Financial Assistance
Financial Aid Philosophy
Flintridge Prep strives to offer all qualified student-applicants access to an independent school education. We seek students from diverse backgrounds who aspire to academic excellence, personal growth and active participation in the school community.
Financial aid is granted on the basis of family financial need. Flintridge Prep does not offer tuition loans or merit-based scholarships. We follow the National Association of Independent Schools (NAIS) Principles of Good Practice for Financial Aid Administration, including the determination for admission without regard to a student's application for financial aid.
The NAIS ideal benchmark for tuition assistance provided by independent schools is 20% to 25% of students receiving average grants of 50% tuition. Flintridge Prep currently exceeds the NAIS guideline, with 29% of students receiving assistance, with grants ranging from 8% to 100% of tuition. The average grant is approximately 50% of tuition.
Financial Aid Procedure
Annually, the Board of Trustees set the financial aid budget. Financial aid to assist qualified students in grades 7–12 is offered on an annual basis. After the need has been analyzed, a committee appointed by the Headmaster will determine the amount of the award. Applicants will be notified by mail.
Our admissions committee is never aware of whether an applicant is applying for financial aid, and our Financial Aid Committee looks at financial aid applications only after a decision has been made to admit a student to the school.
The amount of the financial aid award is based on demonstrated family need as determined by an analysis of the confidential financial information the family submits through FAST system (described below) to the Director of Finance. If applicable, non-custodial parents must also complete a FAST application. Though families are required to update their financial situation annually for financial aid, it is almost always renewed after review by the Financial Aid Committee, subject to the student's continued need, academic progress and satisfactory school citizenship.
All financial information and documents are kept in the strictest confidence.
Financial Aid for School Tuition (FAST)
Flintridge Prep's financial aid application process utilizes the Financial Aid for School Tuition system (FAST). The application is completely online and usually doesn't take longer than an hour to complete, as long as you have all the financial information and tax returns at your side when you begin the process. You can complete the application at your convenience, night or day. Click here for the online financial aid application.
Please follow the guidelines at FAST online. The deadline to complete the financial aid application is Monday, February 4, 2013. We recommend that you file your taxes as early in the year as possible so that you have the most complete financial picture when you fill out the financial aid application. A draft of your 2012 federal tax return will be due to FAST by Friday, February 8, 2013. The fee to apply for financial aid is $38; it is non-refundable, payable by MasterCard, Visa, or American Express, and will show as a charge to Independent School Management. If you have a special situation, please contact the Director of Finance to have this fee waived.
If you are applying to other schools that use FAST for financial aid, additional applications will cost $10. FAST will e-mail you a PIN and personalized link to the second application. You must use the PIN and link to apply to each additional school at a reduced rate of $10. Please contact the FAST Call Center at 877-326-FAST (3278) if you need any assistance applying to multiple schools.
After completing the application, please mail copies of your tax documents to the address below by February 8, 2013. Please do not send any originals, and do not fax or e-mail the tax information:
FAST Processing
1316 N. Union St.
Wilmington, DE 19806
If you have additional questions about the financial aid application process, see our Financial Assistance FAQs.