Tuition Assistance Program

Tuition Assistance Program Priority Deadline for new families is February 23, 2025.

The TA application for new families will be made available the first week of January 2025.

TUITION ASSISTANCE INFORMATION AND ELIGIBILITY

The Waldorf School of Santa Barbara’s (WSSB) community is stronger when it encompasses families from all socioeconomic backgrounds. Tuition Assistance (TA) is a privilege we are proud to offer at our school. We strive to balance TA funding for families in need with our fiscal responsibility to support the entire school. WSSB’s Tuition Assistance (TA) program is designed to provide students with an opportunity to receive a Waldorf education that might otherwise be unobtainable and to provide the school with a diverse student body.  Our Tuition Assistance Program strives to assist middle and lower income families. At the same time, WSSB expects families to make this education a top priority in the budgeting of their home economy. We encourage parents to look beyond WSSB’s resources for assistance in paying tuition (for example: receiving help from extended family members).  Acceptance of a child to WSSB is not tied to the financial contribution a family can make. While families apply for Tuition Assistance concurrently to the admissions process, the decisions regarding acceptance of a child and TA amounts are made separately.

PRACTICES

Selection: Financial need is the first requirement for tuition assistance. During the tuition assistance process we work to balance the financial needs of the family with the financial needs of the school.

Renewals: All tuition adjustments are made for one year and may be renewed or adjusted subject to the parents completing the required annual application, the school’s annual budget, and the continued meeting of the admissions criteria of the school.

Computation: The Waldorf School of Santa Barbara subscribes to the principles of FACTS for tuition assistance. FACTS provides us, at the request of parents, a financial analysis based on the confidential statement of need. It is important to note that the FACTS report provides a framework for the decisions made by the School. FACTS processes applications beginning in February for the following school year.

Priorities: Consideration for budgeted tuition assistance funds is given in the following order. (We do not reserve funds for families whose required FACTS application or other forms are received late.)

  1. Applications for current tuition assistance recipients who have completed the renewal requirements by the stated deadlines.

  2. Applications for currently enrolled students who have not previously applied for aid, who have completed requirements by the stated deadline.

  3. Applications from candidates accepted for admissions that have completed requirements by the stated deadline.

  4. Renewal and new applications completed after specified deadlines.

OUTSTANDING BALANCES

The School will determine the amount of assistance with the understanding that it will not go into effect until any outstanding balance with WSSB has been settled or a written agreement for payment has been made with the School.

DIVORCE AND SEPARATION

Tuition assistance is determined by a family’s ability to meet educational expenses. In general, it is the position of the School that divorced or separated parents retain the obligation to contribute to the education of their children whether or not there is a legal agreement between them to do so. The School requests that both natural parents provide financial information each year. In addition, if the custodial parent has remarried, the stepparent’s financial information should also be provided. All parties responsible for tuition payment are requested to sign all documents. If requested information is not provided or available, the custodial parent must provide a written explanation. The application provides guidance for families with two households.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

There may be times when a family feels that their financial statements do not give a complete picture of the family’s circumstances. This is often true in cases of separation and divorce or when job situations change. In these cases, families should include a written explanation in a Letter of Request for TA.

CHANGE IN FINANCES

A family who experiences an unfortunate change in their economic situation after an award has been granted may submit in writing new information not previously considered for possible additional assistance. Those families who experience an improvement in their economic situation should notify the School which will determine if the assistance needs to be changed.

CONFIDENTIALITY

All financial and tax information is held in confidence by WSSB. We feel strongly that the success of our Tuition Assistance program depends heavily on the confidentiality of the tuition assistance files. We expect all parents who apply for tuition assistance to observe the same level of confidentiality. A break in confidentiality by recipients of TA may lead to a loss of awarded assistance.

WE EMBRACE DIVERSITY

The Waldorf School of Santa Barbara is non-sectarian and does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, gender, age, marital status, religion, mental or physical disability, sexual preference, pregnancy, or special disabled veteran status (Vietnam era or other covered veteran status) in its educational, administrative, admission, athletic, or school programs and policies.

ELIGIBILITY CHECKLIST

Before you embark on the process of applying for Tuition Assistance, please note the specific eligibility criteria delineated below. 

  • Families applying for TA are required to submit an online FACTS application and supporting documentation requested by FACTS.

  • All items are submitted directly to FACTS.  The application link will be available the first week of January.

  • Applicants must agree to an independent, in-depth analysis of both parents’ finances/assets in order to determine your family’s eligibility for Tuition Assistance. The application provides guidance for split households.

  • WSSB’s priority is to award assistance to the families with the most need. Lifestyle choices that result in increased non-necessary expenses or decreased discretionary income cannot be underwritten by WSSB. Approval for TA requires that a Waldorf education be among my family’s highest priorities for discretionary spending.

  • If only one parent is gainfully employed, and if there are no dependent children at home under 6 years old, WSSB will add into your application an imputed income equivalent to a full time minimum wage. This will decrease the amount of assistance available to your family.

  • A family’s liquid assets in excess of 3 months income or retirement assets/accounts in excess of $75,000 will be factored into the FACTS program that determines TA eligibility.

  • Applicants are required to clearly state the annual amount they are able to pay in tuition (in the online TA application). In the case of split households, each parent must state his/her own ability to pay. This is not an invitation to negotiate - WSSB needs an honest assessment of what each parent/family can afford to pay. Please note that if the gap between your stated ability to pay and the TADS independent assessment of your family’s ability to pay is substantially different, WSSB may not offer any tuition assistance at all. 

  • Tuition Assistance agreements are held in the strictest confidence with a deep respect for privacy. Applicants agree that sharing the particulars of the family’s Tuition Assistance agreement with other families will result in loss of these privileges and the family will revert to a full pay enrollment agreement.  WSSB will withdraw any offer or award of tuition assistance upon discovery of false or misleading information, or if the application is deemed incomplete.

TIMELINE

The Tuition Assistance Program Priority Deadline for new families is February 23, 2025.  Families must complete and submit their TA application online by this date.  

Once the TA application is processed, families will receive an award notice via email, which can be accepted or declined, with instructions on how to proceed.