Tuition Assistance

The following resources provided by Clarity may be helpful to you as you complete your tuition assistance application:

• Family Application Guide
• Clarity Quick Reference Guide
• Tax Verification Guide
• Tax Verification FAQs

First-Time Clarity Applicant Questions

• How does Clarity make it easier for me to apply for financial aid?
  
  Clarity offers a streamlined, mobile-friendly application that can be completed in as little time as thirty minutes. Additionally, Clarity removes the need to upload your personal tax return(s) and W2(s) by transferring them directly from the IRS. This saves you time so that you aren’t pulling out all of your tax returns and transposing numbers from the returns into the application. It is also more secure because you are not uploading copies of original documents, needing to redact the SSNs, and those copies or PDFs are not sitting unsecured on your desktop or in a folder on your computer, or in an email server, etc.
   

• How will the switch to Clarity impact my award?
  
  Just as in prior years, if your financial circumstances have not changed, you will not see significant changes to your award. If you have any questions about your individual circumstance, please reach out to us.
   

• Will I still need to apply every year?
  
  Yes, you will need to submit a Clarity application each year as part of the school’s standard financial aid process. Clarity retains your demographic information from previous applications, so it will be even easier to reapply.
   
• Can I complete my Clarity application on my phone or tablet?
  
  Yes! Clarity’s application is fully mobile-friendly so you have access wherever you are.
   
• Is my information secure with Clarity?
  
  Clarity takes privacy and security of your personal information seriously. Clarity is certified for both GDPR and SOC2 and uses enterprise-level security standards including end-to-end encryption of all personally identifiable information. For more information, please refer to Clarity’s Privacy Policy.
   

Enhanced Tax Verification Questions

• I have a choice to verify through Clarity or the IRS. Which should I use?
  
  Both options will retrieve your tax returns from the IRS, and both require an identity verification step. Families who select the Clarity pathway will sign a tax request form (PDF) that is transmitted to the IRS for a human at the IRS to approve. This process can take 3-5 business days for verification. Families who select the IRS pathway will log into their IRS.gov account to sign and submit the tax authorization electronically. This process leads to verification in less than 24 hours.
   
• I do not want to do the tax verification process. Can I upload my 1040 and W2 instead?
  
  There isn’t a way to bypass this part of the process.
  
  Clarity utilizes IRS forms to securely obtain digital transcripts (not originals or copies) of your W2 and 1040 filings. These are standard forms used across the financial industry. If you’ve ever applied for a mortgage, refinanced, gotten a car loan, or any other personal loan, you likely filled out a similar form as part of that application. These are standard forms that those companies will use to determine what size loan you qualify for by retrieving transcripts of your most recent tax filing information. In fact, if you plan to use the FAFSA to apply for college financial aid, they will also ask you to complete these forms to obtain your tax transcripts just like Clarity does.
  
  Clarity provides the forms in a secure docusign format where you’ll enter your SSN (this is completely masked and is only visible to you and the IRS), confirm your address and name are accurate, and then e-sign. The form then goes directly to the IRS, which then processes the request and provides the data and transcripts to Clarity within your application file. This saves you time so that you aren’t pulling out all of your tax returns and transposing numbers from the returns into the application. It is also more secure because you are not uploading copies of original documents, so those copies or PDFs are not sitting on your desktop or in a folder on your computer, or in an email server, or at the school office, etc.
  
  Clarity is both SOC2 and GDPR compliant, which are gold standards for cybersecurity, and we are voluntarily audited on our security protocols by an independent assessor twice per year.
   
• I am being asked to authorize for future year taxes too. Why do you need this?
  
  In both the IRS or Clarity pathways, families will provide authorization and consent for Clarity to retrieve their 2024 tax documents (1040 and W2) and share them with the schools on their application. Additionally, families will provide authorization (but not consent) for Clarity to retrieve their 2025, 2026, and 2027 tax documents (1040 and W2). The reason Clarity requests this advanced authorization is that it will allow Clarity to instantaneously retrieve and share future year tax documents with schools upon a family's re-application in those future years.
   
• What if my family does not reapply for financial aid next year?
  
  If a family does not reapply for financial aid next year, then Clarity will not retrieve any future year tax documents for them. No future year tax documents are retrieved without the family submitting a financial aid application and consenting to their release for the relevant school year.
   
• What if a family is not comfortable with authorizing Clarity to retrieve future year taxes?
  
