Tuition, Registration, Billing & Scholarships

Registration Fees and Billing

The entire cost of the school year program is included in the annual tuition. There are generally no additional charges for trips or special activities. Parents are responsible for the full tuition, which is based on the number of days per week and length of time a child is registered to attend. 

Registration for the school year begins during the spring term of the previous school year. A non-refundable deposit of $200 for returning children, or $300 for first-year children, is required to hold the child's place at the Bennington Early Childhood Center for the upcoming school year. The schedule requested on the application can be changed, space permitting, up until September 1 without penalty.  The deposit is due with registration forms for returning families and after notice of acceptance for new families. 

Contracts for the coming year are sent out in the summer. The deposit is deducted from the total tuition fee. The Bennington Early Childhood Center offers two payment options for the remaining balance:

Single Payment Option: The entire contract, less the registration deposit, may be paid in full and received on or before August 30, of the current school year. A 2% discount may be applied to the total net tuition due (the final balance shown on the bill).

Monthly Installment Option: The entire contract, less the registration deposit, is due in ten equal monthly payments. The first installment and the signed Monthly Payment Plan Agreement are due on or before August 30, of the current school year. The subsequent monthly payments are due Sept. 30, Oct. 30, Nov. 30, Dec. 30, Jan. 30, Feb. 28, March 30, April 30, and May 30. Late payments will incur a fee of 1.5% of the amount due.  All fees should be paid by the time the next payment is due in order to avoid an additional fee.

Tuition can be paid through the Brightwheel app.  If you choose to pay by check, checks are to be made payable to Bennington Early Childhood Center (BECC) and sent to 1506 Harwood Hill Rd, Bennington, VT 05201, or hand-delivered to the office. 

All questions regarding billing should be addressed to the Director. If there is an exceptional reason that a tuition payment cannot be paid on time, parents should speak with the Director to make plans to catch up the payment in a timely manner.  If a tuition payment or portion thereof becomes over one month late the payment will be computed on a weekly basis and that amount will be required on the Monday of each week for that child to continue to attend.  If the weekly tuition is not paid for two consecutive weeks the enrollment of that child will be terminated and the slot will be made available for children on our waitlist.

Parents who wish to reduce or withdraw their child’s attendance and would like the Center to consider a reduction in their tuition bill because of unusualcircumstances must submit an appeal in writing to the Center’s Board of Directors. The Board will review the appeal and respond to the parent(s) in writing. The Center is under no obligation, however, to grant an adjustment or waiver of the tuition due. In the event an adjustment is granted, a $200 fee will be charged.

September 2026 – June 2027

Ones and Twos Fee Schedule

Morning Groups (8:30-12:30)

3 Days $4850

4 Days $6300

5 Days $7560

Early Afternoon Programs (12:30-2:30)

1 Day $825

2 Days $1645

3 Days $2425

4 Days $3150

5 Days $3780

Mid-Afternoon Programs (12:30-3:30)

1 Day $1240

2 Days $2470

3 Days $3635

4 Days $4725

5 Days $5670

Wrap-around Care (48 weeks 8:30-4:30) - September 2026 – August 2027

5 Days $19,500

(can be pro-rated for 3 or 4 days per week schedules)

Early Morning (7:30-8:30 a.m.)

1 Day $415

2 Days $790

3 Days $1200

4 Days $1500

5 Days $1800

Late Afternoon (12:30-4:30 p.m.) 

1 Day $1650

2 Days $3290

3 Days $4850

4 Days $6300

5 Days $7560

Scholarships

The Bennington Early Childhood Center is pleased to be able to offer scholarships on a financial need basis.  Scholarships do not affect admissions applications or decisions. Scholarships are awarded annually for the current year. The Bennington Early Childhood Center cannot guarantee an award but can guarantee that the decision will be fair and confidential. 

Scholarship eligibility is determined by using a formulated spreadsheet that factors income (from the family’s most recent1040 tax form), projected tuition costs, number of family members living on that income, and any other income or expenses that might affect the family’s situation (i.e., child support, student loans, etc.).  Also, any scholarship funds awarded in the previous year will be taken into consideration so that there is no extreme decrease in award if the family’s circumstances remain relatively unchanged.  The Board of Directors reserves the right to award additional scholarships based on extenuating circumstances (i.e., 3 or more children from one family attending the center at the same time, loss of job, death of a parent, etc.).  Scholarships are funded through grants, fundraising, and donations, so the scholarship amount available may vary from year to year.  

The closing date for scholarship applications for the upcoming year is June 15 (unless additional funds are still available). A copy of the family's current tax return must accompany the application in order for it to be considered.  The Center also asks families to inform the Director in a timely manner of any changes in circumstances that might affect their eligibility for a scholarship.