Rates, Enrollment Fees and Deposits for 26-27 School Year

Once a spot has been accepted there is a $250 enrollment fee per family. Tuition rates shown below are equal monthly payments and do not vary, even during months when there are closures. Wild Lilac is a year-round program with each school year beginning in September and ending the following August. A first month’s tuition deposit is due before the first day of school, or when directed by school administration. Subsequent tuition is due the first of each month.

Sliding Scale Tuition at Wild Lilac
Based on our nonprofit organization’s mission to make outstanding early childhood care and education accessible to all families, Wild Lilac is proud to continue to offer a sliding scale tuition model for the 2026-2027 school year. Our goal in maintaining sliding scale tuition is to balance:

• Cost of providing high-quality infant-toddler and preschool education
• Affordability for families
• Equity for teachers (fair compensation)

Determining Your Tuition

Income Tier is based on a family’s annual adjusted gross income (AGI) and family size, please include income from all caregivers who are financially responsible for the care of the enrolled child(ren). Family size counts all adults and legal dependents.

Families declaring below Tier 6 will be asked to provide income verification during the enrollment process. We recognize that sharing financial information can feel vulnerable. If you have concerns or unique circumstances, please reach out. We are committed to approaching these conversations with care, discretion, and respect.

Where do these numbers come from?

Wild Lilac uses the Portland Department of Housing and Urban Development’s most recent Median Income Percentages table to establish our Income Tiers annually. 

More information can be found here: https://www.portland.gov/phb/income-rent-and-utility-limits

• Tier 1 is less than or equal to 30% of the Median Family Income
• Tier 2 is between 31% and 60% of the Median Family Income
• Tier 3 is between 61% and 100% of the Median Family Income
• Tier 4 is between 101% and 140% of the Median Family Income 
• Tier 5 is between 141% and 180% of the Median Family Income
• Tier 6 is over 181% of the Median Family Income

Annual Tuition 

Annual tuition is based on classroom placement, placement is based on a child’s age as of September 1st. Rates remain the same until the following school year. Contact the Director for mid-year tier changes. 

Payment

First month’s tuition is due up to 90 days prior to the child’s first day. Subsequent payments are due by the 1st of each month.

Payment Methods

• Check: Deposit in the Tuition Box, or send via USPS (fees apply for returned checks).
• ACH Withdrawal: Via Brightwheel (0.6%, $0.25 minimum fee, $2 maximum fee).
• Credit/Debit Card: Via Brightwheel (2.95% fee).

Fees subject to change as per Wild Lilac’s agreement with Brightwheel

Late Payment

A daily late fee of $10 will be assessed for unpaid balances, but we encourage you to reach out to us via email if you have concerns regarding balances and payments.

Refunds

Tuition will not be refunded due to illness, vacations, planned school closures, unplanned school closures due to inclement weather, power outage, staff illness, or any other unforeseeable circumstance. Any unpaid tuition is subject to collection. If unenrolling from the program, our 90-Day notice policy applies.