years will also need to take an English placement test.
- June: Placement tests should be completed by June 1.
- Mid-June: Summer reading and assignments for all grades will be accessible through a link in the new parent portal. Transfer students can select elective classes via a link to the course request form that will be available in the new parent portal.
- Late-July: Course enrollment lists are made available (classes are confirmed; students learn which electives they are enrolled in). Bookstore link will be available in new parent portal. The bookstore has LA’s lists of required and recommended books by class.
- Early September/Orientation: Class (block) schedules are available.
5. Who can help my international student with questions?
Please refer to the academic course guide and diploma requirements, which explain the English as a Second Language program requirements and ESL course credits, at www.lacademy.edu/academics. Contact Director of International Student Programming Katy Svec at
international@lacademy.edu or the registrar at registrar@lacademy.edu with any questions.
6. My transfer student is a likely college athletic recruit. Who can help us ensure that their courses comply with NCAA eligibility center requirements?
Technology Information for Parents
- Important Notices
- Laptop Requirements
- Office 365
- Network Access
- Device Registration
- Data Backup
- Printers
- Mobile Devices
- Support
Important Notices
Parents and Students:
- All students are required to bring a laptop (Mac or PC) to school. Chromebooks and iPads are NOT considered as asubstitute for a laptop but can be used in conjunction with.
- All new students will be given accounts on Microsoft’s Office 365 where they can download, for free, the full versionof Microsoft Office in addition to having access to the many other features of Office 365.
- It is required that all students have Microsoft Office on their laptops.
- Boarding students are encouraged to bring their own printers to campus. However, please note that wireless printers are not permitted on campus as they can cause interference with our wireless network.
- Student's technology accounts are emailed to parents around the end of July early August.
Laptop Requirements
All students are required to bring laptops to campus.
There are very few computers on campus for public use, so it is mandatory that students bring their laptops to school each day. Short-term loaner laptops are available through the IT department upon request.
Both Mac-and Windows-based laptops are supported on our network. iPads and Chromebooks are NOT suitable replacements for laptops but can be very useful supplements.
Laptop Requirements:
- A laptop running Windows 7 or greater, or Macintosh running OSX 10 or later.
Note: Chromebooks and iPads are not a substitute for a laptop since they can only use the cloud-based version of MS Office which might be missing some features that are needed for academic use. - 256 GB available hard drive space.Wireless capability (for wireless connection)(Optional) Network Interface Card (NIC) with RJ45 connection (for wired connection). This can be useful in dorms where a wired connection is faster than a wireless connection.
Minimum Specifications
- Processor: 1.6 GHz (or higher), 2 core (also called dual-core)
- Memory: 4.0 GB RAM
- Hard Disk: 256 GB or higher (SSD drive recommended)
Recommended Specifications
- Processor: 1.6 GHz (or higher), 4 core (also called quad-core)
- Memory: 6.0 GB RAM (or higher)
- Hard Disk: 512 GB or higher (SSD drive recommended)
Laptop Purchase Programs
There are two discount programs you can use when purchasing a laptop for Lawrence Academy.
- HP – You can use your student’s @lacademy.edu email address to unlock discounts at HP.com. Student email addresses are sent in July.
- Dell – Lawrence Academy is a part of Dell’s Education Purchase Program. Here’s how it works:
- This program offers Lawrence Academy’s faculty, staff, students and families discounts on their personal technology purchases
- How to shop: www.dell.com/K12/lacademy – clicking through this link is the ONLY way to receive the discounts!
The true discount can only be seen once the item has been added to the cart.
Office 365
It is required that all students have Microsoft Office and Teams on their laptops. To this end, we are providing all students with a free account to Office 365. The account remains in place as long as a student is enrolled at Lawrence Academy.
Microsoft Office 365 is a modern collaboration platform that provides a full-featured collaboration system with web access integrated calendaring, a campus contacts directory, support for mobile device access, 50 gigabytes of email storage and 1 terabyte of document storage per account using Microsoft OneDrive.
Network Access
All students (boarders and day students) who bring their own properly configured laptop, smartphone or tablet to campus will have wired and/or wireless access to the campus-wide network. Internet, Office 365, Schoology (our online learning management system) and the library databases. Laptops running Windows 10 or greater, or Mac OSX 10.0 or greater will be able to connect. Students with laptops using another operating system cannot be guaranteed access to the LA network. All smartphones and tablets are supported.
Device Registration
Lawrence Academy is very aware of the numerous security breaches that can occur on a computer network. At LA, we have instituted a device registration system for all users of the LA network. The first time a user connects their computer, smartphone, or tablet, to the LA network, they will need to launch their web browser and register their computer. Until this registration process is concluded, the user will not be able to use the LA network. Students who use a Windows-based computer must use Lawrence Academy’s VIPRE antivirus package, and therefore must first uninstall any other anti-virus packages on their computer. Smartphones, Apple computers and most tablets do not need to install antivirus applications. This registration process includes:
- Installing the latest MS Windows/OSX updates (Mac and Windows)
- Uninstalling any pre-existing antivirus software
- Installing Lawrence Academy’s Vipre antivirus software package (Windows users only)
- Registering your computer, smartphone, or tablet, by entering your network username and password (all devices)
Students can save time during the registration process by performing critical updates to their operating system a few days before the first day of school. Detailed information will be posted on the Student Portal.
Data Backup
Printers
Mobile Devices
Support
The IT Department is not responsible for repairing student computers. As a courtesy to students, the IT Department will provide a list of several outside computer service companies to repair student computers. Lawrence Academy assumes no responsibility for the quality of work or repairs done by these companies.
When purchasing a laptop it is highly recommended to purchase support such as AppleCare.
The IT Department posts technology-related directions on the Student Portal. If students have technology issues, they can do any of the following:
- Stop by the Technology Offices in the basement of Schoolhouse
- Submit a ticket online at: http://support.lacademy.edu
- Email support@lacademy.edu
Important Contacts

Christine Torigian
Dean of Faculty & Academic Affairs, Director of Learning Support
School:
978-448-1605
Curriculum Guide
Throughout their time at LA, students study the traditional high school subjects — art, English, foreign language, history, math, and science — and will graduate having picked up important skills and with knowledge of key tenants within each subject. Click here to check out Lawrence Academy's full Curriculum Guide.
Portal Access
As a Lawrence Academy parent, you have access to everything you need to know about schedules, important events, your child's grades, textbook ordering and much more. Click here to access the Parent Portal.
Get Involved
Lawrence Academy's Parent Programming Office is a great way to get involved on campus. Whether it's being an Admissions Ambassador or helping out during our Faculty & Staff Appreciation Luncheon, there are many ways a LA parent can volunteer on campus. Find out how!