Affording Kinkaid
Our financial aid program is comprised of two parts: tuition grants and incidental support. Both aspects are structured to support students and their full participation in the life of the School.
All families interested in requesting financial aid are encouraged to apply to see if they qualify for assistance.
- General Financial Aid Information
- Deadlines for Financial Aid
- The Financial Aid Process
- Principles of good practice for financial aid administration
General Financial Aid Information
The application process for financial aid at The Kinkaid School is designed to be comprehensive, transparent, and fair. Our principles are:
● All aid is based on demonstrated financial need; consequently, parents of candidates must file a confidential financial statement that includes the disclosure of tax information.
● Financial aid grants are not loans and do not need to be paid back to the School.
● Kinkaid does not grant academic, athletic, fine arts or any special interest scholarships.
● All financial aid information is held in the strictest confidence.
Deadlines for Financial Aid
For new students applying for admission to Kinkaid for the 2019-2020 school year, the financial aid application and supporting materials are due on February 22, 2019. Your application for Kinkaid financial aid on “SSS by NAIS” will close at midnight on February 22, 2019, and late or incomplete applications, which includes required documents, will not be accepted or considered by the committee.
Admission at Kinkaid is need-blind, so a request for financial aid has no impact on admission application(s).
For students re-enrolling at Kinkaid, the application and required materials are due by March 8, 2019. Late or incomplete applications may not be considered by the committee.
The Financial Aid Process
The financial aid process consists of submitting a financial aid application and required financial documents to SSS by NAIS for review by the Financial Aid Committee.
1. The Parent’s Financial Statement. This can be completed and submitted at the National Association of Independent Schools (NAIS) website. Kinkaid’s school code is 4416. The 2019-2020 application will be available in early November 2018.
2. A copy of your signed 2018 federal tax return including all schedules and W-2 forms. Please follow the instructions on the School & Student Services (SSS) website to upload the documents directly to SSS by February 22, 2019, for students applying for admission and by March 8, 2019, for students re-enrolling with the School.
Please do not forward a paper copy of these documents directly to The Kinkaid School.
Also note:
If you own a business, you must complete the “Business/Farm Statement” on the SSS website.
All parents who are separated, are divorced, have remarried or have never been married must each separately complete the Parent’s Financial Statement and provide a copy of their 2018 tax return.
Current families must re-apply annually for financial aid. The deadline for completing the Parent’s Financial Statement and providing the 2018 tax documents for current Kinkaid families is March 8, 2019.
The School’s financial resources may limit both the number and size of Kinkaid’s financial aid grants. Timely application and attentiveness to the application procedures are essential. Late applications and supporting documents may not be considered by the Financial Aid Committee.
For further information or questions, contact Meredith Van Ryder, 713-243-5084.
Principles of good practice for financial aid administration
In the administration of its financial aid program, The Kinkaid School adheres to the Principles of Good Practice of N.A.I.S. member schools:
PRINCIPLES OF GOOD PRACTICE FOR FINANCIAL AID ADMINISTRATION
1. A school shall not discriminate in the administration of its financial aid policies because of race, color, religion, national origin, sex, or age in violation of existing state or federal law or regulations.
2. A school shall strive through its publications and communications to provide students and families with factual information about the total yearly cost of attending its institution and about its aid opportunities, financing opportunities, policies, and procedures.
3. A school shall recognize that the primary responsibility for financing a student’s independent school education rests with his/her family.
4. A school shall use a uniform methodology to assess annually, in a consistent and equitable manner, each family’s ability to pay for education.
5. A school shall require adequate documentation of family resources when determining need.
6. A school shall not use financial need as a consideration in determining a student’s eligibility for admission.
7. A school shall notify accepted aid applicants of financial aid decisions before expecting a binding reply on the offer of admission.
8. A school shall allow applicants sufficient time to select from the offers of financial aid from all the schools to which they have applied.
