FINANCIAL AID & HOW TO APPLY

 

The policy of funding most of the school’s annual operating expenses is with tuition dollars. Therefore, tuition controls, in large part, the quality of the education AGBU MDS is able to offer. While recognizing that some sacrifice is appropriate for something as crucial as children’s education, the Board acknowledges that financial assistance will be necessary to build and maintain the sort of student body AGBU MDS aspires to have.

 

In order for us to allocate our resources wisely and fairly, we have enlisted the help of the Smart Aid program. Smart Aid does not decide whether financial assistance will be given or how much to give; rather, Smart Aid provides a need-based financial aid analysis service. Smart Aid provides the school with a report, which includes a recommendation of what a family should reasonably contribute toward tuition. All information from Smart Aid is kept confidential and applications are reviewed by the Finance Committee. As a reminder, kindly note that you must reapply each year.

 

        

FINANCIAL AID ONLINE APPLICATION INSTRUCTIONS 

 

 

Section 1 – Household Information

Parent/Guardian: Enter the parent or guardian’s contact information. Dependent: Enter all dependents that live in the household. For dependents in college, select the “attending another private school” status option.

 

Section 2 – Selecting A School

Enter your school’s five-digit code or name in the search box. If you want to search for schools near you that are participating in the Smart Aid program, you can search by city and state. Make your selection by checking the select check box. Once a school or multiple schools are selected, you will then need to select the student(s) you wish to apply for aid at the appropriate school(s). After the school(s) have been selected, you will then need to select the upcoming grade for the student, student code (if applicable), and expected tuition (if applicable) for the upcoming year. Clicking “next” after each section will allow you to move on to each subsequent section.

 

Section 3 – Income & Expenses

Enter any income the household receives; employment, business or supplemental. If the work status is selected as ‘employed’, ‘self-employed’, ‘unemployed, receiving benefits’, or ‘disabled, receiving benefits,’ you will be required to enter this income source in the appropriate section before moving through the application. Please enter all expenses as they pertain to your household.

 

Section 4 – Assets & Debts

Enter all assets and debts as they pertain to your household.

 

Section 5 – Special Circumstances

Check off any special circumstance that pertains to your household. If no option available best describes your household’s circumstance, please check ‘other’ and describe your situation. This information is confidential and will only be available to designated School Administration and Smart Aid staff.

 

Section 6 – Submit

Agree to Smart Aid’s terms and conditions, then click SUBMIT to complete your online application.

 

Please be sure to enter all fields with accuracy.

 

Frequently Asked Questions

 

Q: Who should complete this aid application?

A: Whomever the child resides with should complete this application whether it is a parent, grandparent, aunt/uncle, or legal guardian. There is a section within the application where you can enter contributions from non-custodial parents and relatives.

 

Q: Why do I need to input my spouse’s information if I am remarried and they are not legally responsible for my children?

A: Smart Aid’s calculation works off of the total household income, therefore including all income, whether the party is legally responsible for your children or not. Our system however, does take into effect your spouse’s expenses as well as their income. It is important to list all expenses that are asked of within the application.

 

Q: I do not have the required tax documents. HELP!

A: Include the most recent tax documentation you have available. If you are asked for a specific line from a tax document that you have not yet completed, please estimate the projected amount.

 

Q: How will I know if I qualify for aid or not?

A: We do not disclose information about the results of your application. All final tuition aid decisions, including notification of an award amount (if any); will be made by your school. For the date award notices will be given, please contact your school directly.

 

Q: What if I want to edit my application?

A: Once an application has been submitted and paid for it can no longer be edited by a parent. However, if changes are necessary a written statement with the change (including the application ID), should be sent to support@smartaidforparents.com.