Ashley Hall Tuition Assistance
The purpose of Ashley Hall’s Tuition Assistance Program is to enroll qualified students who could not otherwise afford to attend, thus maximizing the strength of the student body. We understand that affordability is a major consideration for parents. All tuition assistance awards are made on the basis of a family’s demonstrated need and are reserved for families who have no alternative to requesting aid. Ashley Hall follows the National Association of Independent Schools (NAIS) Principles of Good Practice for Financial Aid. All families requesting tuition assistance must adhere to NAIS’s School and Student Services (SSS) procedures. The results of the SSS formula are considered by the tuition assistance committee, which then determines whether aid is to be granted and how much aid to grant. Ashley Hall is not always able to meet the demonstrated need of all families who apply. All information is confidential, limited to review by the tuition assistance committee, and will be returned upon request. Need-based tuition assistance is a grant, not a loan, and is allocated on a first-come, first served basis to families of students in kindergarten through grade 12. Tuition assistance is calculated without regard to race, handicap, color, religion, or national origin.
Please note the following:
- The tuition assistance application is separate from the admission application and is not a factor in admission decisions.
- If parents are divorced or separated, we require information from both custodial and non-custodial parents. Each household needs to complete the SSS application separately.
- All parents in a household are required to be employed before seeking tuition assistance. The exception is for parents caring for pre-school aged children, living with a disability, or facing other circumstances preventing employment.
- Parents who own a business, trust, or receive rental income may be required to submit additional documentation.
- Failure to meet all of the deadlines limits Ashley Hall’s ability to award tuition assistance to those deserving students who might otherwise qualify and may result in a reduced or forfeited reward.
- You will be asked to supply a copy of your 2023 Federal Income Tax Return (Form 1040), all supporting schedules and W-2s, which can be submitted either electronically or by mail.
Access Parents’ Financial Statement Workbook
The financial aid deadline for new students is follows:
For Kindergarten: January 31, 2025
For Grades 1 – 11: February 28, 2025
For returning students the tuition assistance deadline is January 15, 2025.
If you have any questions about the tuition assistance process, contact:
Janet Morrison | Controller | [email protected] | (843) 720-2867
Tuition Assistance FAQs
Does Ashley Hall offer Tuition Assistance and Scholarships?
Ashley Hall maintains a robust tuition assistance program and budget to ensure that the most qualified candidates have the opportunity to attend Ashley Hall, regardless of their economic circumstances. Some scholarships are offered to specific students who have demonstrated financial need and fulfill specific criteria for that particular scholarship. Most scholarships are for students in grades 5-12.
What are the terms of the tuition assistance program?
Tuition assistance awards are for one year. Every family must reapply annually for further tuition assistance awards.
A tuition assistance application is in no way connected to a student’s application for admission. Tuition assistance information is confidential and is not shared with the admission committee, only with the tuition assistance committee.
Failure to comply with tuition assistance deadlines can disqualify a student from receiving aid. Misrepresentation or failure to fully and accurately disclose all information on the parents’ financial statement, will result in the loss of tuition assistance.
Every tuition assistance application will be reviewed on an individual basis. Returning Ashley Hall families receiving tuition assistance will be given priority for awards over new student applications. Returning families must adhere firmly to tuition assistance guidelines in order to ensure their priority. Funds can and will be allocated to other families if information is not completed and submitted by the published deadlines.
What forms are needed to apply for Tuition Assistance?
All information can be accessed at www.sssbynais.org. This site (School and Student Services) allows families to fill out the parents’ financial statement and submit all required tax documents. In addition, families must fill out Form 4506. This document is available here and must be signed, undated, and uploaded through SSS. Form 4506 is an IRS document that is used to retrieve past tax returns, W-2s, and 1099 transcripts that are held on file by the IRS. This document gives permission for a third party (Ashley Hall) to retrieve the taxpayer’s data.
When is the deadline to submit a 2023 Federal Tax Return?
A complete 2023 Federal tax return, including all appropriate schedules, must be received by SSS by January 15, 2025. A complete 2024 Federal tax return, including all appropriate schedules, must be received by SSS at your earliest convenience, but no later than September 1, 2025. If you require an extension or special consideration, please contact the Ashley Hall Controller, Janet Morrison, at [email protected] directly.
What are the considerations for special circumstances?
Unmarried Couples and Single Parents
Both the birth parent(s) and guardians(s) must report all income and assets.
Divorced or Separated Parents
Ashley Hall’s policy for determining the financial need of students from separated or divorced families follows the same principle as our policy for all tuition assistance applicants: parents should pay the educational expenses for their children to the extent at which they are able.
In situations where an applicant’s parents are separated or divorced, the term custodial parent is used for the parent with whom the applicant resides (or has resided with most frequently during the twelve months prior to the financial aid application). The other parent is referred to as the non-custodial parent. The parents’ financial statement is completed by the custodial parent and, if that parent has remarried, also by the step-parent. Non-custodial parents are also required to complete a financial statement form and submit it to SSS.
It is the responsibility of both parents to submit the appropriate financial information. It is the responsibility of the custodial parent to ask the non-custodial parent to complete all appropriate forms in a timely manner. If the requested information is not provided, the tuition assistance committee will be unable to review an application for aid. Remarriage of either parent creates a new family unit, but Ashley Hall believes that the biological (or adoptive) parents (either custodial or non-custodial) have a responsibility for education expenses, unless there is documented legal agreements to the contrary.
Ashley Hall will consider waiving the requirement for submission of the financial statement for parents who are separated or divorced by the non-custodial parent if information is provided which clearly indicates that the location of the non-custodial parent is currently unknown.
In either of the above mentioned situations, supporting documentation clarifying the situation will be accepted from a doctor, lawyer, or other such person with knowledge of the family’s circumstances. There may be other extenuating circumstances which would warrant Ashley Hall waiving this requirement.