Tuition Assistance Program: Frequently Asked Questions
What is the Timothy Tuition Assistance Grant Program?
The goal of the Tuition Assistance Grant Program is to keep the cost of Christian education affordable for as many families as possible. Assistance is granted solely on the basis of financial need. The Grant Program is distinguished from scholarship awards which imply some type of academic, athletic, or musical talent requirement. Any family with financial need can receive a grant regardless of grade point average, involvement in athletics or music, or any other scholarships received.
How does the program work?
To objectively assess a family's need, the Finance Committee of the Board has established an agreement with Christian School Tuition Assistance Service (CSTAS) of Elizabeth, Illinois. CSTAS performs a confidential analysis of the financial information submitted by each family. This organization then provides an index indicating which families most appropriately deserve financial aid from the Tuition Assistance Grant Program.
Parents complete a simple application form listing their income and assets. A copy of your most recent Federal Income Tax Return, W-2's, and documentation of non-taxable income must be included in order to give integrity to the process. Only families with a genuine need should apply. (NOTE: You may need to download Adobe Acrobat to view and print form. Click here for Acrobat Download)
Families are indexed by expected family contributions following the same Federal Financial Aid Formula used by most colleges and universities. A provision may be made for those who have had a recent decrease in their income. The Finance Committee then determines the tuition assistance need for each applicant family by calculating the gap between their tuition cost and expected family contribution. The available funds are then allocated to the applicant families for the coming school year based on relative tuition assistance need. Families then receive this tuition assistance grant in the form of a tuition discount at the time of registration.
What information will be provided to the school by the Christian School Tuition Assistance Service? Who will have access to the information?
All personal financial information is mailed directly to the Christian School Tuition Assistance Service in Illinois. There is a confidentiality and non-disclosure statement from CSTAS in the school office that assures it will not reveal or sell to anyone any of the information it receives.
What is the deadline for application?
The Application for Christian School Tuition Assistance along with supporting documentation should be postmarked no later than May 15. This allows sufficient time for CSTAS processing, and for Finance Committee allocation of the available funds prior to financial registration. The application form must not be mailed to Timothy Christian School.
What is the amount that may be granted in assistance?
While some families may receive less of this assistance and some families more, all distribution is based on individual family need and the total amount of funds available. Last year the maximum grant for one child was about 35% of the cost of education.
What is the source of funding for this program?
Funding for the Timothy Tuition Assistance Grant Program comes from 3 primary sources: (1) distributions from the Timothy Foundation, (2) gifts and donations designated for tuition assistance, and (3) donations from Timothy families which contribute their tuition rebate received from the New To You Resale Shop proceeds. No family pays more than the cost of education to fund this program.
What if my income drastically changes during a school year?
We recognize that these circumstances do occur and when they do, these families should contact the Finance Committee who will attempt to find a reasonable solution to current difficulties.
What happens if I don't fill out the application for grant assistance?
As funds are limited, families who do not send in the application by the deadline may not receive consideration for the full level of grant determined.
How does this program relate to the tuition assistance plans in the Supporting Churches?
Families participating in tuition assistance provided by their supporting church may still apply for assistance through this program. However, the calculation of financial need is different for supporting church families. To calculate financial need, the total cost of tuition must first be determined. For all families, total tuition cost is first reduced by the amount of any applicable scholarships and awards. For supporting church families, total tuition cost is further reduced by the amount of any tuition assistance received from their church. Given the adjusted total cost, the gap between expected contribution and that cost can then be calculated (i.e. financial need).