Financial Assistance Scenarios and FAQ's

Urban School subscribes to NAIS School and Student Services (SSS). After families submit detailed financial information and complete the Parent Financial Statement (PFS), SSS analyzes the data and recommends to the school an amount that each family can expect to pay for educational expenses. Urban’s Financial Assistance Committee uses this figure as the starting point for its financial assistance calculations. 
 

Details about financial assistance packages will accompany letters of acceptance to Urban. If you have any questions about your award or would like to appeal, please reach out to the Admissions team. 
 

Admissions decisions are made independently from financial assistance decisions.

To provide equal access to the full range of opportunities at the school, Urban also supports non-tuition expenses based on the percentage of tuition-support a student receives. These expenses include books, laptop fees, outdoor or global education trips, tutoring, food and snacks, school social events, athletic practice gear and any college-related expenses such as standardized tests. See additional items here.

If a family finds itself facing an economic hardship during the school year, they can contact Urban CFO Diane Walters at 415 593 9535 or email dwalters@urbanschool.org to discuss their  new financial situation and to determine the next steps. While there is a limited pool of funds available during a current school year, Urban will thoughtfully evaluate all requestst and is committed to supporting families through difficult periods, within the limitations of each year’s budget.

Families who do not request financial aid in their application year should not assume that financial aid will be available in subsequent years. Families who expect to need financial assistance in years beyond 9th grade are encouraged to speak with Urban CFO Diane Walters at 415 593 9535 or email dwalters@urbanschool.org before they apply for 9th grade.

For applicants with divorced, separated, or unmarried parents, both parents must complete the PFS and submit two years of taxes and earning statements. If one parent refuses to complete all steps required by SSS, the application may not be processed.  Once an award is determined, the tuition obligation will be split equally between parents unless a different arrangement is governed by a legal document or the parents collectively work out how the obligation is to be divided between them. All parties are expected to communicate with each other as necessary and participate in good faith in submitting information. If a parent has remarried or has a partner, all income, assets, expenses, and debt of both adults should be reflected in SSS, regardless if only the biological parent has financial responsibility for the applicant.
 

To ensure your financial assistance application is reviewed by the Financial Aid Committee, you must complete your taxes by the deadline.  If it is not possible because you are waiting for statements such as a K-1 which won’t be issued for several months, ask your accountant to prepare a draft of your taxes.  A provisional award will be made using the draft and the award may be modified, up or down, once the final taxes are provided.
 

SSS computes the total funds available for education (Estimated Parental Contribution) and divides this amount by the number of children attending tuition-charging schools. This is the amount SSS believes you can pay per child and the figure is the starting point for Urban’s Financial Assistance Committee.  If you had, for example, two students in tuition charging school one year and one student attended a college more expensive than Urban the next year, it is unlikely that your award from Urban will change.  We expect that families will apply for aid at each of the institutions their children attend. 

SSS computes the total funds available for education (Estimated Parental Contribution) and divides this amount by the number of children attending tuition-charging schools. This is the amount SSS believes you can pay per child and the figure is the starting point for Urban’s Financial Assistance Committee. If you had, for example, two students in tuition charging schools one year and only one student in a tuition charging school the following year, your level of assistance will decrease assuming your non-tuition-related level of income, assets, debt, and expenses remain about the same.

Rental income from non-primary properties, as well as the market value of property per Zillow or other online real estate tool, is included in the SSS calculation.  In general, rental income and the value of the property serve to boost a family’s income and decrease the amount of financial assistance.
 

Trust funds, 529 plans, investments, or other assets in a student’s name are included in the SSS calculation when providing financial assistance. Urban follows the guidelines set by SSS which considers these assets over the number of years the student will be attending Urban plus four years of college.

Yes. Urban families reapply for financial assistance each year through SSS so that any major changes to a family's financial situation can be reflected in the student's award, though most students receive a similar amount each year if the need remains the same. Awards are calculated based on the most recent two years of tax returns, the updated Parent Financial Statement and special circumstances. Some factors that may change a student's financial assistance include change of job status, and the number of children in a family attending tuition-charging schools.
 

