TODAY AT BRECK
SUMMER 2013
Financial Aid:
The Budget
Is Large,
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But the
Need Is
Always
Growing When Breck was founded in Wilder, Minnesota, in 1886, there were 34 students. Most of them were children of immigrant farmers, and tuition and board at the school was $110 for the entire year. A lot has changed over the last 127 years. We no longer organize our school year around the harvesting schedule, we’ve moved to Golden Valley, and tuition is slightly higher. What hasn’t changed is Breck’s commitment to ensuring that the school is accessible to families of all economic backgrounds.
Financial Aid Recipients: 2012-13
Our robust budget for financial aid, the largest among Minnesota independent schools by a
Lower School
#
Middle School
#
Upper School
#
2012-13, Breck awarded $5.1 million in need-
Preschool
12
Grade 5
16
Grade 9
29
based financial assistance, supporting 23% of the
Kindergarten
15
Grade 6
10
Grade 10
36
Grade 1
13
Grade 7
25
Grade 11
22
Grade 2
13
Grade 8
19
Grade 12
17
Grade 3
21
Grade 4
17
significant margin, makes it all possible. In
student body across all three divisions with some degree of aid. It makes a big difference to families, says Director of Admissions Scott Wade, and it also makes a big difference to Breck. “Having a healthy financial aid budget allows us to enroll
Gross Income
highly motivated and talented students who could not otherwise afford a Breck education,”
# of Recipients
% FA Recipients
Amount of Total Grants
Average Award
23
Up to $50,000
66
25
$1,454,435
$22,040
$50,000–$100,000
89
34
1,772,130
19,910
important at Breck, which strives to maintain
$100,000–$150,000
71
27
1,287,030
18,130
racial, religious and geographical diversity as
$150,000–$200,000
19
7
287,460
15,130
well. Wade notes that his office works hard to
$200,000–$250,000
11
4
79,520
7,230
Over $250,000
9
3
33,200
3,690
he observes. “It’s just that simple.” Maintaining socioeconomic diversity is
make sure that both prospective and current families understand that resources are
As you can see from the table above, need-based grants went to families with a wide range of annual income last year. The Breck Financial Aid committee considers total income as a starting point, along with many other factors, such as family size, number of children in tuition-bearing schools, age of the primary working parent, assets, liabilities and unusual allowable expenses. Please consider this as a general guideline.
available. “We make sure that basic information about financial aid is prominently displayed on our website,” he explains. “We want people looking at Breck to go through the admissions process and not disqualify themselves due to ‘sticker shock.’ ” Over the years, as the budget has grown, so has
In fact, the range of family income among those receiving
the range of families applying for and receiving aid. “We’ve
financial aid currently is from $30,000– $250,000. Both Wade
got to be realistic,” says Assistant Director of Admissions and
and Kennon are quick to point out that decisions are based on
Financial Aid Director Marion Jones Kennon. “Tuition comes
a number of factors, including number of children in other
from after-tax discretionary income, and depending on any
tuition-bearing institutions, and circumstances involving
number of circumstances, we’re finding that families with
employment and illness. “There are degrees of need,” Kennon
what used to be considered high income need help.”
observes, “and we try hard to do what we can.”
Percentage of students receiving financial aid
10
5
’08-09
’07-08
’06-07
’05-06
’04-05
’03-04
’02-03
’01-02
’00-01
’99-00
’98-99
’97-98
15
’96-97
’12-13
’11-12
20
’09-10
’10-11
25 percent
TODAY AT BRECK
SUMMER 2013
The Human Side of Financial Assistance: Remembering Del Carter ’50 This article is filled with the facts,
financial support of members of the Breck community, Del
figures and philosophy of financial
was able to attend—and keep attending—Breck. “Breck
aid at Breck. What it doesn’t
became his home, and its community became his second
describe is the personal side of
family,” observes Director of Alumni and Parent Relations
the equation. No one was a more
Michelle Geo Olmstead.
powerful advocate or had a more
“Del was a tireless volunteer for raising funds for financial
genuine and profound apprecia-
aid with such a strong personal story to tell about the way
tion for the power of assistance
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attending Breck changed his life,”says Head of School
than the late Del Carter ’50.
