Admissions
Why Hunter?
Dear Parents,
We are delighted that you are interested in Hunter Classical Christian School! As a growing K-8th grade classical Christian school, we focus on the formative years. At Hunter, every student is known and loved, and our dedication to small class sizes allows teachers and administrators to invest in personal relationships with students and families. The work of shaping hearts and minds of children to the knowledge, work, and glory of our Creator is a high calling and one we partner with parents to answer.
Are you looking for an intentional community that offers your child an academically rigorous education in a learning environment grounded in time-tested methods? Are you in search of a school that partners with parents to turn the gaze of their children up towards truth, goodness, and beauty in the pursuit of a Christ-centered life? If so, you have come to the right place. At Hunter, we offer a Christ-focused educational community that equips and prepares students for academic excellence in high school, college, and beyond. As you continue to read about the distinctives of our program, our small class sizes and individual attention, we invite you to schedule a tour, attend our next open house, or learn more about a classical Christian education at Hunter.
Yours in Christ,
Kendall Wolfson
Dean of Advancement
Kendall Wolfson, Dean of Advancement
Admissions Process
Welcome to the admissions process for Hunter Classical Christian School! We are glad you are here to learn more about the admissions and enrollment process. Please read the information below about our process and timeline and if you have any questions, we invite you to call us at 804-708-0048 or reach out to us at: admissions@hunterclassicalchristian.org
Open Houses
Day in and day out, Hunter Classical Christian School holds up the good, the beautiful, and the true by placing examples of greatness in front of our students. We invite you to visit Hunter at one of our Admissions Open House events. These events give parents and prospective students the opportunity to learn more about Classical education, meet our teachers, see our students “in action” and to tour our campus.
Upper School CaMPUS Open House
Wednesday, January 31st, 2024
9:30 a.m.
Hunter Classical Christian School: at the Parham Road Baptist Church campus, Grades 6-8th
spring Open House
Wednesday, February 7th, 2024
9:30 a.m.
Hunter Classical Christian School: enter through the front of the chapel
To register for an open house, please use the sign-up form below. If you have any questions, email us at admissions@hunterclassicalchristian.org
A dedicated Open House for families of Upper School students, rising 6th to 8th graders, will be held on Wednesday, January 31st at 9:30 a.m. at our Upper School Campus location at Parham Road Baptist Church. Sign-up below for more details.
Open House Registration
Application Process
• STEP 1: Student Application
• STEP 2: Student Assessment
• STEP 3: Family Interview
• STEP 4: Acceptance & Enrollment
Step 1: Student Application
The application for the 2024-25 school year is open: Application for 2024-25 School Year
If you are interested in applying for the 2023-24 school year, please contact the school office at 804-708-0048.
Priority Application Deadline: Friday, December 1st, 2023; with notification of acceptance and admissions decision by Friday, December 15th
Final Application Deadline: Friday, March 1st, 2024; with notification of acceptance and admissions decision by Friday, March 15th
Please contact us at admissions@hunterclassicalchristian.org if you have any questions!
Step 2: Schedule Student Assessment
As a part of the online admissions application, you will register for a student readiness assessment screening date. The details below are for informational purposes, and in order to schedule a student assessment you must do so within the online application.
Kindergarten
Students entering Kindergarten will participate in a readiness screening.
Kindergarten Readiness Screening Date: Tuesday, March 5th, two sessions from which to choose.
grades 1-8
Students entering grades 1-8 will be evaluated, reviewing readiness in math, reading, writing, and grammar at the appropriate grade level. Upper Grade Readiness Testing Date: Wednesday, March 6th, two sessions from which to choose.
Step 3: Family Interview
We look forward to discussing what Parent Partnership means at Hunter – At Hunter, our desire to challenge the mind, nourish the spirit, and develop the whole child is best accomplished through the support of the whole family. The partnership we share with parents is built upon mutual respect and a common goal to educate our students with Christ at the forefront of all learning. The family interview will allow parents an opportunity to connect with the administration, learn more, and ask questions. As a part of the application process you will schedule this important time together.
Step 4: Acceptance and Enrollment
Upon a student’s acceptance to HCCS, a letter will be sent to the family along with the school covenant and an enrollment contract. The signed school covenant and the enrollment contract must be returned along with a $1,000 deposit by the date stated in the acceptance letter.
Tuition payments begin in June and may be made in one, two, or eleven payments.
A sibling discount is offered for each younger sibling of a current student. When one child in a family attends HCCS, the second receives a 10% discount off the full tuition; the third receives a 20% discount, the fourth a 30% discount; etc. Details are outlined in the tuition section below.
