Tuition Assistance Program

It is the belief and hope of Davis Waldorf School that a Waldorf education is accessible to all families who wish to have it, regardless of their economic status.  We recognize an independent education requires a significant financial commitment. DWS budgets a limited amount of financial assistance through our Tuition Assistance Program (TAP). 

The typical range of tuition assistance offered to an eligible family is between 20% and 50%, with a maximum award of 75%.  All tuition assistance awards are conditional upon a family’s tuition and other school financial obligations being up to date. The maximum award all Kindergarten students are eligible to receive is 50%.  Assistance is not available for Preschool enrollments.

Who Can Apply?
Families must apply annually for tuition assistance for any child kindergarten - 8th grade. TAP is not available for children enrolled in our preschool program .  Please visit  https://mytads.com to apply for tuition assistance. There is a $60 fee to apply.

Before an award can be granted, enrollment for the child(ren) must be in progress. In order to expedite the process, we recommend new families considering TAP to begin the application at the same time as their student's application to the  Davis Waldorf School.

TAP Application Process
Davis Waldorf School utilizes a third party company called Tuition Aid Data Service (TADS) to gather financial data as well as to put together reports summarizing data and ranking families’ ability to pay. The application process includes several steps, which include submitting tax returns and current pay stubs, along with other financial documents. Using TADS helps our school ensure consistency and objectivity in evaluating financial data. In addition, the TAP committee members meet individually with all new families, and one-third to one-half of all returning families. During the meeting, we are able to get a better understanding of a family's financial situation and discuss the needs of the school.

The Davis Waldorf School TAP committee considers each family’s ability to pay, regardless of the number of children enrolled. A family’s absence of income due to unemployment or part-time employment (including a parent pursuing a higher education degree) is considered for only one year. In order to provide fair and equitable consideration for all families, a half-time, minimum wage income is assumed for each eligible parent after one year.

Families who utilize the TAP process must take the time necessary to fully analyze their finances before submitting applications; they are agreeing to forgo a certain amount of financial privacy when they ask for support from the school. The TAP committee (made up of our business manager, a board member and select parent volunteers) holds family financial data with complete confidentiality. At no time does the faculty or any other person at DWS receive information related to TAP.

How is a Family’s Financial Need Determined?
TADS collects and processes the information families provide. Applications are individually evaluated to determine an estimated family contribution for education. Many factors are taken into account, including but not limited to: all sources of income, assets, expenses, indebtedness, and family size. TADS calculates a living allowance for each family, which protects a certain amount of income.  This process helps determine a family’s discretionary income, which helps determine their tuition contribution. TADS relies on a standard method to assess resources available to contribute toward a child’s educational expense.

The income and assets of both parents, if living in the same household, are considered when making a tuition assessment. If either parent has remarried or has a partner living in the home, TADS requires the partner’s assets be considered. Therefore, the partner’s assets must be included on the application in order for it to be accepted. Income, expenses, assets, and liabilities of the entire “new” family unit are considered in addition to the natural (or adoptive) parent’s ability to contribute to the cost of the education.

Tuition assistance is based upon one’s ability to pay, not one’s willingness to pay. In some cases, a divorced/separated parent is able to pay the full 50% of the child’s tuition while the other parent applies for tuition assistance. In special circumstances, such as when the non-custodial parent's location is unknown or when the non-custodial parent has no contact with the family, the TAP committee requests a letter from the applicant explaining the situation.

Questions?
Please send all inquiries about our Tuition Assistance Program to TAP@daviswaldorf.org.  All inquiries are confidential.