Affordability Initiative by The Seven Hills School

VE N

H I LLS S C

A F F O R D A B I L I T Y

INITIATIVE

A G U I D E TO

FLEXIBLE TUITION AND

MERIT SCHOLARSHIPS

TWO WAYS IT MIGHT WORK FOR YOUR FAMILY

Think a Seven Hills education is out of reach? Think again. What is Flexible Tuition? Flexible Tuition is a program that reflects Seven Hills’ commitment to providing access to an independent school education for families of all income levels.

I N I T I AT I V E

It is a need-based financial assistance program that allows families who qualify to pay tuition on a sliding scale, based on their unique financial circumstances. Why has Seven Hills established Flexible Tuition? At Seven Hills, we believe students learn best in communities with peers who come from a wide variety of backgrounds. Moreover, we know that, in this era of mounting educational costs, many families who might not expect to qualify for traditional financial aid could, in fact, afford a school like Seven Hills if the tuition level is reflective of their family’s individual financial circumstances and necessary financial responsibilities. Flexible Tuition allows families who qualify for this need-based program to pay a tuition amount that is customized to fit their unique financial profile.

Flexible Tuition Contribution Ranges, Grades PreK-12

How do I know if my family is eligible for the program? The Flexible Tuition program serves a wide range of families, from those who can afford only minimal tuition to those who can afford almost the full amount. It is available to qualifying full-day students in pre-kindergarten through grade 12. To determine eligibility, we use the financial information, which families provide to an independent agency, to calculate a price that makes sense for each family’s situation. A family’s income, savings, mortgage, and other debt considerations, are all factored into the assessment. Because every family’s situation is different and even a small amount of reduced tuition can make a critical difference, Seven Hills encourages families to apply for Flexible Tuition if they think they may qualify. Flexible Tuition requests are also evaluated based on available budget, number of applicants, and grade/space availability. An application for Flexible Tuition does not guarantee funds can be allocated.

$2,065 to $23,500 2

Flexible Tuition Ranges Although individual family financial circumstances are unique, this table illustrates average family contributions by income level. Income Bracket Range

Range of Flexible Tuition Aid

$50,000 or less

Avg. Flex Tuition Aid

Range of Family Contribution

Avg. Family Contribution

$10,557 - $22,970

$16,230

$1,500 - $18,013

$7,840

$50,001-$100,000

$5,177 - $23,083

$14,023

$1,600 - $21,393

$9,490

$100,001-$150,000

$6,208 - $19,228

$12,544

$2,392 - $19,570

$11,141

$150,001-$275,000

$2,108 - $14,730

$8,315

$7,631 - $26,542

$17,221

Case Study #1

Flexible Tuition budget:

This is a family of four, with two parents and two children, with one child attending a tuition-charging school. The combined income of the two parents is $129,000. State and federal taxes withheld amounted to $22,000. The family owns their house, valued at $210,000. Mortgage and property taxes are $21,000 annually. Assets, including savings, home equity, and investments are $16,500.

Adjusted Gross Income . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $129,000

$5.4 million

Net Assets . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $16,500 Taxes (State and Federal withheld) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $22,000 Full tuition cost . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $25,590 * SSS Estimated Family Contribution (EFC) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $13,000 Seven Hills Flexible Tuition base . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $13,850 * Seven Hills uses the EFC as a baseline for determining Flexible Tuition.

Case Study #2 This is a family of four, with two working parents and two children attending a tuition-charging school. The income of both working parents is $267,700. State and Federal taxes withheld amounted to $44,100. The family owns their home, valued at $462,000. Mortgage and property taxes are $35,100 annually. Assets, including savings and investments, are $185,000. Adjusted Gross Income . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $267,700 Net Assets . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $185,000 Taxes (State and Federal withheld) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $44,100 Full tuition cost . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $47,210 * SSS Estimated Family Contribution (EFC) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $18,870 Seven Hills Flexible Tuition base . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $20,745 * Seven Hills uses the EFC as a baseline for determining Flexible Tuition.

How do we apply for a tuition reduction? Seven Hills uses School and Student Services (SSS) to process Flexible Tuition applications. SSS is a service of the National Association of Independent Schools (NAIS), used by more than 2,000 schools across the country. The Flexible Tuition application is separate from the admission application, but should be completed at the same time in order to be considered. Complete instructions are provided in the “Flexible Tuition Application Process,” which is located in the Admission section of our website. Prospective families must complete the Flexible Tuition application by the deadline to receive notification of a Flexible Tuition decision with their child’s acceptance letter. Families interested in applying for Flexible Tuition may begin the application process as early as Oct. 2.

Will filing for Flexible Tuition diminish the chances of my child being accepted to Seven Hills? No. Admission applications and Flexible Tuition applications are reviewed separately, and submitting an application for tuition reduction has no bearing on an applicant’s admissibility.

$135,425 Average income of Flexible Tuition families

Average cost for Flexible Tuition families: If we qualify for Flexible Tuition this year, will we pay the same amount in future years? Do we need to apply again? Families who pay reduced tuition can expect to receive a similar range of funding each year if their financial circumstances remain the same. Families must reapply for Flexible Tuition each year and meet all stated deadlines. If the current financial picture for a family changes significantly, the level of Flexible Tuition will be adjusted accordingly to reflect the new amount of demonstrated need. Are all students who are offered admission automatically offered Flexible Tuition if their parents qualify?

