Posts tagged as:

Financial Aid

NYC Private School Need-Based Grants

by NYC Private Schools on March 10, 2010

Many families are looking for more information about different types of Financial Aid. Just as a family plays it smart and helps their child apply to more than one NYC Private School, so too do families check off all of their Financial Aid options and make sure that every base is covered. If one type of aid is denied, perhaps another will be accepted; perhaps even a combination will be available. During difficult financial times, knowing your options is a potent power.

Need-Based Grants

For many families, the Need-Based Grant is a wonderful form of Financial Aid. Most schools can offer need-based grants to students and families in order to enable students to attend, regardless of the family’s income, as long as the student qualifies for acceptance and has found the right match in that school. Essentially, that translates to a child who has been accepted to the school but the family is finding it difficult to pay tuition.

  • Because no one simply hands out need based grants without checking on the needs portion, there are some paperwork and applications that have to be filled out. Supporting documentation will be required to verify income and determine the family’s ability to contribute to tuition. Families that are able to show a demonstrated need may be provided with a grant to decrease the burden of tuition on their family.
  • Need-based grants aren’t designed to cover the entire cost of tuition, however. The family is expected to contribute to costs depending on their financial situation and those contributing costs are often assessed on a sliding scale based.
  • Many families appreciate the design of need-based grants because they do not need to be paid back to the school as they are not a loan. The money for these grants comes directly from the school’s financial aid budget.

If you are a parent of a child attending a NYC Private School and you believe that your family will need financial assistance to afford tuition in the upcoming school year, please don’t hesitate. Talk to your school now to see what options are available.


{ 0 comments }

Older Students Switching to Private School

by NYC Private Schools on January 14, 2010

The classic environment for admissions into NYC Private School is an eager and hopeful parents with young child, Pre-K or entering Kindergarten, who is about to embark on an educational journey they will benefit from for the rest of their lives. What happens when the journey begins in a public school, though? And what happens when that child is older and making the decision to attend private school all by themselves? A less common scenario, but a very real one indeed.

Many older students make the choice to apply to and attend private schools, even though they are already attending a public school in New York. The reasons behind these choices can vary widely and there are very real obstacles in their path.

Choosing Private School

  • Older children must first convince their parents that they wish to attend private school for the right reasons, i.e. education and opportunity
  • Older children also have to understand the effect on the family budget and look into potential financial aid sources.

While some parents may initially wonder if social issues are pressuring the change to a private school, they should keep in mind that social difficulties in school can dramatically affect a child’s academic performance and set the stage for series of academic failures in the near future. If your child wishes to switch to a private school for this reason, it is possible that you are entering into a win-win situation. Your child will get a fresh start at a private school and you will ensure a better education for your child’s future.

For older children who wish to make the switch to Private School, they have a difficult but highly rewarding opportunity ahead of them and they should be encouraged to explore that opportunity and the lifelong benefits of such an educational experience.


{ 0 comments }

Private To Public in the News

January 10, 2010

A fascinating article published in USA Today’s education section followed different groups of families, who, due to economic difficulties, left private schools and entered their children into various public schools. The lengthy article makes liberal use of quotes from many parents and a few school officials that are supposed to serve as a looking [...]

Read the full article �

NYC Private School Financial Aid

January 7, 2010

Financial Aid is, for many families, the only way to afford a NYC Private School education for their child. It is very important to make sure that your Financial Aid applications are completed and sent in on time. Remember that a large amount of schools process their FA applications and determine the number [...]

Read the full article �

Student Sponsor Partners and NYC Private Schools

November 26, 2009

Student Sponsor Partners (SSP), founded in 1986 by NYC investment banker Peter Flanigan,
provides at-risk NYC high school students a quality, non-public high school education, through the financial support and one-to-one guidance of a four-year Sponsor/mentor.
In addition to paying a significant portion of students’ tuition, Sponsors provide their students with academic guidance throughout their four [...]

Read the full article �

Getting In…Kindergarten, Part 6

November 12, 2009

Finally, Pamela French’s “Getting In…Kindergarten,” part 6, where we learn where each of the three children will attend school. Among the NYC schools, topics, and people highlighted: admissions decisions, waitlists, financial aid, Hunter College Elementary School, Horace Mann School, Allen-Stevenson School, St. David’s School, Browning School, Trinity School, The Cathedral School, Dalton School, St. Bernard’s [...]

Read the full article �

Getting In…Kindergarten, Part 5

November 2, 2009

Here is Pamela French’s “Getting In…Kindergarten,” part 5. Among the NYC schools, topics, and people highlighted: Wendy Levy from Ephiphany Community Nursery School; Marlene Barron from Westside Montessori School; Browning School; feedback to preschool directors; Columbia Grammar and Preparatory School; Dalton School; brokering; Andrew Marks, journalist; small group interview; The Cathedral School; first choice letters; [...]

Read the full article �

Financial Aid Applications Upcoming

October 28, 2009

Every year the National Association of Independent Schools works to improve its Financial Aid services. The NAIS provides the School and Student Services financial aid management service for students of schools that are and are not a part of the NAIS. Few realize that the financial aid service is offered even to private [...]

Read the full article �

Getting In…Kindergarten, Part 2

October 20, 2009

If you have not yet seen Pamela French’s “Getting In…Kindergarten,” part 1, here it is again. It gives you a taste of the “insanity” of the kindergarten admissions process in NYC:

And now, here is “Getting In…Kindergarten,” part 2. Among the NYC schools, topics, and people highlighted: Wendy Levy from Ephiphany Community Nursery School, Marlene Barron [...]

Read the full article �

NYC Private School Admissions Trends

October 10, 2009

What’s new with private school admissions? As a private schools educational consultant, I’m privy to the latest news from applicants and current families. Here’s what I’m seeing and hearing:
1. Admission for kindergarten remains extremely competitive at the most sought-after private schools. Demand for seats [...]

Read the full article �

← Previous Entries

Bad Behavior has blocked 503 access attempts in the last 7 days.