TuitionOpportunitiesQ&A
Headmaster Berger weighs in on tuition opportunities
Cape Fear Academy Headmaster Don Berger sat down to share his insight into tuition opportunities at the school. The following excerpt is taken from an interview conducted this semester.
What are some of Cape Fear Academy’s tuition opportunities?
The first thing is financial aid. We provide financial aid for 25 percent of our students. Scholarships run from 10 percent to 90 percent of tuition. It’s all need-based.
The other side of our financial aid is from a community service perspective. Cape Fear Academy offers students an absolutely outstanding education and we want to make that available to all members of the greater Wilmington area community. We want to make it an option for all families in the greater Wilmington area. That’s what financial aid does. It makes it an option for all families.
Why is this important to you and Cape Fear Academy?
That need-based aid is essential. It enables us to attract students of a diverse background – socioeconomic, ethnic, racial, and religious. I firmly believe half of what you learn in school is from who is around you. You see how people are different and you can better understand your identity. If their peers reflect different perspectives and talents, then the learning experience is enriched and strengthened. It’s essential that we make the school available to different types of families and be a diverse community.
How did the new Scholars Program and Diversity Scholars Program offering merit-based scholarships come about?
The Diversity Scholars Program is wonderful because it’s a gift from current Cape Fear Academy parents who had the foresight to understand how we benefit from a diverse community and how others would benefit from a Cape Fear Academy education. We’re able to offer this scholarship from the generous insight of Cape Fear Academy parents.
Describe a Cape Fear Academy student. What qualities and characteristics do you look for?
We’re looking for students who will particularly thrive in being in an environment that values education and the life of the mind. They want to be in a small class, participate and engage their teachers on an intellectual level and really get excited about learning. We’re looking for students who have intellectual talent as well as athletic and artistic talent that will contribute to our community.
These are students who are looking for an environment where it’s perceived to be cool to excel in the classroom and clubs and activities of an academic nature.
Cape Fear Academy has been a leader in the educational community of southeastern North Carolina since 1967. Known for its academic excellence and outstanding college preparatory program, the pre-kindergarten through twelfth grade curriculum emphasizes hands-on learning across academic disciplines. For more information, visit www.capefearacademy.org or call (910) 791-0287.