  If a family does not submit another financial aid application, then Clarity will never retrieve any future year tax documents. The authorization for future year tax documents that families provide enables Clarity to pull future year tax documents as soon as a family reapplies for financial aid in a future school year, but Clarity will never retrieve future year tax documents without the family reapplying for financial aid in those future years.
   
• Who are James McGowan, Elizabeth Boonin, and Curtis Knuth?
  
  Tax Authorization Requests require an IRS credentialed designee on file as a liable party. James, Elizabeth, and Curtis are Clarity’s designated IRS practitioners, so their names are displayed on the paperwork sent to the IRS.
   
• What if I file an extension? How will that impact my application?
  
  If a family’s 2024 taxes are not available at the time that they submit their financial aid application, they should indicate the date they plan to file on their application. They will be prompted to sign the tax authorization forms for their W2s if they report receiving them, and will likely be required to upload their 1040 tax documents for manual review.

Identity Verification Questions

• I’m being prompted to verify my identity. What does this process involve?
  
  Identity verification is a one-time process where a parent/guardian uploads a picture of a government-issued photo ID and takes a selfie photo to verify their identity. Parents/guardians can complete this process from within the financial aid application, or have a link texted to their mobile device to complete it there.
   
• Who needs to complete the identity verification process?
  
  All parents/guardians who are US taxpayers are required to provide tax documents through Clarity’s new IRS integration, and will be prompted to complete the one-time identity verification process.
   
• How do I know my identity information that I share in the identity verification process is secure?
  
  Clarity takes safeguarding your personal data incredibly seriously and goes through annual SOC2 audits as well as engages in annual penetration testing. Additionally, all of the data collected during the identity verification process is stored in an encrypted database and will only be accessed in the event of an audit by the IRS.
   
• Does the identity verification process need to be completed every year?
  
  No, parents/guardians who are US taxpayers are only required to complete identity verification one time and will not be asked to re-verify in future years provided they use the same account.
   
• Do both parents/guardians have to verify their identity?
  
  The IRS requires the identity verification for each parent/guardian that has a W2 and/or tax return. If both parents/guardians in the household file jointly, and only one receives a W2, we do not require the identity verification for the parent/guardian who does not receive a W2. If the both parents/guardians in the household file their tax returns separately, they will both have to verify their identity.
   
• Do both parents/guardians need to be present to complete the identity verification step?
  
  Both parent/guardians need to complete this step, but they do not need to complete it at the same time. For families following the Clarity pathway, a link can be texted to the second parent/guardian, allowing them to complete verification conveniently from their mobile device. For families following the IRS pathway, the other parent/guardian will need to complete this step when they are able to in order to complete the process.
   
• I don’t want to go through the identity verification process. How do I avoid it?
  
  The identity verification process is something that the IRS requires of all US taxpayers in order to authorize the sharing of tax transcripts. There is no way around it, but it’s a one time process, which means that once parents/guardians do it this year, they won’t have to do it again in the future.
   

All currently enrolled and new Westmark School students are welcome to apply for tuition assistance. Our Tuition Assistance Committee reviews tuition assistance applications from families across a wide range of incomes. Tuition assistance amounts are based on each family’s demonstrated financial need.  In general, committee decisions are final; see below for information about appeals.

Please note that a request for tuition assistance will not influence the decision on whether to accept a student. Admission and tuition assistance decisions are made separately, and no decision on tuition assistance will be made until a student has been accepted to Westmark. 

In addition, please be reassured that all tuition assistance information is kept strictly confidential.

To apply for tuition assistance, every family must complete an application via Clarity. As an independent service, Clarity makes recommendations on what each family may be able to contribute toward their child’s educational expenses based on the information submitted and evaluated.

The following items will be taken into account when determining a family’s financial need:

• Home equity
• Family trusts
• Other assets
• Assistance from relatives and friends
• Pension and retirement contributions and accounts
• Discretionary spending
• College funds and/or student asse

The School understands that there are expenses beyond tuition for your child’s education. Therefore, Westmark will consider requests for assistance with supplemental expenses such as transportation, field trips, and other incidentals.

Westmark believes the primary responsibility of funding a student’s education lies with the family. This would include both parents regardless of any living, custodial, or support arrangements. Therefore, both parents, if living, must submit a complete Clarity application in order for a student to be considered for tuition assistance. Westmark will waive the information requirement from a non-custodial parent provided one of the following circumstances is met:

• Documented information is provided that states the location of the non-custodial parent is unknown.
• Documented information is provided that states that the non-custodial parent has no educational rights with regards to the student.
• Documented information is provided that states that the non-custodial parent has given no financial support and has had no contact with the family for at least two years.

