Surrey Christian School appreciates that for some families paying the full tuition amount is beyond their financial means, or they may experience temporary financial hardship.

Financial Aid Application

Approximately 50 percent of the school’s annual operating expenses is covered by government grants; the balance of which is covered by tuition. Accordingly, tuition plays a critical role and controls the quality of the education Surrey Christian School is able to offer. Tuition Assistance is available to existing Surrey Christian School families that have been enrolled for a minimum of 3 years. We regret that tuition assistance is not available for new families applying to the school nor is it available to assist with the cost of busing, preschool or daycare.

FAST Application Program

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. FAST does not decide whether financial assistance will be given or how much to give. Rather FAST provides a needs-based financial aid analysis service which includes a recommendation of what a family should reasonably contribute toward tuition. All information from FAST is kept strictly confidential. Results are reviewed by the school’s Finance Office and Tuition Assistance Committee which makes recommendations based on the annual Tuition Assistance budget. A letter confirming the amount of financial aid is sent to families no later than the second week of June.

Criteria

While the availability of school resources, the number of qualified applicants, and overall budgetary constraints influence financial assistance decisions, Surrey Christian School is committed to making grants available to as many eligible applicants as possible. In an effort to make the process fair to all, Surrey Christian School considers the following when making award decisions:

Eligibility Factors

• Both parents are expected to contribute to tuition. If a parent chooses not to work, Surrey Christian School imputes an annual income for a non-working parent.
• In the case of divorce or separation, Surrey Christian School requires both parents to file an application for financial assistance. The school is not bound by any divorce agreement specifying a parent’s responsibility for educational expenses.
• Surrey Christian School believes a family should invest in their child’s education before elective expenses, for example, secondary home ownership, club memberships, expensive car leases/purchases, elaborate vacations and costly extra-curricular activities.

 

No financial aid procedure can be entirely equitable—there are simply too many individual factors and extenuating circumstances—however we believe the process that has been established serves Surrey Christian School well. Please contact our accounting office for any questions.

Procedures to apply:

1. Required information to complete a FAST application includes the following:
a) letter of application outlining need and supporting rationale
b) family tax documents for most recent tax year
c) current family income including annual Canada Child Benefits
d) information about monthly household expenses

2. Once you have entered and completed your FAST application, the school’s Finance Office can access your application. Incomplete applications and those missing required documents will not be eligible.

3. Deadline to apply is the end of the first week in May. The Tuition Assistance Committee meets to review all completed applications and results of FAST’s financial aid analysis; it then prioritizes applications and makes decisions based upon the school’s annual Tuition Assistance Fund budget.

4. Early June, the Finance Office sends a letter confirming the amount of financial aid granted to families, and upon approval, adjusts the annual tuition payable for the school year.