Edward Kim. “And he never failed to do as much as he
After his mother passed away when he was ten years old,
could to pass along the favor to future generations of
Del and his father moved from Ohio to Minnesota. With the
students as well.”
The school has also worked hard to provide more transpar-
need it in 2012-13. “Our resources are plentiful, but the
ency to the process. “It’s so important to make families feel
number of applications keeps increasing. And, unfortunately,
comfortable,” explains Kennon, “and now they can go online
we can’t help all the wonderful students we’d like.”
to SSS (the financial aid clearinghouse sponsored by the
Wade says it’s important to keep in mind that philanthropy
National Association of Independent Schools), plug in their
plays a critical role in providing the funding for financial
information and find out what kind of aid they qualify for,
aid. “Over the years, Breck has been so fortunate to be the
which helps give them real information right from the start.”
recipient of a great many endowed scholarships. They
Another key dimension of Breck’s approach to financial aid is
really help assure that the financial aid budget is not totally
a commitment to maintaining financial aid for students
tuition-driven. In fact, the last four years have seen our
throughout the course of their whole Breck career. Families
lowest annual tuition increases in the past 20 years. We know that affordability is one of our families’ greatest concerns, and people should know that it’s always at the forefront of our consideration.”
must apply for assistance each year and supply current financial information to the school. “Our aim is to keep our base and add to it,” explains Kennon, who noted that three families who had previously received financial aid didn’t
Financial aid budget over the past 25 years (in millions)
’06-07
’05-06
’03-04
’02-03
’01-02
’00-01
’98-99
’97-98
’96-97
’95-96
’94-95
’93-94
’92-93
’91-92
’90-91
’89-90
’87-88
’86-87
$1
’88-89
$2
’99-00
$3
’04-05
’12-13
’10-11
’09-10
’08-09
$4
’07-08
$5
’11-12
$6 million
Kim adds, “We at Breck are proud of the way our preschool
Breck’s leading donor, Lee R. Anderson, Sr., ’57 couldn’t
through twelfth grade campus spans the generations—and
agree more. He says, “Diversity has been important at
in a way that is so typically human we sometimes feel that
Breck throughout its history. It was never a school just for
we of the present generation own the concept. But through
the affluent but always attracted students of all back-
my conversations with Del and his stories of life on the
grounds. And financial aid is the single most important way
Como campus, I quickly came to realize how very much
to maintain that distinction.”
that experience was true for him as well. When he would talk about tucking first graders into bed, wiping their noses and tying their shoes, I understood how much Breck meant to him. The teachers, the coaches, his classmates, and the housemothers all helped shape him into the man he
Many of Del’s classmates called him “Mr. Breck.” Reflects Kim, “Whether they meant it as admiration, teasing or a little of both, we couldn’t be more proud to think of him that way.”
became.”
Named AND ENDOWED Scholarships at Breck Breck School gratefully acknowledges the donors who have provided funds for named scholarships, whose recipients are selected by the school’s financial aid committee. For more information about named scholarship opportunities, please contact Director of Advancement Meredith Cook VanDuyne at 763-381-8343 or meredith.vanduyne@breckschool.org
Alliss Scholarship Lee R. Anderson ’57 Scholarship Lowell and Nadine Andreas Scholarship Anonymous Scholarship (2) Bemis Scholarship Virginia McKnight Binger Scholarship William Clark ’48 Scholarship Shirley Dayton Memorial Scholarship E.E. Ford Foundation Scholarship General Mills Scholarship GEORGE FAMILY FOUNDATION NEXT GENERATION FUND SCHOLARSHIP Haupt Scholarship Hektner Family Scholarship Fund for Breck Faculty Children DOUG JONES FAMILY SCHOLARSHIP Bishop Hamilton H. Kellogg Scholarship Hamilton and Mildred Kellogg Charitable Trust Scholarship Martin Foundation Scholarship Minnesota Twins Scholarship Pohlad Family Foundation Scholarship Eric A. Ryan Scholarship St. Paul Companies Scholarship Bishop Whipple Scholarship
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