JOIN TABS

Professional Development for Boarding School Professionals

Receive the discounted member rate for TABS conferences, workshops and webinars, including TABS Annual Conference, the singular event focusing on the needs of boarding school administrators and faculty.

Click here for a complete view of professional development opportunities.

Membership Dues

The 2020-2021 dues for TABS membership are based on the number of boarding students enrolled in your school on opening day of the school year during which your application is sent. (For renewing members, this means dues are based off of 2019-2020 opening day enrollment numbers).
 
Boarding Enrollment  /  TABS Dues
90 or fewer                      $2,330.00
91 to 226                         $25.91/Boarder
227 and over                   $5,895.00

International Membership

International membership is available for schools located outside the US. Dues for these schools are paid in US dollars. Schools from countries not already represented in TABS must provide detailed accrediting information.

Minimum Full Membership Requirements

• The school must be an independent, nonprofit, tax exempt, 501(c)(3) organization if in the U.S. (or, if outside the U.S., a nonprofit organization according to the laws of the country of operation).
• The school must be accredited by an evaluating agency recognized by TABS.
• The school must be nondiscriminatory under the law in admission and employment practices.
• The school’s policies may not:
   • Unreasonably bar domestic students from applying for admission to the boarding program.
   • Unreasonably bar boarding students from applying for financial aid, or otherwise unreasonably discriminate against boarding students in their access to school programs, services, and supports.
• The school must be, by mission and by practice, college-preparatory.
• The school must maintain student dormitory facilities, located either on campus or immediately adjacent to the campus. The dormitories must be supervised by well-qualified and well-trained adult employees of the school, at least some of whom should reside on campus and be present in a supervisory capacity throughout the night.
• Dormitories must be in operation for at least two (2) consecutive academic years preceding full membership.
• The school’s residential program should meet the needs of the students; reflect the mission, culture, and character of the school; and demonstrate thoughtful planning, commitment to best practice, and substantive integration with the school’s academic, co-curricular, and community activities.
• The school must maintain a boarding enrollment of at least:
   • 25 students, or
   • Counting only those grades for which boarding is available, no less than 25% of the eligible student population.
• The school must participate in the North American Boarding Initiative (NABI) unless exempt (International and aid-only schools).

MINIMUM PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT SUBSCRIBER REQUIREMENTS

• The school must be an independent, nonprofit, tax exempt, 501(c)(3) organization if in the U.S. (or, if outside the U.S., a nonprofit organization according to the laws of the country of operation).
• The school must be accredited by an evaluating agency recognized by TABS.
• The school must be nondiscriminatory under the law in admission and employment practices.
• The school’s policies may not:
   • Unreasonably bar domestic students from applying for admission to the boarding program.
   • Unreasonably bar boarding students from applying for financial aid, or otherwise unreasonably discriminate against boarding students in their access to school programs, services, and supports.
• The school must be, by mission and by practice, college-preparatory.
• The school must maintain student dormitory facilities, located either on campus or immediately adjacent to the campus. The dormitories must be supervised by well-qualified and well-trained adult employees of the school, at least some of whom should reside on campus and be present in a supervisory capacity throughout the night.
• Dormitories must be in operation for at least two (2) consecutive academic years preceding full membership.
• The school’s residential program should meet the needs of the students; reflect the mission, culture, and character of the school; and demonstrate thoughtful planning, commitment to best practice, and substantive integration with the school’s academic, co-curricular, and community activities.
• The school must maintain a boarding enrollment of at least:
   • 25 students, or
   • Counting only those grades for which boarding is available, no less than 25% of the eligible student population.

*TABS reserves the right to exclude any organization that is deemed not to be in keeping with the mission of The Association of Boarding Schools.

*TABS Board Committee on Membership makes membership decisions based on the above requirements.

Friends in Boarding

Please view our Friends in Boarding page for all information.

Accreditation

TABS does not accredit schools. Instead, TABS recognizes, for the purpose of membership, the accreditations granted by the following regional, state, and independent school associations. US schools applying for membership should be accredited by an evaluating agency recognized by TABS.

Note: TABS requires international schools applying for membership to be accredited in a manner consistent with the policies of the country/region/province in which they are located.