$14,423 Unfortunately, no. While Seven Hills makes a considerable investment in the program each year, we are not able to offer Flexible Tuition to every student who qualifies for both admission and a reduced tuition. Just as there are more applicants each year than available spaces at Seven Hills, there are more families requesting consideration for Flexible Tuition than there are funds available. Seven Hills often admits more students that request Flexible Tuition than the school is able to fund; therefore, families who are offered admission do not always receive the Flexible Tuition they request — even if they qualify.

Case Study #3 This is an example of a family with multiple households. There are two children, who each attend tuition-charging schools. Parent 1 has an income of $77,000, with federal and state taxes amounting to $12,400 and a net worth of $49,000. The house is owned, with an annual mortgage and property taxes of $19,600. Parent 2 has an income of $86,000, with federal and state taxes amounting to $10,300 and a net worth of $23,000. The house is owned, with an annual mortgage and taxes of $24,000. According to the SSS calculation, the estimated combined family contribution is $11,900, or $5,950 per child. Household 1 Household 2 Adjusted Gross Income . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $77,000

. . . $86,000

Net Assets . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $49,000

. . . $23,000

Taxes (State and Federal withheld) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $12,400

. . . $10,300

Full tuition cost . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$25,590

. . . $25,590

* SSS Estimated Family Contribution (EFC) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $5,710

. . . . . $6,190

Seven Hills Flexible Tuition base . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $5,950

. . . . . $5,950

* Seven Hills uses the EFC as a baseline for determining Flexible Tuition.

Case Study #4 This is a family of three with two working parents and one child. The combined income of the parents is $75,000. State and federal taxes withheld amount to $6,800. The family rents their home at a cost of $19,000 per year. Assets, including savings and investments, are $8,500.

Adjusted Gross Income . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $75,000 Net Assets . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $8,500 Taxes (State and Federal withheld) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $6,800 Full tuition cost . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $26,570 * SSS Estimated Family Contribution (EFC) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $3,100 Seven Hills Flexible Tuition base . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $3,100 * Seven Hills uses the EFC as a baseline for determining Flexible Tuition.

How do families in multiple households apply for Flexible Tuition? SSS requires that, to be considered for Flexible Tuition, each parent/guardian household must submit a separate Flexible Tuition application along with all tax documents and forms. Consideration of all available resources from both parents/ guardians and their spouses or live-in partners is based on the principle that a family’s contribution for education is a reflection of “the ability to contribute, not the willingness to contribute,” which is standard SSS policy. As a result, Seven Hills is not bound by existing decrees, agreements, or arrangements exempting a parent from financial responsibility or educational costs. After Seven Hills determines tuition reduction for the student, it is the responsibility of the parents to determine a payment schedule structure.

If a parent is no longer involved in the life of the child in any way, please speak directly with Seven Hills’s Flexible Tuition coordinator at 513.728.2400 to determine how to proceed. Will My Application be Confidential? All Flexible Tuition applications are confidential. Faculty and administrators are not privy to any family’s financial materials, nor are they aware of which families apply for or receive a tuition reduction. In the case of applications from multiple households, all financial information is kept strictly confidential, and at no time will one household have access to the others’ information. Seven Hills considers all Flexible Tuition decisions to be confidential agreements between the school and the recipient family and expects both parties to treat them that way. 6

MERIT-BASED SCHOLAR AWARDS For families who may not be eligible for Flexible Tuition, Seven Hills also offers a significant number of merit-based scholar awards, which may considerably reduce the cost of a Seven Hills education. Scholar Awards are awarded each year to select students, new to Seven Hills, who show extraordinary academic, artistic, athletic, or leadership potential. A Scholar Award may range from $1,000 to $15,000 and most are renewable for at least three years. Each year, the number of awards offered, as well as the amount and term of the awards, will depend upon the strength and composition of the applicant pool.

Young Scholar Awards, New Students Entering Grades 1-5 The Young Scholars program is designed to help families give their elementary school children the strongest possible academic foundation. Seven Hills seeks students of high promise whose academic needs may not have been fully met in their current schools. Awards range from $1,000 to $10,000 per year and vary from one to five years in duration. Most awards are renewable for at least three years. How to Apply In addition to the testing, grades, and teacher recommendations required for admission, parents of Young Scholar Award applicants must meet with the Head of Lower School to share their perceptions about their child. Prospective families are required to submit the Parents Financial Statement (PFS), which is the online financial aid application with the School and Student Services (SSS) to maximize the potential of the Scholar Award. Scholar Awards, New Students Entering Grades 6-12 Scholar Awards are designed to recognize students of extraordinary academic and personal promise. Successful applicants will be outstanding individuals with strong records of academic achievement. They will also exhibit significant engagement outside the classroom, leadership potential, and exemplary personal

qualities consistent with the mission of The Seven Hills School. Each award may range from $1,000 to $15,000 per year and vary from one to seven years in duration. Most awards are renewable for at least three years. How to Apply In addition to the testing, grades, and teacher recommendations required for admission, candidates must submit the Scholar Award essay found on the admission application. All Scholar Award candidates are required to spend a shadow day at Seven Hills. Prospective families are strongly encouraged to submit the Parents Financial Statement (PFS), which is the online financial aid application with the School and Student Services (SSS) to maximize the potential of the Scholar Award. Criteria for Renewal Scholar Awards renew automatically for the term prescribed, but they are contingent upon the student maintaining a level of academic commitment, behavior, and community involvement commensurate with the school’s expectations. Though the Scholar Awards themselves are not renewable beyond the specified term, families are welcome to apply for need-based Flexible Tuition at the expiration of the designated term of a merit-based Scholar Award. 7

T ABILI Y INITI AT I