FAQs: Tuition Assistance
How do I apply and what is the deadline?
ISB uses the School and Student Services (SSS) module to process tuition assistance applications. You can access the application at this link: SSS Portal. Follow the prompt to “Login to complete or update your PFS (Parent Financial Statement”). ISB’s code is 4757. After the PFS is completed, please upload copies of last year’s tax returns (1099, 1040, 1040A, or 1040EZ) and W2 statements or other proof of income (if applicable) directly to SSS. Self-employed parents should also include all related business forms with your 1040 file (i.e., Schedule C, Schedule E, 1120, 1065, and/or K-1). Additional information and an overview of the application can be found here: https://www.solutionsbysss.com/parents/resources/.
Tuition assistance applications for the 2024-2025 school year will become available in October 2023. The deadline to submit is December 4th, 2023 for currently enrolled families and January 8th, 2024 for applicant families. Applicant families should indicate on their admissions application that they wish to apply for tuition assistance.
Do I need to reapply for tuition assistance?
Yes, families need to reapply every year. Tuition assistance awards are granted for one academic year at a time. Once assistance has been awarded, families can expect that it will be renewed, provided their financial situation has not changed substantially and that they have completed the SSS application for the upcoming school year.
How are tuition assistance awards determined?
ISB’s tuition assistance committee reviews all applications in December and January and makes tuition assistance awards annually. The committee uses SSS (School and Student Services) to process and analyze all applications. SSS evaluates a family’s expected contribution to tuition using factors on their PFS (Parent Financial Statement), such as income, cost of living, family size, real estate equity, liquid assets, business income, payments to retirement plans, discretionary spending, medical expenses, child support, rental or mortgage payments, etc.
Can I appeal an award decision?
Yes, an appeals process is available for tuition assistance awards. Families are asked to complete an appeals form and provide additional information to help the tuition assistance committee better understand the family’s financial situation.
What is included in tuition? Are there other school fees?
Tuition payments at ISB cover all school materials, books, field trips, and overnight trips. Families receiving tuition assistance will receive the same percentage of assistance for additional fee-charging programs such as school lunch, After School Care, and the summer program.
Will my family qualify for tuition assistance?
Families must submit an application through SSS to determine eligibility for tuition assistance. Families with a range of incomes may qualify for tuition assistance. Currently, 86% of families who receive tuition assistance have a combined household income below $300,000. Income is just one out of many considered factors; SSS will gather income, assets, and liability data to determine your family’s expected financial need.
If I apply for tuition assistance, can I expect to receive an award?
Supporting socioeconomic diversity is an important part of ISB’s mission, and close to 30% of families in the community receive some form of assistance. However, the requests for tuition assistance far exceed our allocated budget. Tuition assistance packages are offered to as many qualifying families as possible, but ISB does not have the means to extend assistance to all families who apply and qualify. Families should ensure that their applications are complete and submitted before the deadline in order to be considered for assistance. Tuition assistance is not awarded to families who do not qualify.
If I enroll without tuition assistance, can I apply for it the following year?
When a student enrolls at ISB without having applied for financial assistance, it is the school’s expectation that the family will not apply for tuition assistance within the first two years of enrollment. Exceptions may be made if there is demonstration of a significant change in a family’s financial circumstances. Families must notify ISB of any change of financial circumstances that may positively or negatively affect their ability to pay tuition.
When will I find out the results of my tuition assistance application?
Current families receive their tuition assistance awards along with re-enrollment contracts in January. Applicants who are offered admission to ISB and a tuition assistance package are notified of both when decisions are released in February and March. If you are applying off-cycle, we recommend that you check with the Admissions Office before applying for tuition assistance, as funds may be limited beyond the regular admissions season.
Can international families apply for tuition assistance?
Yes, international families can apply for tuition assistance. Families who do not have US tax returns are asked to submit alternate documentation regarding family finances and proof of income. The tuition assistance committee may request additional information or documentation if needed.
What is the French Bourse?
If your child is a French citizen, you may apply for a need-based Bourse from the French government. Please note that, in line with ISB’s accreditation from the French Ministry of Education, Bourse awards can be used for enrollment in Pre-K 3 to 5th Grade only. The Bourse is managed through the French Consulate and takes into account a family’s financial profile and assets to determine whether they qualify for government aid; it is not a subsidy program for families wishing to attend accredited French schools. Applicant families who plan to apply for the Bourse program should notify ISB’s Admissions Office and should also complete the SSS tuition assistance application.
Families applying for the Bourse should contact the French Consulate. More information about the program and required documents can be found here: https://newyork.consulfrance.org/foire-aux-questions-bourses-scolaires.
