Financial Aid FAQ

All applications for financial aid are handled in the strictest confidence by the Financial Aid Committee. The Lycée is committed to the privacy of our families; students receiving aid are not identified. In the same way, families are asked to keep the terms of their awards confidential and to discuss such support only with the business office.

All students are eligible to apply for Financial Aid starting in Nursery (Petite Section).

A family should apply for Financial Aid if, after evaluating all other resources (i.e. French government, U.N. or other non-Lycée grants, familial help, etc.), they determine they cannot afford the tuition without assistance. All applications should be submitted simultaneously to other sources of assistance, and respect the various deadlines.

The Admissions and Financial Aid applications are separate processes. Families applying for admission to the School are welcome to apply for financial aid. The Financial Aid program is need-based, and families are awarded Financial Aid accordingly.

Financial Aid is awarded on the basis of need after a family has explored all other options. Each case is analyzed by a third-party administrator (Blackbaud Financial Aid Management), and assessed individually by the school’s Financial Aid Committee. The Lycée assumes that families applying have given prioritization to their child’s education in the allocation of their resources.  All families are expected to contribute a minimum amount that is meaningful to them.

Yes, families must reapply to the Lycée for Financial Aid each year.

 

Typically, Financial Aid awards are based on a family’s most recent financial information (tax returns or W-2 forms).  Please see the application form of our third-party administrator.

The School does not offer a discount for large families. However, the award calculation effected by our third-party administrator takes into account the number of children in the family.

The ability or willingness of extended family members to pay tuition may be considered when making an award. The existence of student assets is taken into consideration when reviewing need.

In most instances, the Lycée cannot subsidize a family's decision to make a significant lifestyle change. However, the School will consider individual cases based on a detailed explanation of circumstances, particularly if outside a family’s control.

Since it is our belief that families bear the primary responsibility for financing the education of their children, it is our policy to expect both parents to contribute financially. If a parent is not working for pay, additional income equal to tuition will be imputed into the calculation. This policy does not require the parent to work. It only attempts to adjust the level of need by accounting for the income that the parent could earn if he or she chose to work.

Exceptions to this policy may occur if a parent is caring for a child not yet of school age, a child with a disability, a seriously ill child, parent, or grandparent, or if a parent is disabled and cannot work. Each application is evaluated individually. Please inform the Financial Aid Office in writing of these circumstances at the time of your initial application, and also append the letter to your Blackbaud Financial Aid Management application.

At the Lycee, we hold both parents responsible for their children’s education expenses. The custodial parent(s) is (are) required to submit complete applications for Financial Aid.This information is collected in an attempt to determine the ability, not the willingness, of each parent to financially support their child’s education.

Families always have the opportunity to ask for the committee to reconsider their situation, which may be acted upon should circumstances have changed, and, in that situation, may yield a different award.

Should a family’s situation be financially stable from one year to the next, the family can expect a comparable level of financial aid in that next year.

Given that the awarding of Financial Aid generally follows the May 1 financial contractual commitment, consideration will be given to the continuity of financial aid in the case of a positive evolution of the family’s financial circumstances.

With great demand on our Financial Aid budget, once a school year begins, our funds have been largely allocated. To the extent that there is a budget available, the school will re-examine and consider an additional award. At the same time, we assume that families are working to address the circumstances that led to the emergency Financial Aid request.