Learn About Hunter
Take a tour any 1st or 3rd Wednesday Morning from 9:30-10:30 a.m.
Register for a Tour
Admissions Timeline
for the 2024 - 2025 school year
Tuition & Fees 2024-25
Grades 1-8
$12,000
Kindergarten
$10,800
Fees
There is an annual book fee of $250 per child for consumables, novels and textbooks. The book fee is billed through FACTS on July 1, 2024.
FACTS Tuition Management charges an annual $20 fee for single and double payment options or an annual $50 fee for monthly payment options.
Sibling Discount
We offer a sibling discount for families with multiple children attending HCCS. For more information on our sibling discounts, please see below.
Affording an education at Hunter Classical Christian School
Choosing your child’s school is one of the most important decisions you will make as a parent. We believe Hunter Classical Christian School is the highest value among local private school options. We invite you to consider all the available financial strategies, and you may find that Hunter is more affordable than you thought.
Hunter strives to be a financially inclusive community, reflecting the Christ-centered nature of our mission. It is our belief that each family should bear the primary responsibility for financing their children’s educational costs to the extent that they are able. We encourage families that are concerned about their ability to afford a private education to apply for tuition assistance.
More than one child?
Hunter is dedicated to affordability for our families, and offers tuition discounts when multiple children are enrolled. We offer a sibling discount for families with multiple children attending HCCS. When one child in a family attends HCCS, the second receives a 10% discount off the full tuition; the third receives a 20% discount, the fourth a 30% discount; etc.
First child: Full tuition
Second child: 10% tuition discount
Third child: 20% tuition discount
Fourth child: 30% tuition discount
Fifth child: 40% tuition discount
Payment Options
Deposit of $1,000 is required at enrollment, used as offset against tuition.
Single Payment: In full, net of deposit, by June 15, 2024 with a 2% rebate off tuition.
Two Payments: 50%, net of deposit, on June 15, 2024 and 50% on December 15, 2025.
11-Monthly Payments: Payments in 11 equal monthly installments, net of deposit, beginning June 15, 2024 and ending on April 15, 2025.
Hunter Tuition Assistance Plan (HTAP)
Hunter offers financial aid for qualified families. Our goal is to make your expected family contribution sustainable. All applications and awards are treated with sensitivity and confidentiality. Apply for our Tuition Assistance Plan (HTAP). Our plan is means-tested.
Virginia Education Improvement Scholarships Tax Credit Program
Hunter participates in the Education Improvement Scholarship Act program. This program funds scholarships to qualified children who enter Hunter in kindergarten, first grade, or who transfer from a public school. You might be eligible for this scholarship.
To apply for Tuition Assistance Plan (TAP), Hunter uses the services of FACTS Grants and Aid Assessment to process tuition assistance applications and determine eligibility and award amounts. This online FACTS application link is accessed through the Tuition and Fees page located in the Admissions/Tuition and Fees section of the Hunter website. There is a $35 per family fee to apply for assistance. The Tuition Assistance Committee offers awards on the basis of the FACTS recommendation which includes a comprehensive application, as well as review of paystubs and most recent tax information.
Financial need is defined as the difference between your family’s resources and the cost of tuition. Hunter may meet a portion, but not necessarily all, of that need with its available resources. Families must reapply for assistance annually.
The online application is open now through August 31st for all current families. Income and expenses reported in the application must be current regardless of tax data for the previous tax year. New families should apply for assistance before their child is assessed for admission.
Contact the admissions office at admissions@hunterclassicalchristian.org to request an application.
Financing Tips
Providing a private education is also one of the most expensive, requiring planning and sacrifice. You need a strategy.
Make a sustainable plan. You need a plan that not only works in kindergarten but for the foreseeable future.
Adjust your standard of living. Chances are that tuition can rival a new car payment, a mortgage, or an expensive vacation. Adjust your expectations realistically.
Open a VA-529. You can now pay for your child’s k-12 education with pre-tax dollars. The savings can be hundreds of dollars, which over time, make tuition more affordable. Our Business Office can show you how.
Compare apples to apples when evaluating costs. Many schools have multiple fees that make them more expensive than they first appear. We believe in tuition transparency. View our tuition schedule with all fees here.
Testimonials
mother of four students
K.G.
The small class sizes, excellent teachers, solid Christian worldview, and wonderful community make this an amazing school we are grateful to send our children to!
New family to Hunter, parents of three students
L.M.
