Financial Aid Policy and Guidelines
Brookstone is a vibrant, diverse, and
welcoming community of students and families. Our goal is to enroll students
seeking a college-preparatory curriculum and extracurricular activities aimed
at fostering complete, well-rounded, and socially responsible individuals.
These aspirations are reflected in our
stewardship of financial aid. Brookstone financial aid awards provide access to
qualified students with demonstrated financial need. Within this context,
qualifying awards are made with the following considerations:
- Increasing
racial, ethnic, socio-economic, and geographical diversity
- Adding
exemplary talent, skill sets, and perspectives
- Managing
class size and enrollment trends
Important
Dates/ Financial Aid Deadlines: Our
Financial Assistance portal opens each year in February. Current
families will receive notice of award within one week of submitting a completed
application with appropriate tax documents. New families will receive notice of
student award after acceptance to the School and within two weeks of submitting
a completed aid application
with appropriate tax documents. Please note, failure to provide required tax
schedules may result in delayed decisions.
Financial
Aid Policy: Financial
aid decisions are determined by the Brookstone Financial Aid Committee through
an analysis of each family’s complete financial situation.
Please note:
● Brookstone does not discriminate in the
administration of its financial aid policies due to race, religion, national or
ethnic origin, gender, age, or sexual orientation.
●
Admission decisions are independent of the
ability to pay and/or the need for financial aid.
●
Brookstone maintains confidentiality and
expects the same of parents (and/or guardians). A breach of confidentiality may
result in the withdrawal of a financial aid award.
●
Brookstone believes it is first and foremost
the family’s responsibility to pay for education and expects every family to
put a priority on independent school education as a family expense.
●
If the gap between the parent’s stated ability
to pay and the School’s available financial aid is deemed too significant, the
School may not grant an award.
●
Financial Aid grants are for tuition only.
Families are expected to review additional fees as stated in the contract. It
is recommended that all families new to Brookstone and receiving financial
assistance set up an in-person meeting with the Assistant Head of School for
Finance and Operations to review all financial obligations prior to enrolling
their student.
●
Brookstone reserves the right to adjust or
withdraw financial aid at any time if discrepancies in financial information
provided are discovered. Awards are granted based on accurate filing of a
family's application and prior year tax returns. The most current tax returns
must be uploaded for review no
later than the stated IRS extension deadline. If information is inconsistent
with the application, an award may be adjusted at that time.
●
Families are expected to have a form of
income, and their demonstration of expenditure priorities is taken into
consideration during the analysis.
●
Financial aid will not be calculated or
granted to those students with outstanding balances of tuition and or fees.
●
The Financial Aid Committee exercises
discretion in evaluating applications. In the event that the total financial
aid need exceeds available funds, applicants will be considered in the
following order:
○
Current financial aid recipients
○
Current students new to financial aid
○
Current financial aid recipients needing a
significant increase
○
New students
●
Requesting families must adhere to the stated
deadlines and reapply each year.
●
Brookstone School reserves the right to
request additional documentation upon review of the completed application.
●
Financial aid funds are limited, and
Brookstone School is under no obligation to provide funding for late or
incomplete applications from currently enrolled students.
●
If a family believes the financial aid awarded
is insufficient to meet their needs, they may request reconsideration of a
grant in writing to the Assistant Head of School for Finance and Operations
with an explanation of information different from what was originally submitted
or an extenuating circumstance. The request may be taken back to the Financial
Aid Committee for further review.
Brookstone
School retains the right to change these guidelines and this policy at any time
at its sole discretion without notification thereof.
September 2024