Tuition Frequently-Asked Questions
|
Q: How do I apply for tuition assistance?
A: After submitting an application for admission to Marist, parents can easily link to the tuition assistance application from the Marist webpage. Marist contracts with an independent third-party company, FACTS Grant and Aid Assessment, to evaluate the financial information parents provide and determine an affordable rate of tuition for each individual family. The fee to apply for tuition assistance is $40.00 (non-refundable). Q: Is my personal financial information safe in the FACTS application? A: Absolutely! FACTS gathers and secures your supporting financial documents, including tax records, and we believe their encryption and privacy policies are very well-outlined. You can review their efforts to safeguard your information from this web page. Q: What is the deadline to apply for tuition assistance? A: For new students, freshmen and transfers, beginning in the fall semester, your application to FACTS and all supplemental documents must be submitted no later than March 1. This will allow FACTS and the Marist tuition assistance committee time to review your application in full and determine an appropriate tuition rate so it can be mailed to you along with a tuition contract. Q: What if I do not want to apply for tuition assistance? A: That’s completely fine. The application for admission will ask whether or not you have an interest in applying for tuition assistance, and if you indicate “no,” we will mail you a tuition contract in the spring indicating the full basic tuition rate for your student ($13,475) to attend the following academic year. Q: Who sees my FACTS application and supporting documents? A: The tuition assistance committee at Marist will review this information as they determine whether or not tuition assistance can be awarded. The individuals on this committee include Marist’s president, principal, finance director, and director of admissions. Q: What documents am I most likely to have to provide? A: Your most recent tax return and your most recent W-2s. FACTS may also ask for a recent pay stub. If you own a business or are self-employed, please be prepared to provide supporting tax schedules or forms that reflect business revenue and expense details. FACTS will also ask for specific information about your monthly budget and any assets on hand. Q: Do I have to apply for tuition assistance every year? A: Yes. Because family financial situations can change, we ask that you apply annually. This ensures we as an institution can allocate resources to the families who need them most to help fund a Marist education. Q: I think I make too much money to get any tuition assistance. Should I even bother applying? A: We encourage all families to apply for tuition assistance, as we cannot determine any individual’s situation without a completed application. Also, the reduced tuition rates we offer to students attending Catholic feeder schools and/or practicing Catholic families cannot be administered without a tuition assistance application. During a typical year, over $1 million in tuition assistance is awarded, and roughly 90% of applicants receive some sort of tuition assistance. Q: So, I applied for tuition assistance but still can’t afford the tuition rate you’ve offered. What else can be done? A: Please contact our Finance Office as soon as possible. Also, be aware that the Marist Foundation offers scholarships annually to new and returning Marist students. We look forward to partnering with you and being as creative as possible in determining how to make Marist financially accessible for your student. Q: My student didn’t decide Marist was right for them until late Spring of their 8th grade year. Are we out of luck for tuition assistance? A: Not necessarily. Although we do award tuition assistance to students who meet our published deadline (March 1) and encourage everyone to be timely with this process, we accept tuition assistance applications well into the summer. As new and returning students send in their signed tuition contracts, however, our tuition assistance dollars lessen, and there will likely be less funding available to students who apply later versus those who apply earlier. Regardless, we encourage you to apply, as we cannot formally consider anyone, let alone offer an award, without a completed application. Q: My financial situation has changed after I’ve signed and returned my tuition contract. What should I do? A: Please contact our Finance Office as soon as possible to discuss your situation. The more information we have about your circumstances, and the earlier we have it, the more likely we will be to collaborate with you in making a plan about how to pivot accordingly. Q: What is the likelihood that my tuition rate stays the same from one year to the next? A: Marist strives to be as accessible and affordably financially as we can. This said, increases in tuition are occasionally necessary in order to continue to provide the high quality education and student experience we pride ourselves on. We assure you these decisions are made after careful vetting by our administration, board, and campus leadership. We will do our best to alert you of any tuition rate changes as soon as we can so that you can determine their impact on your family budget. As always, if you have specific questions or concerns about what these changes may mean for your individual student, please call or email the Finance Office as soon as possible. Q: I applied for tuition assistance and received my tuition contract, however I don’t feel what I am being offered is fair based on my financial situation. Is there an appeal process? A: Please contact the Finance Office to discuss your situation. While it is possible an error has occurred, we will evaluate your application and tuition rate offer thoroughly before discussing next steps. |
|