My husband and I used to dread the month of September, and I mean dread. Our kids were always exhausted to the point of tears as soon as they would walk in the door from school, or sometime soon after. It was always such a hard month for our family and we just thought it is what it is. We knew starting school is an adjustment from summer months.
However, I can’t tell you how amazed we have been over this past month. Our kids have come home every day beaming with happiness. They want to share what they have learned. They are happy, they are fulfilled. We haven’t had a single day of tears due to exhaustion.
We are so pleased and amazed to see the content of what they are learning. Every single day they are blowing our mind with what they are sharing with us. Not only does the content of what they learning impress us, their excitement towards it makes our heart so happy.
All that to say, we are so grateful for you and the teachers at HCCS.
Mother of two Hunter students
J.G.
Our neighborhood has a phenomenal elementary school where my daughter was happy and thrived academically. 2020 brought many hard and nearly impossible changes to our family and lifestyle so we decided to explore other school options. We chose Hunter for its small class sizes, academic rigor, and Christian education. However, we are staying at Hunter and enrolling our son too, because it’s captured our hearts and attention in a way we never anticipated.
Hunter is a ministry. Every teacher and staff member makes it their priority and duty to come alongside parents who are striving to raise their children in the Christian faith. Every endeavor is woven with Biblical truth and spills over into our life at home.
Small class sizes are not only for an orderly day. They lend themselves to extraordinary academics and eager learners. Small class sizes allow for individual instruction. My daughter can dig into her favorites (math and history), and gets extra attention in subjects where she is slightly less motivated.
Hunter is a solid faith-filled community of kids, parents, and caregivers. Kids of all ages and grades play, learn, worship, and pray together.
Hunter is more than a school. It’s a community and a ministry that nurtures the whole child and family. I never dared dream bigger for my kids and family, I didn’t know it was possible. Hunter Classical Christian school puts it all within reach.
former homeroom teacher grades 3 & 5, math and science teacher-grades 3-6
Penny Stein
I joined Hunter in a whirlwind of activity that took me from substitute teaching at local private schools to leading a homeroom class at Hunter within a space of a week. Hunter was looking for a 5th grade homeroom teacher to take the place of a dear teacher who had left for health reasons on short notice. As I entered the classroom, heart pounding, I knew I had big shoes to fill. Although I had a strong grasp of math and science, provided by my engineering education, a true passion to share my love of learning students, and a strong faith in God, the fact that I had no formal training in classical education, and had only a few years of actual teaching experience left me quite anxious.
I should not have worried- Hunter welcomed me with open arms! From day one, our Head of School and fellow teachers went above and beyond to help me get quickly acclimated to the systems and schedules of teaching. They offered me assistance every step of the way, grace when I made mistakes in the early days, and lots of prayers for success as we circled up before starting each day. I have never felt so supported, and I immediately knew this place was special. Hunter’s small class size allowed me to get to know each student quickly and, eventually, to form deep connections. I learned each student’s strengths and also the areas where each needed to grow. At Hunter, teachers follow grade level curriculums, but have full authority to build creative and engaging lessons that instill knowledge and the insight to see God’s hand in all of it. I loved to create links between my subjects so my students could make connections, since, as I shared with them, “We don’t live in a world where knowledge is formed in silos- all things are interconnected.” Ask my students what “smath” means, and they will tell you it means “science + math.” We coined that term since we were constantly applying math concepts in science class. I loved that classical Christian education reveals God’s hand in all things, and enjoyed watching my students develop these insights whether we were learning about the efficiency of the water cycle, the orderliness of a mathematical equation, or the eloquence of a selection of poetry.
Watching my students grow intellectually, developmentally, and spiritually brought such great joy. Each day was an adventure in learning new things: supporting an idea, presenting to their peers, or solving a math problem after a challenging struggle. Perhaps, even more inspiring, was watching how my students treated each other. In a small class, students have the opportunity to really get to know each other and to support each other in various ways. Quiet students find their voice, confident students learn to help others, empathetic students support their peers, all students learn to cooperate and work as a team- we often put our heads together to create our “super brain” when we need the extra computing strength!
During my time with Hunter, I had the opportunity to dig deep into classical Christian education and have become a strong supporter. Classical Christian education promotes all of the things I inherently love about teaching- inspiring life-long learners, making connections across subjects, teaching God’s hand in all things, developing the whole student not just the intellectual piece. Although I have recently stepped back from full time teaching to allow a more flexible schedule, I will always be a Hunter supporter, whether substitute teaching, sharing STEM based education, or continuing in my role of advising the Board when requested. Hunter is a hidden gem, and I am thrilled to play a small part in supporting this wonderful school.
