How Scholarships Work at Ballena (and Why ~30% of Families Attend Free)

Here’s a fact about Ballena that surprises people: roughly 30% of our seats are reserved for full scholarship, every year. Not a token gesture, not a single named award, about a third of the school. It’s one of the most important things we do, so let’s explain how it works and why we built it in.

Why We Reserve a Third of Our Seats

Our mission is to help students give back to the Costa Ballena community, and you can’t claim community while quietly building a school only some families can reach. Reserving roughly 30% of seats for full scholarship keeps the school genuinely part of the place it sits in.

It also shapes the classroom. A roughly 50/50 mix of local Costa Rican and international families means kids grow up alongside people whose lives look different from theirs. That mix is part of the education, not a side effect.

What “Full Scholarship” Means

Full scholarship means a student attends without paying tuition. They’re full members of the school, in the same classes of 15 or fewer, with the same teachers, the same Student Support Services, the same field trips. There’s no separate track and no lesser version. A scholarship student is simply a Ballena student.

Who It’s For

Scholarships are aimed at local families for whom tuition would otherwise put a Ballena education out of reach, keeping the door open to the community we serve.

Editor’s note: confirm scholarship eligibility criteria, the application and selection process, required documents, and deadlines with the admissions team before families apply.

How to Apply

Because the specifics of the scholarship process aren’t something we want to get wrong in print, the right move is to talk to us directly. The admissions team can walk you through eligibility, what’s needed, and when to apply.

The same is true if you’re an international or local family considering full tuition, start a conversation and we’ll guide you through it. Begin at our Admissions page.

Why This Matters to Every Family

Even if you’re not applying for a scholarship, this shapes the school your child will attend. It’s part of why Ballena feels like a community and not a club. Kids learn kindness and “be true” by living alongside a real cross-section of their own town.

You don’t have to choose between an excellent school and one with its doors genuinely open. We built it to be both. Come see for yourself. Schedule a tour on our Admissions page.