Financial Aid
2010-11
Through its financial aid program, Saint Thomas More School is committed to serving qualified students who have demonstrated potential and are unable to afford full tuition. The financial aid program supports STM's commitment to enrolling an economically diverse student body by assisting families in financing STM educational expenses.
The Admissions Committee operates on a need basis. The admissions process and financial aid award decisions are separate procedures. Once an applicant has been accepted for admission, candidates who have applied for financial aid are considered by the Financial Aid Committee. The financial aid decision is based on demonstrated need, as revealed by the School and Student Service for Financial Aid in Randolph, MA. The Financial Aid Office subscribes to the School and Student Scholarship Service for Financial Aid (SSS) to determine a recommendation for need. The SSS provides the following statement to describe their programs:
Financial aid is assistance provided by the schools to reduce the cost of a private school education. This assistance is given to families who show financial need, defined as the difference between a child's educational expenses and the family's resources. Schools using the School and Student Service for Financial Aid rely upon a standard method to assess the financial strength of a family, that is, the resources available to contribute toward a child's educational expenses.
FA Website - sss.nais.org
STM cannot guarantee, however, that all candidates who qualify for financial aid will receive assistance. The figures provided by SSS are used as recommendations only and are subject to our resources available for financial aid. Financial aid awards are based on demonstrated need.
Questions concerning financial aid should be directed to Timothy Riordan, Director of Admission and Financial Aid at 860-823-3861.
Steps to Apply for Financial Aid
1. File your financial aid online at School & Student Services by NAIS by logging on to sss.nais.org.
The SSS does not begin processing forms until December 1, 2009. If you begin the process before you receive a W-2 form, you may estimate your 2009 earnings. If there is a sizable discrepancy in your estimated earnings and actual earnings, the Report of Parental Contribution will be recalculated.
The SSS will evaluate the PFS form and return an analysis of what a family can afford for a private school education. The recommendation is called a Report of Parental Contribution (RPC). This form will be accessible to the family, the Admission Office at STM, and any other institutions you have requested. All information will be confidential.
2. A copy of your 2009 income tax return (front and back of the 1040) must be submitted to STM. If, for some reason, a tax form was not submitted or completed, please inform the Admission Office. Appropriate documentation should explain this delay in receiving the tax form. Financial aid decisions will not be considered final until a tax return (or explanation of its absence) has been received in the Admission Office. Failure to submit a tax form will jeopardize any financial aid awards.
3. Financial aid decisions and awards for applications will be made within two weeks of receipt after March 1, 2010. Incomplete files will be considered once the appropriate information has been received in the Admission Office.
Please be aware that requests for financial aid submitted late will be considered on a case by case basis with the understanding that funds will have become increasingly limited.
