Tuition Assistance Program

The Carey School is committed to developing and sustaining a socio-economically diverse student body, reflective of San Mateo County specifically and the Bay Area more generally.  This commitment to inclusion is an essential element of The Carey School’s mission.  Economic diversity enriches the educational opportunity for all families, and participation of a wide range of families is critical to the health of the school.

To this end, The Carey School endeavors to makes its education affordable to all who are qualified, regardless of their financial resources.  During the 2012-13 school year, The Carey School awarded more than $467,000 in tuition assistance to more than 15% of our enrolled students.  Each year, the Board of Trustees has as a strategic objective increasing both the amount of aid available as well as the number of students benefiting from tuition assistance.

The Carey School, like most independent schools, offers need-based tuition assistance.  Need-based tuition assistance is the difference between the family’s resources and the cost of a student’s tuition.

The Carey School’s tuition assistance program is administered by the Tuition Assistance Committee of the Board of Trustees. The Carey School utilizes the services and resources of the School and Student Service for Financial Assistance (SSS) in order to ensure objective analysis of parent financial information and to provide a standardized calculation to determine tuition assistance need.

What you need to do to apply for tuition assistance:

1 – Download, complete and return to The Carey School CFO the following:

• The Carey School Tuition_Application
• IRS Form 4506 Complete items 1-5, sign, and do not date or send fee.
• PFS Coversheet

2 – Complete the Parent Financial Statement (PFS) online at http://sss.nais.org.

3 – All parents (continuing and prospective, custodial and non-custodial) upload their 2010, 2011 and 2012 IRS Form 1040 with all supporting schedules, W-2’s and Form 4506 to School and Student Service.

4 – Submit the online PFS to School and Student Service for Financial Aid along with the filing fee by January 11, 2013 for returning families, or by February 2, 2013 for prospective or returning families applying for tuition assistance for the first time.  Print a copy of your online PFS submission to send to The Carey School CFO.

5 – Talk with The Carey School CFO, if necessary, about the tuition assistance program and your family’s specific needs.  Return The Carey School Tuition Assistance Application directly to the CFO as per the dates stated in the following outline.

6 – Meet all deadlines.  A late application can mean limited or no tuition assistance.

8 –Tuition Assistance decisions are mailed along with Admission decisions as per the dates in the following outline.  NOTE: All admission decisions are made regardless of financial need.

The Carey School Business Office is available to help.  Call us with your questions at 650-345-8205, x131.

The timeline for the Tuition Assistance process is as follows:

Applying for Tuition Assistance (Prospective Students)

November 1, 2012 through February 1, 2013	- Download The Carey School Tuition Assistance Program application form from The Carey School website (http://www.careyschool.org/admission/financial-assistance/). - Call or meet with Carey’s CFO, if necessary, to discuss questions regarding the application process and/or the filling out forms.
February 1, 2013	- Last date to upload forms to School and Student Service. - Last day to turn in Tuition Assistance Applications. - No new requests will be accepted after February 1, 2013.
Note: There is a 2-3 week turn-around time between submission of required forms to School and Student Service and the return of School and Student Service reports to The Carey School.

March 11-13, 2013 Tuition Assistance Committee meets

March 14, 2013 Tuition Assistance and Admission decisions mailed to prospective families

Applying for Tuition Assistance (Returning Students)

November 1, 2012 through January 11, 2013	- Download The Carey School Tuition Assistance Program application form from The Carey School website (http://www.careyschool.org/admission/financial-assistance/). - Call or meet with Carey’s CFO, if necessary, to discuss questions regarding the application process and/or the filling out forms.
January 11, 2013	- Last date to upload forms to School and Student Service. - Last day to turn in Tuition Assistance Applications. - No new requests will be accepted after January 11, 2013.
Note: There is a 2-3 week turn-around time between submission of required forms to School and Student Service and the return of School and Student Service reports to The Carey School.
February 1, 2013	- Applications and reports from School and Student Service reviewed by the Tuition Assistance Committee.
February 4, 2013	- Tuition Assistance decisions mailed to families.

Conditions under which tuition assistance shall be extended:

1.   All forms and fee required by the School and Student Service must be completed and submitted by the deadline indicated. Additionally, The Carey School Tuition Assistance Application must be submitted to The Carey School by the deadline indicated.

2.   Before offering Tuition Assistance to the general public, it shall be extended first to those qualified families who may be underrepresented in the school’s demographic and second to those qualified families already represented in Carey’ student population.

3.   The total tuition assistance extended at The Carey School may not exceed the amount budgeted for that fiscal year.

4.   The total tuition assistance extended at The Carey School shall be fully funded by the separately established tuition assistance funds.

5.   The per pupil cost of education shall serve as the basis upon which all tuition assistance is calculated.

6.   Tuition assistance may not be applied to any deposit.

7.   All tuition assistance shall be applied in portions of distribution equal to those of installments.

8.   Regular participation in school activities and consistent adherence to school rules and policies are required.

9.   The Tuition Assistance Committee reserves the right to revoke any tuition assistance, with or without cause, through a periodic review process.

10.  Given no significant change in a family’s financial situation, the Tuition Assistance Committee makes every effort to maintain tuition assistance granted to students for the duration of their attendance at The Carey School.  Families need to re-apply annually for tuition assistance, submit all forms as requested, and meet the stated deadlines.

11.  Specific criteria by which TUITION ASSISTANCE shall be extended:

• The family’s Income Tax Returns for the last three years and all tuition assistance application forms were received uploaded to School and Student Service by the deadline.
• Updated family Income Tax Returns, if requested by the Tuition Assistance Committee, must be received in the school’s office by the appropriate deadline.