 | Admissions Tuition & Financial Aid For the 2012-2013 academic year tuition at Epiphany School will be as follows:
Pre-kindergarten: $15,078
Kindergarten through fifth grade: $19,004
Epiphany School recognizes that the primary responsibility for financing a student’s independent school education rests with his or her family. The School has a history of making financial aid a priority to those families with a need who choose to send their child to an independent school. Throughout the financial aid application process, the School will consider the financial sacrifices and choices the family makes in affording their student’s education. We believe that every family should contribute at least a certain amount of money toward tuition.
Epiphany School has a strong commitment to students with diverse economic and social backgrounds. Every year, support from our endowment, our bi-annual Epiphany Parent Council fundraiser, Bravo!, our bi-annual school auction, and contributions from parents, alumni/ae, and friends make an Epiphany School education possible for our students. Financial aid awards are granted annually and are based on a family’s ability to meet the cost of an independent school education. They are not loans. They are awards that do not have to be paid back. This assistance is given to families who show financial need, defined as the difference between a child’s educational expenses and the family’s resources available to pay for such expenditures.
The financial aid process at Epiphany School is easy to navigate, as well as being highly confidential. The Epiphany School Business Office uses the Financial Aid for School Tuition (FAST) system, sponsored by the Independent School Management association, to process financial aid applications and collect necessary financial documents used to verify a family’s application. The FAST system relies on a standard methodology to assess each family’s resources and unique circumstances, to determine how much is available to contribute toward a child’s educational expenses. Final award decisions are made by the Epiphany School Financial Aid Committee, comprised of selected members of the School leadership team, which reviews applications anonymously – no identifying information is revealed to Committee Members. Epiphany School has a needs-blind admission process, meaning that admission decisions are made independent of the financial aid award process.
2013-2014 FINANCIAL AID - IMPORTANT DATES
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Returning Families
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New Families
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Financial Aid Information Night
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January 10, 2013 |
January 10, 2013
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FAST Application Deadline
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January 23, 2013
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February 6, 2013
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Copies of 2012 W2, 1099, Prospective 2013 Budget, Supporting Schedules
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February 6, 2013
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February 15, 2013
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Copy of filed 2011 Tax Return and supporting schedules
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February 6, 2013, if first time applicant
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February 15, 2013
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Enrollment Contracts Issued
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February 13, 2013
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March 14, 2013
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Signed Enrollment Contract with Deposit Deadline
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March 1, 2013
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March 25, 2013
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Copy of filed 2012 Tax Return and supporting schedules & Form 4506-T
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April 16, 2013
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April 16, 2013
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Often Asked Questions about Financial Aid | Q. | Should our family apply for financial aid? | | A. | A good rule of thumb is: if in doubt, apply. Few families find it “easy” to pay Epiphany School’s tuition. Most can adjust their spending priorities, maximize their earnings and carefully manage their assets. In some cases, financial assistance is necessary. It costs very little to apply and is worth trying. It is important to understand that every family’s situation is different and there is no specific income level at which a family no longer qualifies for financial aid. For the 2011-2012 academic year, the range of gross incomes of those receiving aid is $23,500 to $186,800. This year, Epiphany is providing financial aid to 34 students. The average tuition grant awarded is $13,206. Therefore, 14% of the student body is currently receiving over $445,000. Aside from tuition, grants are made to cover the costs of additional expenses such as Learning Skills, before and after school care, and after-school clubs, at the same percentage at which tuition is covered.
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| Q. | How do I apply for financial aid and what is the financial aid deadline? | | A. |
Applying for financial aid is a three-step process:
- Step 1 -Submit the online FAST application.
- Step 2 -Give the Business Office copies of your W2s, 1099s if applicable, Prospective 2013 Budget, and 2011 Tax Returns & Schedules if applicable.
- Step 3-Give the Business Office copies of your filed 2012 Tax Return & Schedules and a signed, undated Form 4506-T.
