Franklin Academy Tuition & Assistance

Providing a specialized education program with a 4:1 student-to-adult ratio and an average class size of 8 is a very effective, but expensive, educational model.

Franklin Academy is a non-profit, privately funded school for children with autism spectrum disorder or related learning differences. Tuition for the 2024-2025 school year is $36,800 (includes fees). Franklin Academy accepts students for admission without regard to their financial status. Decisions regarding tuition assistance are made completely independently of the admissions decision.

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Tuition Assistance

Franklin Academy understands and appreciates the financial commitment families assume in deciding to send their children to a special private school. Assistance is based on the family’s financial needs and the amount of money we were able to raise through development efforts.

Franklin Academy accepts students for admission without regard to their financial status. Decisions regarding tuition assistance are made completely independently of the admissions decision.

To help us objectively assess what a family is able to contribute toward education expenses for their child, we use Veracross Financial Aid Management as a trusted third party. Veracross provides an analysis of a family’s “Estimated Family Contribution” and is a critical component of our tuition assistance award decisions, however, it is just a start. To make our tuition assistance award decisions, we use Veracross results as the baseline for our review, taking into consideration our total tuition assistance budget, other information we may have collected, our school’s policies and priorities, and the needs of the entire applicant pool.  Tuition assistance awards are not presented until after a student is determined to be a good fit for our academy and an offer of admissions is extended.

Please note: Application for tuition assistance should happen after a school tour has occurred and an application for admissions has been submitted.

To apply for tuition assistance, please visit Blackbaud Financial Aid Management here.  Our school code is: 13312

State legislation makes it possible for many parents of independent school students to receive partial rebates on transportation costs. In addition, parents may also claim a deduction on their Minnesota State Income Tax return. Tax laws are subject to change. For up-to-date details, confer with your tax advisor.

The Robert F. Crosby Scholarship

Robert and Teri Crosby have generously donated $1 million to establish the Robert F. Crosby Scholarship Fund. This scholarship fund will provide financial support to eligible families who would not otherwise be able to afford the tuition to attend Franklin Academy.

“We are absolutely thrilled and honored to receive this generous gift from Robert and Teri. It will have a profoundly positive impact on the community we serve,” says Dr. Wyayn Rasmussen, Executive Director of Franklin Center. “This scholarship fund will change the lives and paths of development for many deserving neurodiverse students for years to come.”

The Crosbys have dedicated substantial time and resources to pursuing philanthropy projects supporting Franklin Academy, Second Harvest Heartland, and other organizations. “Franklin Academy is one of the strongest schools we have observed across the nation serving this high-need community. Their programs and services are top-notch,” says Robert Crosby. “The success stories and testimonials coming from families and students are the ultimate gifts, beyond the value of any donation. Teri and I are so pleased to be able to work with Wyayn and the outstanding team she has assembled. It’s a privilege to be able to share in the development and advancement of the students who attend such an important institution in our community.”

If you are interested in applying for the scholarship for the 2024-25 school year, please submit an application below. Please note: Application for The Crosby Scholarship should happen after a school tour has occurred and an application for admissions has been submitted.

*In addition to submitting this application, families must also submit a financial aid application via the Veracross Financial Aid Management website by clicking here.

Robert F. Crosby Scholarship Application

  • Robert and Teri Crosby have generously donated $1 million to establish the Robert F. Crosby Scholarship Fund. This scholarship fund will provide financial support to eligible families who would not otherwise be able to afford the tuition to attend Academy of Whole Learning.
    To apply for this scholarship, please submit form below, as well as a Blackbaud Financial Aid Management application found here



  • Please enter a number from 0 to 99.

  • Parent/Guardian Information

  • Please answer the following questions:

Register with Blackbaud Tuition Management

If you haven’t already done so, now is the time to register with Blackbaud Tuition Management, our school payment system. You will use Veracross Tuition Management for your tuition payments and also for convenient payment of other school fees such as after-school clubs, field trip costs, home base, yearbook, spirit wear, and other fees that arise throughout the school year. You may also make payments by check, automatic bank withdrawals, or credit/debit card.

Even if you’re paying your tuition in full and not using a monthly payment plan, we encourage you to register with Blackbaud Tuition Management for the convenience of other school payments.

Enroll in Blackbaud Tuition Management at: https://enroll.blackbaud.school/#/findschool
Our school code is: 13312

If you have questions, please contact Molly Tellijohn, VP of Finance, at  molly.tellijohn@franklinmn.org 

If questions should arise pertaining to the admission policies or procedures, please contact admissions at (952) 230-0607 or admissions@franklinmn.org

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Two Franklin Academy students studying

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