Scholarships, financial aid can help students reach potential

BECKY RASPE | SPECIAL SECTIONS STAFF REPORTER braspe@cjn.org | @BeckyRaspeCJN

Education can be expensive, but many schools make scholarships and financial aid available.

According to Jenni Biehn, director of enrollment management at Western Reserve Academy in Hudson, and Susan Newman, director of flexible tuition and associate director of admission at Hawken School in Chester Township, families have a couple of options.

At Western Reserve Academy, families can apply for two different kinds of scholarships, one being need-based and the other merit-based. The need-based scholarship assists families in closing the tuition gap. The merit-based scholarships are awarded to “outstanding students,” Biehn said.

“The merit award can be very helpful for a family that may not technically qualify for need-based financial aid, but might not necessarily know how to fit the tuition in their budget,” she added.

Newman noted Hawken School has similar opportunities in need-based and merit awards.

“The need-based assistance is called flexible tuition and that is for any student from kindergarten to 12th grade,” Newman explained. “It is based on the demonstrated need of the family, but we’re also making a concerted effort to include middle-income families because we know school has gotten much more expensive over the years.”

The merit-based awards are for students entering high school.

“These are based on their application, so there is nothing else a family has to do to be considered for a merit-based award,” Newman noted. “We look at the entire picture of who a student is as a learner and a leader. We look at students who will make an impact in the classroom.”

Newman noted the availability of scholarships can be life changing for families.

“(Financial assistance) puts the cost of tuition within reach for families,” she said. “For a lot of families, (the awards) make a huge difference for them. Everyone should have that opportunity regardless of a parent’s ability to afford it.”

Both noted financial aid allows their schools to be diverse.

“These awards allow students to attend school and 40 percent of our students here get some kind of aid,” Biehn said. “It is a transformational opportunity to get that education. We also try to make sure that students from all backgrounds are represented in our student body.”

Newman added, “We have an amazing community that is dramatically diverse and we like that because we want to mirror the real world. Scholarships allow us to do that. A community that is only full of high-income earning parents is not the world that students will enter after college.”

When it comes to applying for scholarships, parents should start early.

“Families who think they can afford independent schools, they notice it takes a lot of advance planning,” Biehn said. “It requires putting education as the top priority. Look at your budgets and set education as the top priority and make lifestyle choices accordingly.”

But families should never give up on a school due to price.

“Don’t cross schools off of your lists because of tuition,” Biehn said. “Many schools have it in their mission that student bodies need to be diverse. Have a conversation with (the school) and most admissions offices are happy to engage in that conversation, be it scholarships, grants or even payment plans. Don’t be afraid to engage with schools and see what your options are.”

Newman concluded, “Don’t let the initial tuition deter you from looking into the process. There are a variety of ways that (school) can be affordable for families. They just have to engage in the process.”