Tuition Assistance

A HERITAGE SCHOOL EDUCATION IS WITHIN YOUR REACH

From the earliest days of the school, there has been a desire for the school to reflect the larger Christian community. A well-funded, need-based tuition assistance program increases the number of qualified students who can join our community. The result is a broad socio-economic representation of our families, but more importantly it includes students whose families could not otherwise provide classical and Christian education for their children. Heritage employs a third-party assessment of all tuition assistance applications. Evaluations result in a variety of means for families from simply a month-to-month payment plan to various percentages of tuition and fees covered. These grants reflect the requests of the family as well as assessment of financial need.

TUITION ASSISTANCE Q&A

WHAT KIND OF TUITION ASSISTANCE IS AVAILABLE FROM HERITAGE?

Heritage’s tuition assistance is need-based. Tuition assistance is as much a service to the school as it is a service to the families who benefit directly from it. This assistance strengthens every program in the school by including students whose families could not otherwise provide a classical and Christian education for their children.

WHAT IF MY FAMILY CANNOT MAKE THE NORMAL ONE OR TWO LUMP-SUM PAYMENTS DUE WHEN WE ENROLL OR RE-ENROLL? MAY WE APPLY FOR A MONTHLY PAYMENT PLAN?

Heritage’s tuition assistance includes a monthly payment plan option through FACTS if needed. Families should request a payment plan by following the process for requesting need-based assistance. Families who do not qualify for tuition assistance must also go through FACTS if they desire to set up a monthly payment plan.

New families or a new student of a current family admitted to the school after the start of the payment plan year and granted tuition assistance are required to make a payment that "catches them up" with the payment plan year. Payments after this "catch-up" amount will be evenly spread over the remaining months of the payment year.

HOW DO I APPLY FOR NEEDS BASED TUITION ASSISTANCE?

To be considered for a tuition assistance grant:

1) Complete the on-line FACTS Grant & Aid application by the published due date for each academic year. Go to FACTS Grant & Aid at https://online.factsmgt.com. The cost of the FACTS Grant & Aid Application fee is approximately $46 per year. Families must reapply each year.

2) Submit the required previous year tax return, including all forms and schedules as soon as the FACTS on-line application is completed. Applications are not complete until all required tax returns, forms and schedules are received by FACTS Grant & Aid.

3) Families without a timely and complete FACTS Grant & Aid application may be ineligible for a tuition assistance grant for that academic year. Application deadlines are compulsory.

WHO SHOULD APPLY FOR TUITION ASSISTANCE?

Anyone who is concerned that they may truly not be able to afford a Heritage education for their children may apply. Applying does not guarantee qualifying. However, for families who do qualify, the school will do everything within the parameters of the budget and the award process to meet the need.

WHAT FEES AND COSTS ARE INVOLVED IN THE TUITION ASSISTANCE PROCESS?

1) FACTS Grant & Aid Application fee – $35. Families must reapply each year.

2) FACTS Tuition Management – Payment of an annual processing fee for all families utilizing a monthly payment plan. Payments are made through FACTS. Monthly payments will be made by bank draft, which is the school’s normal method for monthly tuition payment plans. For monthly payments, an annual $45 payment plan fee is charged by FACTS.

HOW ARE TUITION ASSISTANCE GRANTS DETERMINED BY HERITAGE?

Heritage awards tuition assistance grants to families who demonstrate financial need. The school uses methodology established by the FACTS Grant & Aid customized to support the mission of Heritage.

FACTS and the Heritage Tuition Assistance Committee utilize many factors in determining a family’s grant award, such as:

Parent’s income established by their personal and business tax returns
Parent’s assets
Parent’s qualified expenses per the FACTS formula and methodology
Number of children enrolled in tuition-paying schools.

In addition, the Heritage Tuition Assistance Committee considers the following criteria:

Amount of tuition assistance available in the annual budget
Student’s academic performance
Student’s behavior/conduct
Family’s support through participation and volunteerism
Family’s diligence in honoring current agreement
Family’s current ability to contribute toward tuition based on FACTS assessment

Unlike many schools, Heritage does not limit the number of students in a family who may receive a grant, nor does it have a dollar cap on the total annual tuition assistance a family may receive. However, funding for grants is limited and is allocated to all qualified students within each family on a proportional basis based upon the verified need of each individual family.

WHEN WILL I BE NOTIFIED OF THE RESULTS OF MY TUITION ASSISTANCE APPLICATION?

1) Current families will be advised as part of the re-enrollment process. If a current family is applying for admission of a sibling, a pending amount will be included along with the grant information for the re-enrolling student(s).

2) Prospective families will be advised of their award request status after FACTS Grant & Aid has completed processing the application and the application is reviewed and acted upon by the Heritage Tuition Assistance Committee.

HOW IS TUITION ASSISTANCE SUPPORTED?

Each year a portion of the school’s budget may be set aside for tuition assistance. Additional funding is provided by Eisbahn and the Tuition Assistance Fund. Heritage considers tuition assistance an essential element of "the cost to educate" each student.

IF I RECEIVE TUITION ASSISTANCE WILL THE FACULTY, STAFF OR OTHER PARENTS KNOW?

No. Tuition assistance awards are determined by a small committee. No one outside of that committee and the business office staff knows which families receive assistance. Every effort is made to insure confidentiality of the process.

WILL APPLYING FOR TUITION ASSISTANCE AFFECT MY CHILD'S CHANCES FOR ADMISSION?

No. Our Admission process is need-blind. Heritage is committed to confidentiality in its tuition assistance process.

TIMELINE TUITION ASSISTANCE FOR 2020-2021– FOR RETURNING STUDENTS

Applications and supporting documents due online to FACTS - Grant and Aid Assessment. Families will need to submit current year tax returns when return is filed.

January: Committee meets to determine awards

February: Award letters sent out to parents and any appeals processed by committee. Committee will meet on an as needed basis for any new student financial aid requests between March and August.

FACTS GRANT & AID CHECKLIST

Go to https://online.factsmgt.com/aid for application instructions and a checklist.

Families must apply and be accepted for admission before being considered for Tuition Assistance.