Financial Aid Sample Scenarios
Financial aid is designed for families who need assistance with tuition after they have incorporated all other resources into their planning for educational costs, and it is designed to make a CSW educational accessible to as many qualified students as possible.
With over 40 data points collected in the SSS application, there are more variables than would allow us to predict the outcome for any given family. SSS calculations take into account such factors as income and assets, the number of students in tuition-charging schools, the age of parents, and unusual medical expenses. However for some families, the Estimated Family Contribution (EFC) used by CSW will be lower than the figure provided by SSS because of cost of living adjustments we apply behind-the-scenes (that is, you may be eligible for more aid than the initial EFC figure you receive from SSS suggests). We are happy to talk with you and answer your questions about the financial aid process.
With over 40 data points collected in the SSS application, there are more variables than would allow us to predict the outcome for any given family. SSS calculations take into account such factors as income and assets, the number of students in tuition-charging schools, the age of parents, and unusual medical expenses. However for some families, the Estimated Family Contribution (EFC) used by CSW will be lower than the figure provided by SSS because of cost of living adjustments we apply behind-the-scenes (that is, you may be eligible for more aid than the initial EFC figure you receive from SSS suggests). We are happy to talk with you and answer your questions about the financial aid process.
We hope that the scenarios, below, will help provide a general idea about the many types of family financial profiles that are eligible for aid. These examples reflect a day student tuition of $54,000, and a boarding student tuition of $66,800. The only way to know if your family could receive financial aid is to complete both the online application available through School and Student Services (SSS) and the CSW application process. When all application materials are received by the deadlines, financial aid decisions are communicated with admission decisions on March 10.
Family 1:
This family includes two parents who both work outside the home with a total combined income of $165,000 and one student applying to CSW as a 9th grade day student. They purchased their home in 2001, and they have assets (home equity, savings, and investments) of about $305,000. Their adjusted Estimated Family Contribution (EFC) is $29,000 and the financial aid award from CSW is $25,000.
Family 2:
In this family of four, both parents work outside the home with a total combined income of $185,000, and both of their children will be in tuition-charging schools for the upcoming school year. Their oldest child is applying to CSW as a 9th grade day student. With a home purchased in 1998, their assets (home equity, savings, and investments) total $310,000. This family’s adjusted EFC is $15,000 and the financial aid award from CSW is $39,080.
Family 3:
In this family, the parents are divorced and live in separate households; they have one child, applying as a 9th grade day student. Both parents are single. One parent earns $84,000; this parent purchased a home in 2000 and has assets (home equity, savings, and investments) of about $263,000. The adjusted EFC for this parent is $3,000. The other parent has an income of $177,000. This parent owns a home purchased in 2007 and has assets (home equity, savings, and investments) of about $329,000. This adjusted EFC is $22,000, and so both parent’s combined contribution is estimated to be $25,000; the financial aid award for this family comes in at $29,000.
Family 4:
There are two parents with one child in this family; one parent works outside the home and one parent does not. Because there are no preschool aged children to care for, CSW adds an imputed income amount to this family’s annual earnings in accordance with our policy for non-working parents and their income is calculated as $200,000. This family purchased their home in 2009, and their assets (home equity, savings, and investments) are about $350,000. Their child is applying as a boarding student to the 9th grade, and their adjusted EFC is $41,000; their financial aid award is calculated to be $25,800.
Family 5:
In this family, there is a single parent and one child; the parent’s income is $32,000. The child’s other parent is deceased. They rent an apartment and have no other assets. The child is applying as a 9th grade boarder. This family is eligible for the largest financial aid award we offer, which is $65,800; this means that the family contributes $1,000 toward tuition, room and board.
CSW—a gender-inclusive day and boarding school for grades 9-12—is a national leader in progressive education. We live out our values of inquiry-based learning, student agency, and embracing diverse perspectives in every aspect of our student experience. Young people come to CSW to learn how to learn and then put what they learn into action—essential skills they carry into their futures as doers, makers, innovators, leaders, and exceptional humans who do meaningful work in the world.