Financial Assistance Policy for SJES

St. James Episcopal School follows a policy of need-blind admissions so a family’s ability to pay does not play a role in the admissions decision. While the availability of school resources, the number of qualified applicants, and overall budgetary constraints influence financial assistance decisions, St. James is committed to making grants available to as many eligible applicants as possible. In an effort to make the process fair to all, St. James considers the following when making award decisions:

The primary responsibility for financing a student’s education rests with the family.

In the case of divorce or separation, St. James requires both parents to file an application for financial assistance. St. James is not bound by any divorce agreement specifying a parent’s responsibility for educational expenses. As a general rule, we require financial disclosure of all parents regardless of status by which they have filed their taxes…to include both natural parents as well as any step-parents where a divorced parent has remarried. Same is true for civil unions as well as “common law” couples. Custody arrangements don’t have much of a bearing on aid eligibility as we consider all parents to share responsibility for the child’s development and educational success.

St. James believes a family should invest in their child’s education before elective expenses.

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