Financial Aid Open and Process Update: Now Using Clarity Financial Aid
The financial aid process at Wheaton Academy for the 2027–2028 school year opens Friday, October 16, 2026. The application deadline for returning families is Monday, November 30. We hope this timeline helps both families and the Academy plan financially for the 2027–2028 year.
This year, Wheaton Academy is moving from Blackbaud Financial Aid to Clarity Financial Aid for all financial aid applications. Every family applying for aid, new or returning, will apply through Clarity. Our commitment to financial aid has not changed; we made this switch to make applying simpler for you.
- A shorter application. Most families finish in 30-60 minutes, and you can save your progress and return later.
- Fewer uploads. Instead of uploading your tax return, you sign IRS Form 4506-C so Clarity can retrieve your prior-year tax information directly from the IRS.
- Apply from any device. The application works on a phone, tablet, or computer.
- Easier in future years. Clarity saves your information, so reapplying next year will be quicker. Additionally, you only need to complete the tax verification and authorization process once every three years.
Returning aid families: please note your information from Blackbaud does not transfer to Clarity. You will need to create a new Clarity account and complete a full application this year.
How to submit your Financial Aid Application through Clarity Financial Aid
It’s three simple steps:
- Apply at https://app.clarityapp.com/sign-up
- Complete the prompted Tax Verification step through either Clarity or IRS.gov. Click here for more information.
- Make sure you have indicate accurate social security number(s) and exact address used for filing of your 2025 taxes to avoid errors and delays.
- Pay the application fee of $65 per household (this fee covers all of your children’s aid applications).
- Once you submit your application, you will not be able to make changes to your tax filing status, indication of if you do or do not receive a United States W2, and information entered on the IRS tax verification form.
Clarity provided this helpful tutorial to outline every step of the process.
Important Instructions as you apply through Clarity
- If Clarity asks you for a school code, please enter 1853 to identify Wheaton Academy.
- Please use legal names as you complete the aid application so the names appearing on this application will match the names Wheaton Academy has on file.
- Add all dependents on the financial aid application, not just those applying for aid at Wheaton Academy.
- Select “Save and Continue” within each section to save your progress, should you need to revisit the application later. Once you submit your application, it can be viewed but no longer edited.
- Once you submit the application and complete the tax verification, Wheaton Academy may still require additional documents—those requirements will be displayed in the “Documents Requests” section of the Clarity portal.
Returning Families’ Application Deadline: Monday, November 30
What happens next?
- The Financial Aid Committee hopes to share aid decisions with returning families whose applications are verified starting as early as mid-December and continuing through January.
- This timeline allows the Academy to grant aid awards to returning families before new family awards are considered, as over 80% of our financial aid awards are historically distributed by February.
- The timing of your family’s decision will depend on when you complete your application and on Clarity’s processing time.
Questions?
If you have questions about filling out the application, uploading required documents, error messages, or other Clarity system questions, please contact Clarity support directly at support@clarityapp.com
If you have any other financial aid questions, please contact Tricia Lee in the Business Office at aid@wheatonacademy.org.
Frequently Asked Questions
We chose Clarity to make applying for aid simpler and faster for our families. Its shorter application, direct IRS tax retrieval, and mobile-friendly design should improve your family’s experience.
Wheaton Academy still makes all financial aid decisions, guided by our own policies, budget, and mission. Clarity provides the tool families use to share their information. If your financial situation is similar to last year, you should not expect a major change in your award.
No. Clarity is a separate system, so returning families will create a new Clarity account and complete a full application this year. After this year, Clarity will save your information to make future applications faster.
Most families finish in 30-60 minutes. You do not need to finish in one sitting; you can save your progress and come back.
Information about your household’s income, expenses, assets, and debts. You will also sign IRS Form 4506-C so Clarity can retrieve your prior-year tax information. Wheaton Academy may request additional documents, so please check your Clarity portal after you submit.
Yes, $65 per household. One application covers all of your children and any other schools you apply to that use Clarity.
Clarity uses industry-standard security to protect family data. You can review Clarity’s privacy policy for details.
To get a full picture of your family’s financial situation, Wheaton Academy needs to review your tax transcripts as part of the application process. When you authorize Clarity to securely retrieve your tax transcripts directly from the IRS, you won’t need to manually upload any documents.
As part of the Clarity application process, you’ll be able to choose how you want to authorize the sharing of your taxes. You can:
- Complete the tax authorization through Clarity (3-7 business days verification time, except during tax season in January/February, when verification time averages 7-10 business days); or
- Complete the tax authorization through IRS.gov (about 24 hours verification time).
Both pathways require you to verify your identity, which means uploading some form of ID and taking a photo of yourself to prove you are who you say you are. This extra layer of security protects your personal data and helps prevent identity theft or fraud.
Completing the tax authorization within Clarity will return your tax information to the school(s) of your choice in 3-7 business days (7-10 business days in January/February). Completing through IRS.gov will return your tax information to the school(s) of your choice in about 24 hours. Accessing your IRS account will require you to go through ID.me, a secure platform used by government agencies and organizations to verify your identity online.
For more information, read the Tax Verification Guide.
Yes. The application works fully on phones and tablets as well as computers.
The deadline for returning families is Monday, November 30. The suggested deadline for new families is Wednesday, December 16. Applications received after the deadline will be reviewed as funding provided by both the Warrior Fund and Wheaton Academy Foundation allows.
No—your family’s financial aid application should include both your returning student(s) and new student(s). Additionally, your family’s financial aid award amount may be re-evaluated considering your family’s increased enrollment. Be sure your new incoming student is applied and accepted through our admissions process as soon as possible, as we only award financial aid to accepted students.
Yes. Families apply for aid each year, but returning to Clarity will be quicker because your previous information is saved.