ISB uses the School and Student Services (SSS) module to process tuition assistance applications. You can access the application at this link: SSS Portal. Follow the prompt to “Login to complete or update your PFS (Parent Financial Statement”). ISB’s code is 4757. After the PFS is completed, please upload copies of last year’s tax returns (1099, 1040, 1040A, or 1040EZ) and W2 statements or other proof of income (if applicable) directly to SSS. Self-employed parents should also include all related business forms with your 1040 file (i.e., Schedule C, Schedule E, 1120, 1065, and/or K-1). Additional information and an overview of the application can be found here: https://www.solutionsbysss.com/parents/resources/.
Tuition assistance applications for the 2024-2025 school year will become available in October 2023. The deadline to submit is December 4th, 2023 for currently enrolled families and January 8th, 2024 for applicant families. Applicant families should indicate on their admissions application that they wish to apply for tuition assistance.
Do I need to reapply for tuition assistance?
Yes, families need to reapply every year. Tuition assistance awards are granted for one academic year at a time. Once assistance has been awarded, families can expect that it will be renewed, provided their financial situation has not changed substantially and that they have completed the SSS application for the upcoming school year.
How are tuition assistance awards determined?
ISB’s tuition assistance committee reviews all applications in December and January and makes tuition assistance awards annually. The committee uses SSS (School and Student Services) to process and analyze all applications. SSS evaluates a family’s expected contribution to tuition using factors on their PFS (Parent Financial Statement), such as income, cost of living, family size, real estate equity, liquid assets, business income, payments to retirement plans, discretionary spending, medical expenses, child support, rental or mortgage payments, etc.
Can I appeal an award decision?
Yes, an appeals process is available for tuition assistance awards. Families are asked to complete an appeals form and provide additional information to help the tuition assistance committee better understand the family’s financial situation.
What is included in tuition? Are there other school fees?
Tuition payments at ISB cover all school materials, books, field trips, and overnight trips. Families receiving tuition assistance will receive the same percentage of assistance for additional fee-charging programs such as school lunch, After School Care, and the summer program.
Will my family qualify for tuition assistance?
Families must submit an application through SSS to determine eligibility for tuition assistance. Families with a range of incomes may qualify for tuition assistance. Currently, 86% of families who receive tuition assistance have a combined household income below $300,000. Income is just one out of many considered factors; SSS will gather income, assets, and liability data to determine your family’s expected financial need.
If I apply for tuition assistance, can I expect to receive an award?
Supporting socioeconomic diversity is an important part of ISB’s mission, and close to 30% of families in the community receive some form of assistance. However, the requests for tuition assistance far exceed our allocated budget. Tuition assistance packages are offered to as many qualifying families as possible, but ISB does not have the means to extend assistance to all families who apply and qualify. Families should ensure that their applications are complete and submitted before the deadline in order to be considered for assistance. Tuition assistance is not awarded to families who do not qualify.
If I enroll without tuition assistance, can I apply for it the following year?
When a student enrolls at ISB without having applied for financial assistance, it is the school’s expectation that the family will not apply for tuition assistance within the first two years of enrollment. Exceptions may be made if there is demonstration of a significant change in a family’s financial circumstances. Families must notify ISB of any change of financial circumstances that may positively or negatively affect their ability to pay tuition.
When will I find out the results of my tuition assistance application?
Current families receive their tuition assistance awards along with re-enrollment contracts in January. Applicants who are offered admission to ISB and a tuition assistance package are notified of both when decisions are released in February and March. If you are applying off-cycle, we recommend that you check with the Admissions Office before applying for tuition assistance, as funds may be limited beyond the regular admissions season.
Can international families apply for tuition assistance?
Yes, international families can apply for tuition assistance. Families who do not have US tax returns are asked to submit alternate documentation regarding family finances and proof of income. The tuition assistance committee may request additional information or documentation if needed.
What is the French Bourse?
If your child is a French citizen, you may apply for a need-based Bourse from the French government. Please note that, in line with ISB’s accreditation from the French Ministry of Education, Bourse awards can be used for enrollment in Pre-K 3 to 5th Grade only. The Bourse is managed through the French Consulate and takes into account a family’s financial profile and assets to determine whether they qualify for government aid; it is not a subsidy program for families wishing to attend accredited French schools. Applicant families who plan to apply for the Bourse program should notify ISB’s Admissions Office and should also complete the SSS tuition assistance application.
Families applying for the Bourse should contact the French Consulate. More information about the program and required documents can be found here: https://newyork.consulfrance.org/foire-aux-questions-bourses-scolaires.