Tuition Adjustment
Helping Our Community
It is an ideal of the Mission of Portland Waldorf School that Waldorf education be accessible to all families who share our values, regardless of their economic status.
Our Tuition Adjustment Program exists to serve families without the means to fully cover the costs of this education. PWHS is pleased to share that tuition adjustments are offered to one third of our students and families this year!
If you are a family who is considering joining the PWHS community and you think you might require financial assistance, please apply for Tuition Adjustment at the same time you go through the application process.
About Tuition Adjustment
Tuition adjustments (TA) are based on demonstrated need. Once a TA application is submitted by a family, Blackbaud Financial Aid Management (BFAM) verifies the application and the submitted financial documentation, and sends a report to PWS. The school’s TA Committee then reviews the report and makes an award determination.
Start here with the Instruction sheet for the BFAM program. Please be sure to complete all of the questions and upload all of the required financial documentation. PWHS will then make an award determination and send an Enrollment Agreement. Financial documentation requirements include: Latest tax returns and current verification of income such as W-2 forms, pay stubs, 1099 forms. If you have further questions, please contact Crystal Lawrence in the Business Office.
*Note: Please complete your TA application before you sign your Enrollment Agreement. Your Enrollment Agreement and all registration forms must be completed and signed before the student’s first day of school.
Additional Tuition Adjustment Information
The PWHS Tuition Adjustment program assists in the overall health and growth of our school by seeking to balance the economic needs of families with the economic needs of the school. Tuition contribution amounts are adjusted for families for whom the current tuition amount would be a significant financial hardship, and amounts granted are based on a family’s ability to pay by considering all funds available to the family outside of core cost-of-living expenses.
Application to the TA program is an annual process, and awards are made based on family need, balanced with needs of other families and with the resources that PWHS currently has available.
Admissions decisions are made independently of decisions to award a tuition adjustment. Student admission is determined by Admissions office prior to TA review. The TA Committee reviews family requests only after the student(s) have been admitted to PWHS.
The TA amount is based on a number of factors including PWHS resources and need demonstrated by TA-applicant families, as well as annual family income, savings, property holdings, investments, and family size. Applying is much like applying for a bank loan or a home mortgage. You need to submit all of the documents that provide an accurate summary of your family’s finances. Eligibility cannot be determined unless you provide all requested information. If there are two households involved, each household needs to apply.
We cannot provide an estimate of tuition adjustment prior to completion of the process; however, we encourage all families for whom tuition is a hardship to apply as early as possible as we earnestly work to meet the need of each family.
PWS does not receive funds from the government or other outside sources to subsidize tuition. Tuition Adjustment funding is drawn from a percentage of the school’s operating budget.
Divorced or separated families: the Tuition Adjustment program requires all custodial parents or guardians to submit financial information so that we have a full picture of the resources that support the financial needs of the student and family. Parents or guardians may decide to apply separately or jointly.
Families with one income: There are many wonderful reasons for being a stay-at-home parent, and this decision is one deeply rooted in family values and a lifestyle choice. When all children are school-aged and a parent is not working, PWS will impute a predetermined income figure into the household income. This allows us to treat stay-at-home parent families equitably with a family in which both parents work. We do not impute income if one parent is disabled and cannot work, or if the parent is caring for an infant/toddler, or a disabled person in the home.
The TA process is held in strict confidence and with a deep respect for privacy and understanding of each individual family’s striving to contribute the highest amount that they are able. Enrollment Agreements are also considered confidential.
TA applications are only reviewed when all balances and fees are current. Please speak with the Business Office if your account is past due.
PWS fees, tuition deposits, and other class costs are collected in addition to the adjusted tuition amount, and families will need to budget for these annually. Information about these fees and costs can be found on the Tuition & Fees page.
