Tuition Frequently-Asked Questions
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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: The application for tuition assistance in the 2023-24 school year will be available on December 1, 2022. All prospective families, freshmen and transfer, are encouraged to apply. Current Marist families who will have a student enrolled in 2023-24 must also reapply for tuition assistance. The priority deadline to submit the tuition assistance application and all supporting documents is February 21, 2023. Families who do not meet the priority deadline may apply after the fact, however funds will be prioritized for those families who applied on or before February 21, 2023. Q: What if I do not want to apply for tuition assistance? A: No problem. If Marist does not receive a tuition assistance application from a student’s family, the tuition contract that is sent will reflect the 2023-34 school year’s full tuition rate (minus any applicable Commitment to Catholic Education discounts). This tuition rate will be confirmed by the School Board of Directors no later than February 2023. 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. While funds will be prioritized for families who meet our February 21, 2023 deadline, we always accept applications for tuition assistance and do our best to award funds as generously as possible. Also, if a student was offered tuition assistance but does not enroll, those funds are redistributed to other applicants. We always encourage an application to be submitted as we cannot formally consider anyone, let alone offer an award, unless we have a full understanding of a family’s financial situation. 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. |
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