Tuition and Financial Aid

Tuition for lower, middle and upper school students for the 2008-2009 school year is $25,500.00. Official enrollment requires a signed contract with a deposit of 10% tuition.

Additional Yearly Expenses

  • Book and Activity fees (vary by school) $400 - $825
  • Technology fee (all students) $300
  • Laptop fee (grades 6,7,9,10) $700
  • Physical Education uniform (students in grades 6 thru 12 only)
    • Gym shorts - $15
    • Tee shirts - $10
  • Available for purchase at Hughes House
  • Optional lunch plan available

Payment Options
Payments may be made by personal check or credit card (Visa or MasterCard).

  • Option 1: Payment in full by August 1
  • Option 2: 65% of tuition due by August 1
    • Final payment (remaining 35%) due by January 1
  • Option 3: Monthly installment plan through F.A.C.T.S. (automatic withdrawal required on the 5th or 20th of each month)
    • First payment is August
    • Final payment is May

 

FINANCIAL AID POLICY AND PROCEDURE

Financial Aid Timeline

Once students have been accepted for admission, families may apply for need-based financial aid. The Financial Aid review process begins in February.

To be considered for financial aid, families must submit the following:

  1. Parents' Financial Statement (PFS) Form - You may obtain the form on-line at http://www.nais.org/financialaid/SSS or from the Business Office at Woodlynde School. The PFS must be submitted to the office of School and Student Services (SSS) in Princeton, NJ. To contact SSS by telephone, call 866-387-2601.
             a. Parents who are separated or divorced must each file a separate PFS form.
             b. Fee Waiver - To determine if you qualify for a waiver of the PFS application fee, please call Irene van Zijl in the Woodlynde School Business Office at 610-293-6558.
  2. Personal Tax Returns
             a. Federal Tax Return - a signed copy of the most recent return, including all schedules, copies of W2 forms and business returns
             b. State Income Tax Return - signed copy of the most recent return

Information regarding additional private school scholarship opportunities can be found by visiting the National Association of Independent Schools' website at http://www.nais.org.

Divorce or Separation
Because financial aid is based on a family's ability to meet the cost of an education at Woodlynde School, we require financial information from all parents and step-parents. The School cannot be bound by the assertion of one parent that he or she is not responsible for education expenses. Thus, all parents must provide the information that is required on the Parents' Financial Statement as well as complete Federal Income Tax forms each year. All information is required for accurate and fair assessment of need. Incomplete information may result in a diminished award or no award at all.

Our Commitment
We make every effort to accommodate parents who apply for financial aid. To help us expedite the process, it is essential that you submit your application materials in a timely manner because aid is awarded on a first come – first served basis, and requests may exceed availability. Please also remember that need-based grants are intended to aid families without the resources to afford a Woodlynde School education by themselves. We expect families to pursue all possible sources of funding for their child, whether they be scholarships, local, state or national funding, help from relatives, etc. If the student enrolls at Woodlynde School, the family must provide information on all (including anticipated) financial assistance from all other sources, and Woodlynde reserves the right to adjust or withdraw financial aid based on information not reported during the application process.

"Bridging the Gap" from ADVIS
We recognize that some families may not qualify for aid but are still interested in ways to help pay the cost of an independent school education. The Association of Delaware Valley Independent Schools (ADVIS) has prepared the following document describing financial strategies for paying tuition to its member schools. Please click here to read that document.

Outside Sources of Funding - Opportunities for additional financial support

The Ellis Foundation
The Charles E. Ellis Grant and Scholarship Fund for Girls is available to students in grades 8 - 12 who reside in Philadelphia full time, who live in a household where one or both parents are absent or one parent is disabled, who have grades of C or better in major subjects, and who have a gross family income that does not exceed the amounts set by the foundation. Families are responsible for completing all paperwork and meeting established deadlines. The maximum award amount for private school students is currently $7,000. The award is renewable each year as long as the family continues to qualify financially and all paperwork is complete by the stated deadlines. Applications are available beginning in January.

White-Williams Scholars
215 South Broad Street, 5th floor
Philadelphia, PA 19107
215-735-4484
www.wwscholars.org/ellis/

The Children's Scholarship Fund of Philadelphia (CSFP)
Parents apply online or by written application directly to the CSFP by March 1. Awards are made by lottery and the maximum award for private school students is currently $1,900 per year, renewable for four years through 8th grade. Both the school and family must sign documents each year by stated deadlines to ensure that funds are received. This year 1500 new scholarships have been added for children entering grades K - 5. CSFP will consider the first 7,000 families to apply before March 1st.

Children's Scholarship Fund of Philadelphia
P.O. Box 22463
Philadelphia, PA 19110
215-670-8411
www.csfphiladelphia.org

 

QUESTIONS
Should you have questions or require further clarification regarding the financial aid process, please contact Woodlynde School Business Manager, Irene van Zijl by e-mail or phone (610-293-6558).