Financial Aid

A Westtown School education is an important investment in your child’s future. Though the primary responsibility for financing a Westtown education lies with the immediate and extended family, the cost of this education would prove prohibitive for many were it not for the availability of financial aid. The Westtown School Financial Aid Program enables the school to enroll talented and well-qualified students who will contribute to and benefit from the learning process here, regardless of their families’ economic circumstances.

For the 2008-2009 school year, Westtown awarded $4.6 million in financial aid. All financial aid awards are based solely on the family’s financial need as determined by the Financial Aid Office. Westtown School’s financial aid program reflects a special commitment to the enrollment of Quakers, alumni children and historically disadvantaged American students of color. In fact, because the cost of educating each student exceeds the price of tuition, all students at Westtown, in effect, receive financial aid. All information regarding financial aid candidates, including the names of recipients, is held in confidence.

Financial aid is awarded according to demonstrated financial need. The financial aid application process and awards are confidential.

Deadline for application is January 15th

How do I apply for financial aid for the 2009-10 academic year?

• Current families: Must complete a new Financial Aid Application each year.
• Prospective families: Indicate your interest in applying for financial aid on the Westtown School application for admission. Financial Aid Applications are usually available in early November and will be mailed automatically to families who have requested to receive financial aid information.
• In mid-November, please visit www.nais.org/go/sss and submit the Parents’ Financial Statement (PFS) on-line, if possible. The School and Student Service (SSS) is able to process on-line applications much more quickly than paper applications. This speeds up the financial aid process for both the school and the family. Please print a copy of your on-line application for your records before you submit the information to SSS.
• If you are unable to apply on-line, please complete a paper application and make two copies of your completed PFS. Mail one to the Director of Admissions and Financial Aid at Westtown School by January 15th. Keep the second copy for your files. Send the completed original PFS to the Student Scholarship Service in the envelope provided by January 15th. Our mailing address is: Westtown School, Director of Admissions and Financial Aid, Westtown Road, P.O. Box 1799, Westtown, PA 19395-1799.
• Each self-employed parent must fill out the Business/Farm Statement, in addition to the Parent Financial Statement (PFS). This form can be downloaded and printed by visiting www.nais.org/go/sss and selecting the Forms and Publications section of the website. If you are unable to print a form from the SSS website, you can request that a form be mailed or emailed to you by contacting the Westtown School Admissions Office at 610-399-7900 or admissions@westtown.edu .
• You may request a copy of the Family Report for your own records.(The on-line application should prompt the question to you and you would use Code 9000 in 7A on the PFS paper application.)
• • If you receive a financial aid award, please send a copy of your 2008 1040 Federal Income Tax Forms to the Admissions Office by no later than May 1, 2009.

If you have any questions, please contact the Admissions Office at 610-399-7900 or e-mail us at admissions@westtown.edu.

Frequently Asked Questions About Financial Aid

Will applying for financial aid affect my child’s chances for admission?
No. Your application for financial aid will not impact your child’s chances for admission. The admissions decision is made prior to the review of the financial aid application by the Financial Aid Committee. When the demand for financial aid exceeds the available budget, some admitted students may be placed on a financial aid waiting list.

How are financial aid awards determined? Who can qualify for financial aid?
Westtown School uses the formula for determining financial need established by the School and Student Service for Financial Aid (SSS) as a guideline for determining a family’s financial aid award. After parents submit their completed application, SSS will calculate how much the family can afford to spend on tuition and will send a copy of this report to the Westtown School Financial Aid Committee. The family may also request a copy of the report. The SSS formula takes into account a family’s income, assets and non-discretionary expenses such as housing, food, clothing, transportation, insurance and the number of children in tuition-charging schools. The Financial Aid Committee also assumes that both parents are working if there are no pre-school age children at home.
Upper-middle class families can sometimes qualify for financial aid depending on the number of children in tuition-charging schools and the cost of tuition. All financial aid awards are dependent on not only the family qualifying for need-based financial aid, but the availability of funds in the financial aid budget. In this sense, financial aid is a competitive process.

Does Westtown School offer merit scholarships?
The only merit scholarship offered by Westtown School is the Sally Barton Quaker Leadership Grant. The Sally Barton Grant is a $2,000 award given to Quaker boarding students who are active in the life of their monthly meeting. The student’s parents must be members of the Religious Society of Friends. All other financial aid is need-based.

Do both parents have to be employed in order to receive financial aid?
The primary responsibility for meeting obligations for tuition lies with the immediate and extended family. The Financial Aid Committee assumes that when possible, both parents will be employed outside the home so as to be able to contribute to the tuition payment. If a family has a non-working spouse, the Committee assigns a minimum income for that spouse and adds it to total household income. Minimum income is defined as the amout of money an adult could earn if he or she held a forty hour per week job that paid the minimum wage. Minimum income is not assigned when there are extenuating circumstances that would prevent the spouse from working outside the home such as non-school age children, illness, or caring for an elderly parent.

Will our financial aid awards change from year to year?
Possibly. Financial need awards are recalculated every year using up-to-date financial information. If there is little change in the financial circumstances, the family can expect that grants will be renewed at a similar level. If there are significant changes in a family’s circumstances, the award may be recalculated.

What about cases of divorce, separation or singe parent?
Westtown School considers the decision to seek an independent school education as requiring the active support of both parents. This cannot be changed by the assertion that one parent disclaims responsibility for educational expenses. The Financial Aid Committee will consider the income and assets of both parents in determining an award.

If either parent has remarried, the Committee will consider the income and assets of stepparents, bearing in mind that stepparents may have responsibility for their own children. All families are expected to pay some tuition according to their means. All exceptions will be reviewed by the Financial Aid Committee.

What if one or both parents are self-employed?
Each self-employed parent must fill out the Business/Farm Statement, in addition to the Parent Financial Statement (PFS). This form can be downloaded and printed by visiting www.nais.org/go/sss and selecting the Forms and Publications section of the website. If you are unable to print a form from the SSS website, you can request that a form be mailed or emailed to you by contacting the Westtown School Admissions Office at 610-399-7900 or admissions@westtown.edu.

Does Westtown offer financial aid to international students?
Westtown School offers a limited amount of financial aid to international students. If the family’s income is in other than US currency, the Financial Aid Application for International Families should be completed in lieu of the PFS. This form can be requested from the Westtown School Admissions Office.

Do I need to submit a copy of my income taxes in order to apply for financial aid? No. If you receive a financial aid award, you will need to submit a copy of your 1040 Federal Income Tax Return to the Admissions Office by May 1, 2009. If you do not submit a copy of your tax return, the Business Office cannot credit your financial aid award to your tuition account.

What if I am not satisfied with my financial aid award?
If the family feels that the financial aid award is not sufficient to enable their child to attend Westtown School, they may request that the award be reviewed by the Financial Aid Committee. Requests for review may be made by contacting the Director of Admissions and Financial Aid and providing additional supporting documentation of financial need. The Financial Aid Committee will review the application and the additional information and will make a recommendation. If the family remains dissatisfied with the financial aid award, they may appeal to the Head of School.

What if I miss the deadline?
The deadline for submission of the financial aid application for the 2009-10 school year is January 15, 2009. It is critical that families make every effort to meet this deadline. Families may still apply for aid after the deadline. However, financial aid awards can only be made if funds are available in the budget. Those families who meet the financial aid deadline will have priority for aid over late applications.