The School recognizes that there are a variety of additional circumstances that may affect a family’s ability to contribute to their child’s education. To maintain a fair and equal distribution of tuition assistance funds, Westmark will adhere to the following guidelines in reviewing a family’s request for tuition assistance:

Divorced or Separated Parents

Westmark believes that both parents should share in the cost of their child's education and requires both parents to submit financial information regardless of any divorce or custody agreements. Parents who have remarried must include their spouse's financial information when applying for tuition assistance. In cases where one parent does not have any legal educational rights in regards to the student, or in cases of extraordinary circumstances, the School may, at its sole discretion, waive this requirement.

Non-Working Parents

In line with our philosophy of parent responsibility for tuition, Westmark expects both parents to contribute financially toward their child’s education. However, the School also recognizes that extenuating circumstances may preclude both parents from working. Based on each family’s individual situation, should a parent choose not to work, the School reserves the right to impute a yearly salary for any non-working parent after the youngest child reaches first grade. The salary imputed will be equal to the yearly salary of a minimum wage job.

Parent Starting a New Business

If the primary reason for assistance is due to the start of a new business, the School may consider providing some type of assistance for up to two years. Thereafter, a yearly salary will be imputed and will be equal to the yearly salary of a minimum wage job.

Parent Returning to School

If a parent has chosen to continue their education, Westmark may provide some type of assistance to the family for a limited period of time. Consideration of the type of schooling the parent is undertaking (e.g., weekends, nights, online) will be factored into Westmark’s decision. A yearly salary may be imputed and will be equal to the yearly salary of a minimum wage job.

Legal Guardianships

The School will look first at the assets of the student, but may require the legal guardian to submit a tuition assistance application.

Administration

The Tuition Assistance Committee is responsible for establishing  and following tuition assistance procedures. These procedures are regularly reviewed to ensure the validity of policies and their alignment with the School’s mission. All meetings, correspondence, and records are kept strictly confidential.

In conjunction with the Chief Business Officer, the Chair of the Tuition Assistance Committee is responsible for the following:

• Overseeing the tuition assistance budget
• Maintaining records and files
• Corresponding and meeting with families
• Preparing reports
• Recommending policy and procedure changes

Appeals

As stated, in general, all tuition assistance decisions are final. Families who are denied tuition assistance or who receive an offer they would like to appeal may express their concerns in writing to the Chair of the Tuition Assistance Committee.

EMAIL TUITION ASSISTANCE COMMITTEE CHAIR

Westmark's tuition assistance program is administered and guided by the National Association of Independent School’s (NAIS) Standards of Good Practice, as follows:

1. The school adheres to local, state, and federal laws and regulations that require non-discriminatory practice in the administration of its tuition assistance policies.

2. The school operates within the context of both short- and long-range tuition assistance budget and policy goals.

3. The school uses objective research to measure the effectiveness of its progress towards its goals, and communicates the outcomes as appropriate.

4. The school provides outreach, education, and guidance to students and families on all aspects of its tuition assistance process and options.

5. The school determines eligibility for admission without regard to a student’s application for tuition assistance.

6. To the extent of its allocated budget, the school commits to providing tuition assistance dollars to applicants who demonstrate their family resources are insufficient to meet all or part of the total educational cost of a Westmark School education.

7. Although all families are required to reapply each year, the school continues to provide support to students as long as financial need is demonstrated.

8. The school maintains the same standards of behavior and academic performance for recipients of tuition assistance as it does for non-recipients.

9. The school enacts documented procedures that ensure a fair, consistent, and equitable assessment of each family’s ability to contribute toward educational expenses.

10. The school makes and communicates tuition assistance decisions in a manner that allows families to make careful and fully informed enrollment decisions.

11. The school establishes administrative and accounting procedures that distinguish Westmark’s need-based tuition assistance program from other types of student loan companies and scholarships.

12. The school safeguards the confidentiality of tuition assistance applications, records, and decisions.

13. The school shall refrain from and discourage others from making any public announcement of the amount of tuition assistance offered to a student.

14. The school supports collaboration between the tuition assistance office and other offices within the school in administering and developing policies and procedures.