Financial Aid
Burlington Day School funds most of its annual operating expenses with tuition dollars. This decision means that tuition controls, in large part, the quality of the education Burlington Day School is able to offer. While recognizing that some sacrifice is appropriate for something as crucial as children’s education, the school acknowledges that financial assistance will be necessary to build and maintain the sort of student body Burlington Day School aspires to have.
In order for us to allocate our resources wisely and fairly, we use Independent School Management's FAST (Financial Aid for School Tuition) program. ISM's FAST does not decide whether financial assistance will be given or how much to give; rather FAST provides a need-based financial aid analysis. FAST provides the school with a report, which includes a recommendation of how much a family should reasonably contribute toward tuition. All information from FAST is kept confidential. Applications are reviewed by the BDS Financial Aid Committee and the committee determines allocation of financial aid resources for the next year. These determinations are sent to currently enrolled families who meet the January 31, 2010 deadline. A portion of the financial aid budget is reserved for new families who apply after this date.
Financial Aid Procedures
The financial aid process is outlined below.
Parents Procedures:
- Parents are asked to access the FAST Program website using the link at the bottom of this webpage. Once there, click the Get Started button at the bottom of the first page. All your financial information should be entered directly through the secure server. Space is also provided to fill out additional information that may be pertinent to your application. In addition, a copy of your most recent tax return (2009) is required to be mailed directly to FAST.
- There will be a fee of $34.00 to process the financial aid application. Once completed, the application will be available immediately for the BDS Financial Aid Committee’s review. You may be contacted by the Committee if additional information is needed.
- Additional assistance in using the FAST website may be found here.
BDS Procedures:
- Once the application is entered the BDS Financial Aid Committee can access your application.
- The BDS Financial Aid Committee then meets to review each family’s completed online application. The Board of Trustees allocates a certain amount of total aid each year. The BDS Financial Aid Committee determines allocation of financial aid resources for the next year and financial aid offers are sent to families.
Financial Aid Deadlines
Firm deadlines for applying for financial aid for the 2010–2011 school year are as follows:
January 31, 2010 – current Burlington Day School families for re-enrolling students and their siblings must submit the FAST application ($25.00 fee)
February 15, 2010 -- 2009 tax returns must be postmarked and mailed to Independent School Management ($9.00 fee)
Families new to BDS may apply for financial assistance once their enrollment application has been submitted and paid to the Admission Office.
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