9. A school shall make every effort to meet the demonstrated need of all admitted or enrolled financial aid applicants.
10. A school shall not exceed in its offer of financial aid the amount needed to meet the difference between the resources determined to be available to the family and the student’s total educational expenses.
11. A school shall not set different standards of behavior and academic performance for its financial aid recipients.
12. A school shall continue to fund a student until graduation unless he/she no longer demonstrates need.
13. A school shall have a review procedure for families who wish to request additional funding.
14. A school shall refrain from and discourage others from making any public announcement of the amount of financial aid awarded to a student.
15. A school shall safeguard the confidentiality of all financial information supplied by a family.
Courtesy of National Association of Independent Schools (N.A.I.S.)
2019-20 Tuition Rates
Lower School
$24,190
Middle School
$28,195
Upper School
$29,355
Financial Aid
Kinkaid’s financial aid enables the School to:
● Enroll capable, talented and deserving students who would be unable to attend without financial assistance.
● Increase economic diversity within the student body.
Questions?
Please contact:
Meredith Van Ryder
Coordinator of Financial Aid
713.243.5084
FAQs
- Does Kinkaid’s Financial Aid Program offer merit-based scholarships?
- How does Kinkaid determine a family’s need for financial assistance?
- Does our family need to reapply for financial aid each year?
- What if there is one parent in a multi-parent household that does not work?
- My family has a child or children at other tuition-charging schools. How does this affect my application?
- Will our family’s request for financial aid affect my child or children’s admission application?
- How does my family proceed in the case of separation, divorce or remarriage?
- If my child qualifies for a tuition grant, what expenses does the financial aid program cover?
Does Kinkaid’s Financial Aid Program offer merit-based scholarships?
How does Kinkaid determine a family’s need for financial assistance?
The SSS by NAIS application and required supporting financial documents are utilized to provide an objective picture of a family’s finances. Use of this online process assists the school in collecting the same data and information for all applicants. SSS by NAIS and the Financial Aid Committee thoroughly examine a family’s total income, a family’s assets, family size, the number of children in schools that charge tuition (pre-kindergarten through undergraduate college/university), the average cost of living in our area, and other factors to determine a family’s ability to contribute toward tuition.
Does our family need to reapply for financial aid each year?
Yes, all families that would like to be considered for financial aid, including both families applying for admission and returning Kinkaid families, will need to reapply for financial aid and provide current required documents by the application deadline each year.
The Financial Aid Committee will consider the data presented in a family’s current application and financial documents. If a family qualified for aid previously, adjustments to aid grants may be made based on a family’s financial information in a current year.
What if there is one parent in a multi-parent household that does not work?
In order to ensure equitably in the evaluation process, the School will factor in a minimum income in a household in which all children are of school age. If there are extenuating circumstances associated with the non-employment of one parent, you must provide a detailed explanation in the “Comments” section of the SSS by NAIS application.
My family has a child or children at other tuition-charging schools. How does this affect my application?
The Kinkaid School and SSS by NAIS factor in the total number of tuitions paid by your family at pre-kindergarten through twelfth grade schools and undergraduate colleges/universities. The Financial Aid Committee does require that you apply for aid at all other schools and may seek to verify grant amounts approved by other schools in the previous or current year.
Will our family’s request for financial aid affect my child or children’s admission application?
How does my family proceed in the case of separation, divorce or remarriage?
In order to treat all applications for aid equitably and gain a holistic picture of a family’s ability to contribute toward tuition, the Financial Aid Committee will consider the assets of all parents before making any award and will not be bound by the assertion that one parent is unwilling to pay tuition or educational expenses. Any parent with any custodial rights must file an application for financial aid and provide the required documents for a child’s application to be considered by the Committee.
If a parent has sole custody and is requesting aid, the School may request a copy of the custody agreement.
Remarriage of either parent creates a new family unit with new relationships. Information from step-parents must also be included in the financial aid application and required documents.