Grant and Funding Programs Offered by Phillips Exeter Academy

Phillips Exeter Academy is a historic independent secondary school founded in 1781 in Exeter, New Hampshire. As a residential and day school serving more than 1,000 students from the United States and abroad, Exeter combines academic excellence with a mission to “unite goodness and knowledge” and to welcome “youth from every quarter.”

Beyond its educational mission, the Academy plays a significant role as a provider of financial aid. It commits tens of millions of dollars each year in need-based tuition assistance so that a family’s ability to pay is not a factor in admission. The school’s admissions process is described as need-blind, and nearly half of students receive financial aid. Financial support can include partial or full tuition coverage, with tuition-free attendance available for admitted students from families below a defined income threshold, provided assets are not disproportionately high.

These supports are structured as institutional grants rather than loans. Families apply through a dedicated financial aid application process that runs alongside the main admissions cycle, with clearly stated opening dates and deadlines. Decisions are integrated into the overall enrollment offer, ensuring that funding and admission are coordinated.

The Academy’s aid budget is sustained by a combination of endowment income and annual giving. The Exeter Fund, capital and endowment gifts, and planned giving vehicles are all highlighted as ways donors can direct resources toward student support, faculty excellence and other institutional priorities. Endowment gifts in particular are described as having a direct impact on the school’s capacity to support students, faculty and staff over the long term.

Financial aid is aimed at secondary-school students who are admitted to Exeter, both domestic and international. The school emphasizes building an intentionally diverse community and uses its aid programs to remove financial barriers for qualified applicants. By coupling rigorous academics, the Harkness discussion method and strong residential life with robust aid, the Academy seeks to enable students of varied backgrounds to access a high-caliber education and to lead purposeful lives.

Exeter’s mission and values are grounded in its founding Deed of Gift and are overseen by a board of trustees and school leadership. Core values such as academic excellence, youth from every quarter, and the motto Non Sibi (Not For Oneself) shape how the institution allocates resources, including financial aid. The school presents its funding decisions as part of a broader commitment to equity, inclusion and sustainability within its community.