Thank you for applying for Tuition assistance with Shining Mountain Waldorf School.  Before you begin, please make sure you have read the Guidelines below for the Tuition Assistance (TA) program.

Tuition Assistance (TA) Program Guidelines

Program Overview

Shining Mountain is a non-profit organization that is fully dependent on tuition.  SMWS receives no support, government or otherwise, to run the school. The tuition revenue that we receive does not fully cover the cost of our programs. We depend on each family to pay tuition at their highest ability, and for families who have the capacity, to donate to Shining Mountain beyond their tuition.  Tuition Assistance (or TA) is only funded by other members of our community who are paying full tuition or donate to the school beyond their capacity to pay tuition. Students must be in kindergarten – 12th grade to be eligible for TA; TA is not offered for Preschool.

All TA awards are need-based awards. TA awards are gifts, not loans; they range in amount but are never full tuition awards.  The TA program has a limited amount of funds available, and our goal is to support as many families as we can within those limitations. Although your FACTS application may reflect a higher need, the school may not be able to meet your level of need.

SMWS recognizes that there are lifestyle sacrifices needed to afford a private school education and that families applying for assistance through the TA program have explored those sacrifices before applying for aid. SMWS assumes that families have exhausted all their available resources before applying for assistance through the TA program.

TA is only awarded to families once a student has gone through the Admissions process and been accepted. Once the TA Committee has reviewed your application and made their decision, the TA Committee will notify applicants of their award amount.

o    A completed TA application. Questions about completing the form can be addressed by phone at 866-441-4637 or by email at [email protected].

o    A copy of your completed tax return for the most recent tax year. If you have not received W2 forms, you may use the last pay stub from the most recent year-end to estimate income. We may ask for more supporting documentation to verify income such as bank statements, if tax returns are not available or there is income not reported on a tax return.  

o    Letter of Need (optional) – A personal letter outlining any extenuating circumstances is optional. Such a letter can be included with your documents and uploaded to FACTS.  This letter allows you to highlight the unique details that you would want to be expressly understood in the review process, which may not be reflected in the FACTS application.

FAQs

Parent employment

SMWS assumes that each parent has the capacity to be an earner and contribute to costs of tuition and that both parents are employed if all students in the family are in Grade 1 or older. 

Families with separate households

Families with separate households must have each parent complete an application for TA. SMWS requires complete financial information (an application via FACTS) from both the custodial and non-custodial parents, including the Parent’s Financial Statement form and tax forms. This information is collected in an attempt to determine the ability, not the willingness, of each parent to financially support their child’s education. If there is only one legal guardian (and there is no financial support from another parent/guardian), that parent must state so in writing as a part of the application and include legal documentation from a judge, attorney, certified clergy member, or licensed therapist, stating the sole financial responsibility rests with one parent/guardian. Parents must restate/resubmit this in writing on an annual basis. 

Change in Financial Circumstances

We expect families who begin paying full tuition to the school will continue to do so unless unforeseen circumstances make that impossible. If your financial situation has changed since your child/children started at SMWS, you may consider applying for TA.

SMWS makes every effort to be helpful when circumstances are beyond a family’s control (i.e., loss of job, death in the family, or unexpected illness), but the school is usually not able to support parents who choose to make a change in their employment status that reduces their income (i.e., a working parent who returns to school, or a parent who chooses to quit their job to start a business).

Mid-Year Applications

A minimum of 2-weeks processing time will occur between the time of all documentation and application parts submitted, to receiving an award response. Midyear TA awards are based on aid-availability. Should your need increase or decrease significantly, SMWS will reevaluate your financial award. You agree to notify the TA Committee if your financial status has improved and you have a greater ability to pay tuition.

Re-applying each year

Financial need and awards are recalculated every year, using current information. Families are required to re-apply for TA annually. If there is little change in a family’s circumstances, one can expect that grants will be renewed at a similar level, within the school’s ability to fund it.

Confidentiality

Final award decisions are made by the TA Committee based on the recommendations from FACTS. All information is held in the utmost confidence. By accepting a TA award, you agree that the award will remain confidential and details are not to be shared with others – including other SMWS community members. 

Simple Steps to Apply for Financial Aid:

1. If you are an Existing FACTS user, please enter your existing username and password     and click “Sign In”. If you are a New FACTS User please select “Create username & password”.

2. Click on Start Application for financial aid

3. Select the appropriate school year

4. Complete the steps as prompted