The Crescent Academy is a nonprofit Islamic school committed to providing students with a high-quality education grounded in faith, character, and values. TCA makes its best efforts to keep that education within reach of as many families as reasonably possible.
TCA combines tuition, charitable giving, community support, careful budgeting, and responsible cost management so the full cost of educating a child is not passed on to families through tuition.
At this time, TCA does not receive any government funding and relies on tuition and donations to cover all operating expenses.
Tuition Covers Only Part of the Cost
Operating a school requires qualified teachers and staff, curriculum and classroom materials, technology, utilities, insurance, building maintenance, student services, security, and many other essential expenses. The tuition charged to a family does not represent the full cost of providing these services.
TCA uses several sources of support to meet these costs, including tuition and school fees, donations, fundraising, and broader community support. Together, these resources allow TCA to offset a portion of the cost of education rather than passing the entire amount on to families.
What Determines Tuition?
The price of tuition is shaped by three connected factors: the total cost of operating TCA, the amount of community support received through donations, and the number of students across whom the remaining cost is shared.
This diagram illustrates the financial relationship that influences tuition; individual family obligations may differ because of reduced tuition, sibling rates, grade-level policies, or other approved adjustments.
How TCA Tuition Compares
For the 2026–2027 school year, the national average private-school tuition is approximately $14,943 per student. The national average for private elementary schools is approximately $13,957 per student. TCA’s standard annual tuition is $6,650 per student.
TCA’s standard tuition is $8,293 below the overall national private-school average—approximately 56% lower. It is also $7,307 below the national private elementary-school average—approximately 52% lower.
National figures are based on Private School Review’s 2026–2027 national tuition data. Tuition varies by school type and location.
The Role of Donations
Public education has a cost, even though families do not receive a tuition bill to attend their local public school. Tax revenues help pay for teachers, buildings, classroom materials, and other school expenses, spreading the cost across the broader community. At TCA, donations play a similar cost-sharing role: they help cover school expenses and reduce the amount families must pay through tuition. The funding sources differ—taxes for public schools and voluntary donations alongside tuition at TCA—but both illustrate how community support helps make education accessible.
Donations help TCA keep education accessible by reducing the amount of educational cost that must be collected from families through tuition. Contributions support the school’s affordability efforts and are administered responsibly in accordance with donor intent and school policies.
TCA combines donations with tuition revenue and other school resources to offer reduced tuition and family-based support. Each family’s reduced-tuition application information is treated confidentially.
Reduced Tuition
TCA recognizes that every family’s circumstances are different. Families who cannot afford the standard tuition may apply for reduced tuition. Applications are reviewed individually, confidentially, and according to the school’s available resources and established guidelines.
Tuition reductions reduce the tuition a family is responsible for paying. They are made possible by the combined support of TCA’s donors, families, volunteers, and community.
2024–2025 Financial Snapshot
The following figures summarize TCA’s finances for the completed 2024–2025 school year. They show families what it costs to operate the school and how tuition and community support work together to make a TCA education possible.
Amounts are rounded to the nearest dollar. Tuition covered $451,349 of TCA’s $639,921 in operating expenses. Donations supplied the remaining $188,572, helping TCA balance its operating costs without passing the full cost on to families through tuition.
TCA Expenses
This chart shows how TCA used its operating funds during the 2024–2025 school year. Most school expenses support the teachers and staff who educate, supervise, and care for our students each day.
- Personnel — $519,114 (81%)
Payroll, payroll-related taxes, and substitute or contract teaching costs - Facilities and operations — $51,924 (8%)
Utilities, insurance, cleaning, maintenance, moving, water, and security - Instruction and student programs — $48,811 (8%)
School supplies, books, student programs, events, and copies - School administration and technology — $20,071 (3%)
Technology, professional services, fundraising, banking, communications, and other costs needed to operate the school
How Families and the Community Help
Keeping tuition affordable requires a partnership. Families help by paying their agreed tuition on time. Donors support the school through donations and fundraising. TCA carefully manages staffing, facilities, and everyday operating expenses. Together, these efforts sustain TCA for our children and for future generations.
When families pay tuition on time and community members contribute generously, TCA can continue offering a quality education at a cost far below the national private-school average.
Your Support Makes a Difference
Every contribution helps TCA maintain its programs, support its students, and limit the amount of educational cost passed on to families. By supporting TCA, donors are investing not only in individual students, but also in the long-term strength of values-based education in our community.