TUITION AID APPLICATION DEADLINE was February 15th
After February 15th, please contact our Admissions Director Susan Nagel (email admissions@fsmn.org or call
651-971-0636)about possible remaining
tuition aid funds. Your tuition aid application must be accompanied by a
school application. |
Friends School is committed to an economically diverse student
body and welcomes the opportunity to provide financial support
to families who need it to help send their children to the
school. About 12% of our total budget is devoted to tuition
aid, and that money supports about 35% of our student body.
We hope your questions about tuition aid at Friends School
of Minnesota are answered below.
What kind of financial aid does Friends School provide?
Families who have difficulty paying full tuition are encouraged
to apply for tuition aid, which consists of grants which do
not need to be repaid. The criterion for tuition aid is financial
need. The school expects families to finance their children’s
education to the extent that they can. Because families’
financial status can change from year to year, families must
re-apply for tuition aid every year
How can I tell if my situation demonstrates financial need?
If you feel that you are unable to afford full tuition, you are
encouraged to apply for tuition aid. In 2004-2005, about 80% of
the families receiving aid had a gross income of less than $50,000,
and 50% had a gross income of less than $35,000. Every family's
financial situation is unique, however, so income alone does not
determine need. Other assets, family size, and unusual expenses are
all additional factors which affect the decision-making process.
If my family has been in the school but never applied for
aid, should we apply now?
We expect that families who begin by paying full tuition
to the school will continue to do so unless unforeseen circumstances
make that impossible. We advise families not to go to extraordinary
lengths to pay full tuition their first year in the hope of
receiving tuition assistance the next year. However, if your
financial situation has changed significantly since you joined
the school, you should apply for aid. The school makes every
effort to be helpful in the case of circumstances beyond a
family’s control (for example, loss of job or unexpected
illness). The school is usually not able to support parents
who choose to make a change in their employment status which
reduces their income (for example, a working parent who returns
to school, or a parent who chooses to quit his/her job to
start a business).
Who makes decisions about financial aid?
Financial aid applications are reviewed by the Tuition Aid
Committee. All information is confidential.
How are decisions made?
The Tuition Aid Committee makes decisions that help the school
honor its commitment to building a diverse and inclusive community.
Some of the criteria considered include families who are receiving
aid who continue to demonstrate need; entering students who
are Quakers; children of color; staff children; or siblings
of current students; and returning families who demonstrate
need for the first time.
How is the amount of an award determined?
We use information from the School and Scholarship Service
for Financial Aid (SSS), along with materials each family
sends directly to us as the basis for calculating the size
of the award. SSS makes a needs assessment using information
that families provide through a standardized form. The school
and SSS consider the family primarily responsible for financing
a child's education.
If I am eligible will I receive an FSM grant?
The amount of tuition aid requested sometimes exceeds the
amount we have to offer, even for qualifying families. If
we do not have assistance available when initial awards are
made, you will be placed on a waiting list. If money becomes
available later, you will receive notification of your award
at that time. We are usually able to assist most of the families
who apply for tuition aid.
How much money will I receive?
The amount of money you receive depends on your need and
the number of other families requesting aid. For information
on tuition amounts and payment
plans, click here.
Will I receive the same amount of tuition aid every year?
If your financial circumstances remain the same, you can
generally expect to receive the same-sized award each year.
For example, if you initially got half of the total tuition,
and there is no change in your financial situation, you will
most likely receive half of the total tuition again the next
year that you apply.
How do I apply for tuition aid?
There are three steps:
(1) Complete the Friends School
Financial Aid Form. If you are a AFDC or MFIP recipient,
complete the Alternative Financial
Aid Form for MFIP Recipients instead. Instructions
for the Financial Aid Form are available by clicking here.
You will also find income guidelines for those who can waive
the SSS fee in this instruction sheet.
(2) Complete the SSS form, make a copy for Friends School,
and mail the original to SSS. Be sure to include the processing
fee. Families receiving public assistance are not required
to use the SSS form or to pay the processing fee.
(3) Provide the Friends School Tuition Aid Committee with
a completed income tax return, including applicable schedules
and copies of W-2's and 1099's from all adults who are responsible
for the child’s welfare.
The school expects financial support from a child’s
biological parents as well as from the adults a child lives
with (step-parents and partners). Tuition aid applications
will be processed only when complete information is received
from all of those parties, regardless of marital status. Please
be aware that we also believe that divorced or separated parents
have an ethical obligation to contribute to their children’s
educational expenses whether or not they have a legal obligation
to do so. Although a divorced parent may have a court-ordered
agreement that s/he is not responsible for paying school tuition,
Friends School still requires financial information from that
parent.
When should I apply?
The application forms are available in early January. All
three of the items listed in the previous paragraph must be
completed by February 15th. Applications which are completed
by the tuition aid deadline are considered before those which
are turned in late. If you want to apply, please call the
Friends School office at 651-917-0636 and we will send you
the necessary forms.
What do I need to know to help my own planning for the tuition
aid process?
As you plan for the long term, remember that tuition will
increase each year, usually between five and seven percent.
There are also increases in tuition when a student enters
grades five and seven. Even if the percentage of tuition aid
you are awarded remains the same, the amount of tuition you
pay is very likely to be somewhat higher each year.
When do I find out if my child is to receive an FSM grant?
You receive this information with the letter of acceptance
in early April. It will tell you:
(a) the amount of the grant you have been awarded, or
(b) that you are eligible for a grant, but are on the waiting
list until funds become available, or
(c) that you do not qualify for a Friends School grant.
If you are on the waiting list, you will not be asked to
make a commitment to enroll unless you receive an award. Sometimes
funds become available as late as the end of the summer.
What can I do to make the process of applying for aid as
smooth as possible?
Please be aware that the application deadline is in mid-February.
That means that you will need to have your income taxes filed
by that time. It is helpful to the Tuition Aid Committee—and
to your application—if all of the required materials
arrive by the deadline. It is also important that your application
be complete. If you have not provided information that is
required, your request cannot be processed. If your completed
application arrives after the deadline, you will be placed
on a waiting list for consideration after initial awards are
made.
If you have any questions that are not answered here, please
call us at 651-917-0636 and we will get the information you
need. Thank you for choosing Friends School. We look forward
to the opportunity to work with you in a partnership that
brings your children and your family to this community.
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