In an effort to create a space for students to discuss and explore the breadth of their experiences, a group of students created the Financial Aid and SocioEconomic Status (FASES) affinity space. Learn more here: www.urbanschool.org/about/belonging.

Urban families reapply for financial assistance each year through SSS so that any major changes to a family's financial situation can be reflected in the student's award, though most students receive a similar amount each year if the need remains the same. Some factors that may change a student's financial assistance include change of job status and the number of children in a family attending tuition-charging schools. Please review the checklist for Returning Families to familiarize yourself with the key deliverable dates which are a little earlier than for our incoming 9th grade families.  
 

Yes. To ensure evaluation of your most current financial information, you must complete your taxes by the deadline. If it is not possible because you are waiting for statements such as a K-1 which won’t be issued for several months, ask your accountant to prepare a draft of your taxes. A provisional award will be made using the draft and the award may be modified, up or down, once the final taxes are provided.
 

Because Urban fully allocates 3/4s of its financial assistance budget to returning families (the remainder is for incoming 9th grade families) who are already receiving assistance, it is extremely difficult to receive an award that matches your demonstrated need. Families who expect to need financial assistance in years beyond 9th grade are encouraged to speak with Urban CFO Diane Walters at 415 593 9535 or email dwalters@urbanschool.org.  

Urban has a limited pool of financial assistance available to support families with changing economic circumstances. If you find yourself facing an economic hardship, please reach out to Urban CFO Diane Walters at 415 593 9535 or email dwalters@urbanschool.org to discuss your new financial situation. After the initial conversation, you will be asked to complete an SSS profile, upload two years of tax returns and earnings statements, write a statement of need, and prepare additional information as necessary for the Financial Assistance Committee. Urban will thoughtfully evaluate your request and is committed to supporting our families through difficult periods to the extent possible within our budget.
 

SSS computes the total funds available for education (Estimated Parental Contribution) and divides this amount by the number of children attending tuition-charging schools. This is the amount SSS believes you can pay per child and the figure is the starting point for Urban’s Financial Assistance Committee. If you had, for example, two students in tuition charging school one year and one student attended a college more expensive than Urban the next year, it is unlikely that your award from Urban will change. We expect that families will apply for aid at each of the institutions their children attend. 

Yes. SSS computes the total funds available for education (Estimated Parental Contribution) and divides this amount by the number of children attending tuition-charging schools. This is the amount SSS believes you can pay per child and the figure is the starting point for Urban’s Financial Assistance Committee. If your total tuition expense is reduced because the tuition at the new school is lower than Urban’s, you can expect that your financial assistance will decrease assuming your non-tuition-related level of income, assets, debt, and expenses remain about the same.
 

For applicants with divorced or separated parents, both parents must complete the PFS and submit two years of taxes and earning statements. If one parent refuses to complete all steps required by SSS, the application may not be processed. Once an award is determined, the tuition obligation will be split equally between parents unless a different arrangement is governed by a legal document or the parents collectively work out how the obligation is to be divided between them. All parties are expected to communicate with each other as necessary and participate in good faith in submitting information. If a parent has remarried or has a partner, all income, assets, expenses, and debt of both adults should be reflected in SSS, regardless if only the biological parent has financial responsibility for the applicant.
 

Rental income from non-primary properties, as well as the market value of property per Zillow or other online real estate tool, is included in the SSS calculation. In general, rental income and the value of the property serve to boost a family’s income and decrease the amount of financial assistance. If property was sold and you are no longer receiving rental income, your award will likely not increase because you received income received from the sale of the property. Depending on the amount of the sale, it is likely your award will decrease because of the income received when the property was sold. 

In an effort to create a space for students to discuss and explore the breadth of their experiences, a group of students created the Financial Aid and SocioEconomic Status (FASES) affinity space. Learn more here: www.urbanschool.org/about/belonging.