Tuition Assistance

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Affording a WNS Education

The tuition assistance grant program is one aspect of our commitment to making a WNS education accessible to as many qualified students as possible and to retaining our students once they are enrolled.

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.

Please note, a family who enrolls at WNS without the support of a tuition assistance grant will not be considered in the future unless a significant change in circumstances can be documented.
READ WNS'S TUITION ASSISTANCE MISSION STATEMENT AND POLICIES

Determination of Grants

WNS determines each family’s need by analyzing individual financial profiles: we review tax returns, income, assets, and liabilities. Backup documents are also required. The process, documents, and results are kept strictly confidential. Eligibility evaluations are made independently of admission decisions but on a parallel time track.

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.

Click here for the Tuition Assistance Guidelines and Instructions.

How to Apply

Complete the Clarity application online (opens November 8, 2024).

Submit Clarity Application

Due Date:

Current Families – January 15, 2025
Prospective Families – January 31, 2025

Family Application Guide
Clarity Application Quick Reference Guide

Tuition Assistance FAQs

Maintaining socio-economic diversity and accessibility is a cornerstone principle at Westside Neighborhood School. Tuition assistance is awarded each year on the basis of qualified need in keeping with our published tuition assistance guidelines so that qualified students and families have access to a WNS education. We recognize that many WNS families make difficult financial decisions and sacrifices to afford a private independent school education for their child.

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.
Any applicant may apply for a grant. Tuition assistance is based solely on qualified need. Need is determined by a committee of WNS administrators using the information provided by each applicant family through tax returns, confidential statements, and information from the analysis provided by Clarity.

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.
A family who enrolls at WNS without a tuition assistance grant will not be considered in the future unless a significant change in circumstances can be documented.

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.
Your application for a tuition assistance grant is processed on a parallel timeline as your admission application. Tuition assistance applications are accepted beginning December 1, 2024, and are due by January 15, 2025, for current families and January 31, 2025, for prospective families. Give yourself sufficient time to submit the tuition assistance application and provide the most accurate information possible.
The tuition assistance committee makes grant recommendations independently of the admission department decisions. However, while there is a sizeable tuition assistance budget, there is a finite amount of grants available. Retaining current families is the school’s highest priority; therefore, returning families whose tuition assistance applications are submitted on time are given first priority.
Yes. All recipients must complete a tuition assistance application, including required tax returns, for each school year in advance of re-enrollment time.

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).

Yes. WNS and Clarity keep every family’s personal and financial information strictly confidential.

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.

At WNS, fees for overnight school retreats are included in tuition.
You must apply for grants at the time the younger sibling applies for admission. The tuition assistance application must be for both children. If the younger child is admitted and you qualify for assistance, both children will receive tuition assistance grants. 

WNS will consider the tuition of siblings in private elementary or secondary schools; but in order to receive assistance from us you must apply for assistance at all schools your children attend. You should note that since loans are available for college, WNS does not make allowances for education expenses of college-age or adult dependents.
If parents are living separately, both custodial and non-custodial parents must complete a Clarity application and submit all required documents. We expect both parents to contribute to the education of their child.

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.
Financial information is required of all adults, including step-parents, involved in the applicant’s life. The financial information submitted to Clarity must include all household income and assets. 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.
Divorced and/or separated parents are expected to submit independent financial information as part of a joint family application. We consider that both parents have an obligation to contribute to the extent they can to their child’s educational expenses. We take into account the assets and income of both parents. We cannot be bound by the assertion that one parent has disclaimed legally or otherwise any responsibility for educational expenses. If either parent has remarried, we will consider the income of the household.
Exceptions may be made in cases where the non-custodial parent has no contact or involvement with the child.
This information should be included on the Clarity application with as much supporting information as possible. A family whose circumstances change after submission of the Clarity application and/or who wishes to request reconsideration of the grant decision may file an appeal through Clarity. If received in a reasonable time frame, we will review it and reply prior to the contract submission due date.
Yes. To apply for a student loan, please go to www.YourTuitionSolution.com.
Starting in 2018, 529 plans (formerly limited to college savings) are available to pay private school tuition. Parents can withdraw up to $10,000 per year from the fund for tuition for their beneficiary. We recommend that you discuss this with a tax advisor in order to determine whether this is a good option for your family.

Please contact Tanya Paxton, Tuition Assistance Manager, at tuitionassistance@wns-la.org or (310) 574-8650, x405.

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