The Board of Trustees has adopted the policy of funding most of the school's annual operating expenses with tuition dollars.  This decision means that tuition controls, in large part, the quality of the education Montessori Academy is able to offer.

The primary financial responsibility for a child's education rests with the parents to the full extent that they are able.  While recognizing that some sacrifice is appropriate for something as crucial as children's education, the Board acknowledges that financial assistance will be necessary to enroll and maintain a diverse student body.  The financial aid is based on need and bridges the gap between the cost of tuition and what a family can afford.

In order for us to allocate our resources wisely and fairly, we have enlisted the help of Independent School Management's FAST™ (Financial Aid for School Tuition) program which provides the school with a report including a recommendation of what a particular family should reasonably contribute towards tuition.  All information from FAST™ is kept confidential (see School and Parent Confidentiality statements below).

Limited financial aid is available to currently enrolled applicants who meet the following requirements:       

1)  Completed at least one full year of attendance and are enrolled in the Primary Level Full Day Program, Elementary Program, or Adolescent Program.     

2)    Established financial need (income, size of family, catastrophic circumstances).       

3)    Parental involvement, demonstrated commitment to Montessori Academy and to Montessori ideals e.g., attendance at Parents’ meetings and support of fundraising events       

4)  Students who show a cooperative spirit, are supportive of their fellow students and who generally contribute to the atmosphere, concepts and ideals of a Montessori education. 

AMOUNT OF AID

The amount of financial aid awarded to an individual applicant may be up to but shall not exceed 50% of the applicant’s tuition.  Aid is toward tuition only and does not include Extended Care fees or outstanding balances.  

PROCEDURE FOR APPLICATION
Families can complete the application for financial aid by clicking the FAST™ icon at the bottom of this page. All financial information should be entered directly through the secure server.

A fee of $34.00 is required to process the application.

Additionally, the following items are required to complete the application and are to be mailed directly to: 

                                                        FAST™ c/o ISM

                                                            1316 North Union Street

                                                            Wilmington, Delaware 19806 

• 2009 Federal 1040 or 1040A Tax Return from both parents
• W-2 Wage and Tax Statements from both parents
• The last two most recent pay statements from both parents
• Documentation of claimed expenses
  
• Copy of 1098 Report from your Mortgage Holder
  
•  IRS Form #4506   Disregard the fee requested on line 8 of IRS Form #4506.

MANJ will treat as confidential all financial information provided by families.  Access to your records is restricted, and this information will only be available, to those individuals at MANJ and FAST™ who are directly involved in the financial aid decision-making process.  Members of the Admission and Business Offices will be aware of financial aid award amounts, but not the details of the family's circumstances.  The identity of all students on financial aid will also be held in confidence.  

PARENT CONFIDENTIALITY

In return, we apply consistent standards and policies across many families.  However, each family's circumstances are unique and award amounts are based on individualized analyses.  Therefore, we ask that parents not share with others the particulars of awards received.  When families share details of financial aid awards, false assumptions and expectations are often created.  Willful breaches of this confidentiality agreement may require a review and potential repeal of financial aid awards.