Clear Creek Christian School

Tuition Assistance Policy

Introduction

A goal of the Clear Creek Christian School is to provide a Christian education for every potential student that desires it. However, we realize that many families have financial barriers that impede their ability to enroll their children in a private Christian school. Therefore, the Tuition Assistance Fund (the Fund) is established for the purpose of assisting qualified families with tuition based on their financial need. This policy describes the criteria used to assess need and make tuition assistance awards.

Our intent is that this policy be considered a Qualified Scholarship Program under the Internal Revenue Code and that awards be tax free to the recipient.

Contributions

Contributions to the Fund may be tax deductible. A tax advisor should be consulted to determine deductibility. Contributions should be directed to the Treasurer of the Clear Creek Christian School. Checks should be payable to the Clear Creek Christian School Tuition Assistance Fund. An Annual Report will be sent to each Contributor.

Applications

Application forms are available at the school office. This includes a one-page form that is returned to the school office and a multi-page form that is sent directly to the application processing company.

Applications for tuition assistance must be submitted directly to the processing firm (Private School Aid Service) by April 1st for the next school year. A complete submission includes all data requested on the application forms, a copy of the family’s Federal tax form 1040, 1040A or 1040EZ for the most recent tax year with accompanying schedules, W-2 forms, and the applicable fee. The processing company will evaluate the data and determine the applicant’s “adjusted available income” and analyze the “student need.”

Financial information is strictly confidential; the raw data will not be viewed or evaluated by the Tuition Assistance Committee of the Clear Creek Christian School. Fully completed tuition assistance applications will be considered only after a family has applied for enrollment and paid the appropriate enrollment fees. In the case of extenuating circumstances, late applications may be considered at the discretion of the Tuition Assistance Committee. However, applications received by the deadline will be considered first.

A Tuition Assistance Committee will review the findings of the processing company, evaluate applications with special circumstances, and submit a confidential report to the Board with recommendations for the distribution of tuition assistance to the applicants. The Committee will be chaired by a School Board Member and will be comprised of the school Treasurer and three members at large.

Confidentiality

A minimum number of people should be aware of the existence of pending applications for tuition assistance. Schoolteachers and staff members should not know which families are receiving tuition assistance. Knowledge of pending applications should be confined to the School Board and members of the Tuition Assistance Committee.

Eligibility

• Parents must demonstrate an understanding of and desire for Christian education. To qualify for tuition assistance, they should be able to provide specific examples of financial sacrifices they have made or are prepared to make in their own lives to enable their children to attend a Christian school (working extra jobs, cutting back on discretionary spending, selling vehicles, delaying major purchases, etc.). This sacrifice balances the sacrifice of the tuition assistance donors and the staff of the school.
• Eligibility shall be based on demonstrated student need and space availability in the classroom.
• Tuition assistance is not available for Kindergarten students unless other children in the family are also attending the school.
• Any balances owed by the applicant from a prior school year must be paid current in order for a tuition assistance application to be accepted.
• Continuing good behavior by the student both in and out of school is required or the remainder of the assistance award may be withdrawn upon written notice.
• Parents must demonstrate a cooperative attitude toward the school administration and staff or the remainder of the assistance award may be withdrawn upon written notice.
• Tuition assistance does not renew automatically. Families must re-apply for tuition assistance each year.
• Once tuition assistance is granted, it will accrue in the same manner in which the family receiving assistance pays their portion of the tuition, i.e. if the family pays monthly, tuition assistance will accrue monthly; if the family pays an entire semester, tuition assistance will accrue for the entire semester. Tuition assistance will only continue as the family receiving assistance keeps up with their payment of tuition.
• If a student withdraws from school during the year or is expelled, all unused portions of the tuition assistance will be retained in or returned to the Fund.
• Although tuition assistance is granted for the entire school year, the continuation of the grant award will be reviewed each semester. Prior to the start of each semester, parents must certify in writing that their financial status has not changed from the original application. Based on this certification, tuition assistance will be extended for the second semester.
• Parents are expected to try to pay more toward their children’s tuition if their financial situation improves during the year so that more needy families may be assisted. Therefore, parents must notify the school if the family’s financial condition changes during the year. Failure to comply will affect eligibility for further assistance.

Tuition assistance awards

In order to meet the needs of the greatest number of families, the maximum award will be 50% of the annual tuition. The amount of the award will be based on the applicant’s “adjusted available income” and “student need” as determined by the application processing company (Private School Aid Service). The Tuition Assistance Committee will review applications and verify eligibility based on requirements defined in this policy. Once eligibility is established, assistance will be offered to applicants in their order of need as ranked by the outside company. The applicant with the greatest student need will be aided first, the applicant with the second greatest need second, and so on in order of student need until ninety percent of the monies in the Fund have been committed. Ten percent of the Fund will be retained for distribution by the School Board to enrolled families that encounter financial difficulty during the school year.

Any funds that are awarded and subsequently not used due to withdrawal of the student or other loss of eligibility as defined by this policy will be returned to the pool of funds available for award to other eligible students under this policy. Any grants awarded during the school year will apply only to tuition due from the date of the award to the end of the school year.

Non-discrimination

The Clear Creek Christian School admits students of any race, color, national and ethic origin to all the rights, privileges, programs and activities generally accorded or made available to students at the school. It does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national and ethnic origin in the administration of its educational policies, admission policy, tuition assistance policy and athletic and other school administered programs.

Tuition Assistance Processing Schedule

• February 1st: Application period opens for the next school year
• April 1st: Applications must be mailed to processing company
• May 1st: Data returned by processing company
• May 2-14: Tuition Assistance Committee reviews data and sets awards
• May 15th: Applicants notified of awards
• June 1st: Awardees must re-confirm enrollment, re-confirm need, and accept award
• January 5th: Awardees must sign and submit form verifying continued need and eligibility.
• February 1st: Application period opens for the next school year