Tuition Assistance
DISCOVER WNS
Affording a WNS Education
We expect parents to assume primary responsibility for funding their child’s education at WNS; a tuition assistance grant is a supplement–it helps bridge the gap between the actual cost and what a family can reasonably afford.
Qualifying for a tuition assistance grant does not guarantee that one can be offered, and the amount of the grant is at the discretion of the tuition assistance grant committee. Decisions are based upon the availability of funds and the number of qualified applicants. WNS follows NAIS best practices in the administration of its tuition assistance grant program.
Determination of Grants
We strive to meet the legitimate needs of as many families as possible with our tuition assistance grants. We build our budget based on the assumption that families offered tuition assistance grants will receive grants in future years at the same prorated rate. Tuition will go up incrementally each year, which means that the tuition assistance grant and the family’s contribution will go up incrementally as well. If circumstances change dramatically, a family can make a request for an adjustment to this rate (e.g. new child/dependent, additional sibling in school). Similarly, if income increases significantly, we may lower the amount of tuition assistance. Notification of award decisions occurs at the time that re-enrollment or new enrollment contracts are issued.
Renewals & Priorities
All recipients must complete a tuition assistance application for each school year. Retaining current students and families is the school’s highest priority; therefore, returning families whose tuition assistance applications are submitted on time are given first priority. Next, new families are considered. Applications received after the deadline are considered only if funds remain.
PLEASE NOTE: if you are applying to WNS through the Independent School Alliance for Minority Affairs, you may already have completed the Parents’ Financial Statement (“PFS”) through the School and Student Service for Financial Aid (“SSS”). You must also submit the Clarity online application to be considered for tuition assistance at WNS.
How to Apply
Complete the Clarity application online (opens December 1).
Due Date:
Current Families – January 15, 2025
Prospective Families – January 31, 2025
Tuition Assistance FAQs
We are committed to making enrollment possible through tuition assistance grants for qualified students who otherwise would not be able to attend our school. The great majority of WNS’s tuition assistance funding comes from our annual operating budget; much smaller amounts come from targeted contributions and the Brenda A. Parker Endowment Fund. The tuition assistance program provides partial tuition grants for approximately 25% of our student body.
Qualified need implies that parents have taken all reasonable measures to provide for their child’s educational expenses, carefully considering their lifestyle decisions (homes, vehicles, vacations, club memberships, etc.), and are willing to apply assets to tuition in addition to annual income before tuition assistance can be considered.
Qualified need does not guarantee a grant. WNS’s resources are finite; the school’s inability to grant tuition assistance or meet a family’s need is not a reflection on the validity of the family’s request.
When a family enrolls without a tuition assistance grant, the school budgets accordingly and assumes that the family will be capable of covering all educational costs for the upcoming year and the foreseeable future.
In extending a tuition assistance grant to a family, our goal is to support the student’s attendance for the entire time they are enrolled. If your financial circumstances change and your ability to contribute to your child’s educational expenses increases, your grant may be decreased accordingly. We will make every effort to increase the grant if your ability to pay educational expenses decreases.
We inform applicant families whether they qualify for a tuition assistance grant along with the amount, if applicable, with their admission decision. Preschool and DK notifications are emailed on February 27, 2025, and K-8 notifications are emailed on March 14, 2025 (the same dates that enrollment decision letters are emailed).
In addition to tuition assistance, there are also discounts for aftercare (ACE), after school enrichment (ACE Plus), the summer transition program, morning bus service (for students over the age of 4), and tickets to school events. Discount percentages are based on the percent of tuition assistance awarded.
If a parent’s whereabouts are unknown or a claim is made stating there is no involvement in the child’s upbringing, a Clarity application from that parent may not be required. However, documentation is required to verify this parent has no contact with the applicant.
Please contact Tanya Paxton, Tuition Assistance Manager, at tuitionassistance@wns-la.org or (310) 574-8650, x405.