Affording Westmark

All students currently enrolled as well as all new students to the school are welcome to apply. Our Tuition Assistance Committee offers aid based on each family’s demonstrated need. To assist the committee in reviewing financial need, every family must complete an application with FAST (Financial Aid for School Tuition). FAST is an independent resource service which makes recommendations on what each family may be able to contribute toward their child’s educational expenses based on the information evaluated.

Our program supports families across a wide range of incomes, with the amount of tuition assistance dependent on financial need. The school understands there are expenses beyond tuition for your child’s education. Therefore, the school 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 natural parents regardless of any living, custodial, or support arrangements. Therefore, both parents, if living, must submit a complete tuition assistance 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;
• Or, documented information is provided that the non-custodial parent has given no support AND has had no contact with the family for at least two years.

For clarification, documentation will be accepted from a doctor, lawyer, minister, or any such person outside the immediate family.

All tuition assistance information will be kept strictly confidential.

A Tuition Assistance Committee has been established to review tuition assistance applications and determine tuition assistance amounts. In all cases, the decision of the committee will be final.

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

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.

The Director of Finance and Operations is the chair of the Tuition Assistance Committee and is responsible for:

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

Each December the school will announce it is taking tuition assistance applications along with the application deadline for requesting tuition assistance. This announcement will be posted on our web site and communicated to parents via the school’s current communication methods. Families interested in applying for tuition assistance should begin the process by clicking on the FAST link.

Tuition Assistance Appeal Process

As stated, all decisions are final. Families who are denied tuition assistance, or who receive an offer they question, may address their concerns in writing to the Chair of the Tuition Assistance Committee. Once received, a response will be provided within two weeks.

There are a variety of circumstances which 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.

• Full Payment - remaining balance due in a lump sum on July 1
• Two payments - remaining balance due in two payments, one on July 1 & one on December 1
• Six payments - remaining balance due over six months & paid in six equal installments which begin on July 1 and end on December 1