The FAST online application deadline is January 23, 2013 for returning families and February 6, 2013 for new families. For a complete calendar of deadlines, click here. |
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| Q. | How do I use the FAST system? | | A. | Print out the FAST worksheet and user guide to know and understand what information is needed. Complete the worksheet, then complete and submit the FAST application. |
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| Q. | Why does Epiphany School use the FAST system for financial aid applications? | | A. | After a comprehensive review of the programs available to facilitate the collection and analysis of financial aid applications, we believe FAST has the advantages of simplicity, ease of use for the families who are applying for aid, superior customer service (24 hours/7 days a week, toll-free), and rapid turnaround of completed aid applications.
If, in applying, you need additional assistance beyond what is provided by the FAST toll-free hotline, we are committed to aiding you in any way, including meeting with you one-on-one to assist you in entering your data into the FAST system, if necessary. Please contact Lonnie Herring, Business Manager, at (206) 720-7651 to schedule an appointment.
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| Q. | How much does it cost to use FAST? | | A. | FAST costs you nothing; Epiphany School pays the application fee charged by FAST. When you’ve entered all your information in FAST, you will be directed to an Application Payment screen. You will need to enter your name and address in order to submit your FAST application, but this is only so we can match submitted applications to reports we receive from FAST. You are not asked for credit card or check information. |
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| Q. | How does Epiphany School determine the amount of financial aid each family receives? | | A. | The Financial Aid Committee will review the recommendation from FAST, your prospective household budget, and your letter describing your family’s need (These are provided to the Committee with names redacted, to assure confidentiality). We may recalculate the suggested family contribution based on this information, school policy, and the availability of funds. Your expected contribution will then be subtracted from the tuition. This will determine your financial need. |
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| Q. | Can Epiphany School consider a financial aid request if the application is incomplete or the required documents are not provided by the deadline?
| | A. | No. Financial aid to a family will not be considered if the application and required documents are not received by the due dates. If we receive information well before the deadline, we will advise you if materials are missing prior to considering your request to give you a chance to submit the missing materials. However, if the application and required documents are received just before or on the due date, we cannot guarantee you will have an opportunity to provide the missing materials before your request is considered. |
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| Q. | When will families be notified of financial aid awards? | | A. | Continuing families will receive notification with the re-enrollment contract issued on February 13, 2013. New families receive notification of their financial aid award with their admission letter mailed on March 14, 2013. |
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| Q. | Whom should I contact with questions about the financial aid process? | | A. | Lonnie Herring, Epiphany School Business Manager, can answer questions both about the process as well as specific questions regarding your individual situation. She can be reached at 206-720-7651 or e-mailed at lherring@epiphanyschool.org. |
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| Q. | Will my child’s admission be affected if we apply for financial aid?
| | A. | Admission decisions are not influenced by financial need. The financial aid process is separate from the admission process. All admission decisions are made before financial aid applications are considered. Once a child has been admitted to Epiphany School, the Financial Aid Committee will then determine whether a student qualifies for an award and how much he will be awarded. Information about students on aid is confidential. |
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| Q. | What determines whether or not my student qualifies for financial aid? | | A. | FAST is an independent organization. It processes a family’s financial information, verifies the accuracy of that information, and provides receiving schools with the results of its assessment along with an estimate of the family’s ability to contribute toward the school’s tuition and other expenses. Epiphany School then makes its own determination of what the family is expected to pay. This entire process mirrors that used by colleges and universities in the United States. |
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| Q. | Do financial aid awards cover the full cost of tuition? | | A. | No. The Financial Aid Committee awards grants and makes financial aid decisions based on each family’s financial need. Currently, the maximum aid award possible is 95% of tuition due. For the 2012-2013 school year, the average financial aid award was equivalent to 70% of the tuition. |
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| Q. | How much financial aid is awarded each year? | | A. | The total amount of financial aid available is determined by the Board of Trustees annually. In the 2012-2013 school year, 14% of Epiphany School students are receiving financial aid totaling more than $445,004. |
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| | Financial Aid Application Requirements |