Most families pay
less than full tuition.
One tuition covers the whole school, and financial aid is simple. Many families pay $0.
Enrollment is flexible - start any month.
What you're paying for.
Recess delivers the whole school day online. Every kid gets a custom academic plan, live teachers in small pods, and a community they see every day. Kids who dreaded school start asking for it, and parents watch the progress week by week.
Core academics, taught live in small group pods.
Kids advance when they've mastered it, with progress reports home.
Where kids find their people, every school day.
Three a week, picked by your kid. Add more anytime for $160 a month each.
Help between classes, whenever they need it.
Aid is simple.
Most families pay less than full tuition. Households earning under $150,000 pay less, about four in five American households are under that line, and incomes under $75,000 pay $8,000 a year. If your state has an ESA or education fund, we work with you to bring your out-of-pocket cost down as much as possible. Many families pay $0. How funding works in your state.
| Household income | Estimated aid | Estimated tuition |
|---|---|---|
| Under $75,000 | −$10,000 | $8,000 $800/mo equivalent |
| $75,000–$100,000 | up to −$10,000 | $8,000–$11,000 $800–$1,100/mo equivalent |
| $100,000–$125,000 | up to −$7,000 | $11,000–$14,500 $1,100–$1,450/mo equivalent |
| $125,000–$150,000 | up to −$3,500 | $14,500–$17,000 $1,450–$1,700/mo equivalent |
| $150,000+ | — | $18,000 $1,800/mo equivalent |
If your state has an ESA or education fund, we work with you to bring your out-of-pocket cost down as much as possible. Many families pay $0. How funding works in your state.
Estimated ranges from the aid schedule for each income band, quoted for the 10-month school year. Monthly figures are equivalents, not a payment schedule: your schedule depends on how you enroll and on your state's funding program. Your exact tuition is set during enrollment, once we confirm your household income and any state funding.
One price, all in.
Tuition is quoted for the 10-month school year, and everything above is included. Most families pay less than this: financial aid is simple for households earning under $150,000 and brings tuition as low as $8,000 a year. If your state has an ESA or education fund, we work with you to bring your out-of-pocket cost down as much as possible, and many families pay $0. Payment schedules depend on how you enroll: a partner school in our network sets its own, state funding programs release funds on their own timelines, and private-pay families enrolled with Recess directly can pay in 10 monthly installments.
ApplyThe fine print, in plain terms.
How does financial aid work?
Aid is simple for households earning under $150,000, and it is substantial: household incomes under $75,000 pay $8,000 a year for the full school. We confirm household income during enrollment, and there is no separate application to fill out. If your child enrolls through a partner school in our network, we recommend your award to that school and the school confirms your final tuition.
How do ESA and state funds apply?
Your state award goes toward tuition up to the full amount. We work with your family to bring your out-of-pocket cost down as much as possible, and many families pay $0. We confirm what your program covers during enrollment. Payment timing follows your state program's own funding schedule, and where a partner school is involved, that school sets the schedule.
Is the table what we'll actually pay?
The table shows the estimated tuition range for each income band from our aid schedule. Your final price is set during enrollment, once we confirm your household income and any state funding, and we work with you to bring it down as much as possible. Families enrolling through a partner school in our network have their final tuition confirmed by that school.
How does annual pricing work?
Tuition is quoted for the 10-month school year. Families who join midyear pay for the months remaining.
Who collects tuition, and on what schedule?
It depends on how your child enrolls. Families enrolling through a partner school in our network pay tuition to that school, and the school sets the payment schedule, usually monthly or quarterly. Families who enroll with Recess directly pay Recess, and private-pay families can spread tuition across 10 monthly installments. If you are using state funding, timing can also follow when your state's program releases funds. We confirm which applies to your family before you enroll.
What does tuition cover?
Everything Recess delivers: the classes, the platform, progress reports, and tutoring support between classes. We add no registration, materials, or fundraising fees. If your child enrolls through a partner school in our network, that school's enrollment agreement carries its own terms, and you see them before you commit.
Can my child switch classes?
Yes, anytime as their interests move. Electives are picked with your child, and the schedule flexes as they go.
Can my child take more electives?
Yes. Tuition includes three live electives a week, and you can add more whenever you like for $160 a month per elective. Each one is a weekly live group class of 5 to 10 kids.
Is Recess a school?
Recess runs your kid's whole school day: live academics in small pods, electives, and a daily community. For enrollment purposes, most full-time students are enrolled through an accredited partner school in the Recess school network, and Recess delivers the instruction. Day to day, your family works with the Recess team. Some families enroll with Recess directly instead, usually when they do not need an accredited transcript or are not taking our full academic program.
Who handles transcripts, records, and compliance?
When your child enrolls through an accredited partner school in our network, that school issues transcripts and maintains official records, and you sign an enrollment agreement with them as part of joining. What else the school handles depends on your state: in some states it is also your child's school of record and files state reporting, and in others those filings stay with your family. Recess coordinates enrollment and runs point on most questions, and for some administrative matters, like transcript and records requests, your family works with the partner school directly. Families who enroll with Recess directly have no partner school, so transcripts and any state filings stay with the family. We tell you which applies before you enroll.
Is Recess accredited?
Recess is a member of Cognia and is independently pursuing Cognia accreditation. For the current school year, students who need an accredited transcript enroll through a partner school in our network that already holds accreditation, so transcripts and credits come from an accredited institution.
When can we start?
Any month. Enrollment is rolling, and the first week is built around orientation and finding the right cohort.