List of 14 frequently asked questions.

• What are the deadlines?

  Returning Families for 2024-2025 School Year

  • January 5, 2024: Clarity Application Due
  • February 5, 2024: Financial Aid Decision Released
  • Feb. 15, 2024: Deposit Due 

  New Families for 2024-25 School Year

  • January 15, 2024: Clarity Application Due
  • March 10, 2024: Decision Released (Enrollment and Financial Aid)
  • April 10, 2024: Enrollment Contract and Deposit Due

  A complete 2023 Federal tax return, including all appropriate schedules, must be received by Clarity at your earliest convenience, but no later than APRIL 30, 2024*.

  
  *If you require special considerations, please contact Melissa Bacon: mbacon@newmanboston.org. 

• What are the tuition and fees for the 2024-25 school year?

  DOMESTIC
  Grades 7 - 12:  $32,000

  
  INTERNATIONAL
  Grades 7 - 12:  $42,500

  
  BOARDING PROGRAM
  Grades 9-12 (Domestic & International): $28,000

  
  Tuition Does Not Include:
  Personal computer; books for grades 7-12 (books are purchased online; annual costs are approximately $300); optional field trips, such as international trips; some athletic equipment; optional sports fees; and optional club fees.

  
  Families are also charged a $300 fee at the start of each school year for the student fund. This fund will act as a debit account for each student for above costs and additional incidental charges during the year. Should this $300 deplete, the Family is responsible for refilling the student account. This money will be rolled over to the next school year or refunded (for graduates) should there be additional funds at the end of a school year.

• What are the terms of the financial aid program?

  Financial aid awards are granted for one year, and returning families receiving aid will be given first priority. All families need to submit a Clarity application annually to qualify for financial assistance. (Clarity retains the information from previous applications, so it will be easier to reapply.) We ask that families respect the financial aid deadlines and disclose their information truthfully to ensure that we can award aid expeditiously and equitably. (Missed deadlines and misrepresentation will result in the loss of financial aid.)

  We understand that this process can be daunting, so please don't hesitate to reach out to Melissa Bacon mbacon@newmanboston.org with any questions.

• What forms/documentation are required?

  Clarity offers a streamlined, mobile-friendly application that can be completed in as short a time as 20 minutes. If you apply before the automated tax pull deadline, Clarity removes the need to upload your 2022 W2 and 1040 by transferring them directly from the IRS. This reduces the amount of information that you will need to enter manually and makes it possible to complete the application quickly and efficiently. 

  
  Individuals submitting a financial aid application through Clarity will be prompted to follow the following steps on the home page of their Clarity account:

  1. Complete your biographical information, add applying students, and indicate to which schools you are applying.
  2. Sign and submit Form 4506c to give Clarity permission to pull your prior year's tax returns - this means you won't need to upload any of them yourself!
  3. Complete your financial information.

  
  Currently, the IRS is experiencing delays in the automatic processing of tax documents. The Automated Tax Pull Deadline ensures that your tax information will be verified prior to the review process for The Newman School, so that you do not need to manually upload your 1040s or W2s.
  

   

• What are the considerations for special situations?

  Unmarried Couples and Single Parents
  The birth parent(s) and guardian(s) must report all income and assets.

  
  Divorced or Separated Parents
  The Newman School policy for determining the financial need of students from separated or divorced families is derived from the underlying principle on which we base financial aid for all of our students—that is, parents should pay the educational expenses of their children to the extent they are able. 
  
  

  In situations where an applicant’s parents are separated or divorced, the term custodial parent is used for the parent with whom the applicant resides (or has resided most often during the twelve months prior to the application). The other parent is referred to as the non-custodial parent. Every living biological parent and legal guardian will need to submit their information for an application to be considered complete. Start by telling us about yourself. Then list any additional parents or guardians living in your household. Later, you will have the opportunity to invite parents and guardians from outside of your household to create their own account and fill out a separate application.
  
  

  We will consider the assets of both birth parents before making any award and cannot be bound by the assertion that one parent has disclaimed responsibility for educational expenses. If either parent has remarried, the School will also consider the assets of the step-parent, always bearing in mind that the obligation of that step-parent is to his or her own birth children.
  
  

  It is the responsibility of both parents to submit the appropriate financial information. It is the responsibility of the custodial parent to ask the non-custodial parent to complete the appropriate forms. If the requested information is not provided, the Financial Aid Committee will not be able to review your application. Remarriage of either parent creates a new family unit with new relationships, but we believe that the natural (or adoptive) parents still have a responsibility for educational expenses despite any legal agreements to the contrary. Therefore, the income, expenses, assets and liabilities of the entire new family are considered pertinent to the birth (or adoptive) parents’ ability to contribute to the cost of education.
  
  

  In accordance with this policy, every living biological parent and legal guardian will need to submit their information for an application to be considered complete. Applicants awarded aid and accepting the offer of admission to Newman will be required to submit a signed copy of their 2020 and 2021 IRS Form 1040, 1040A or 1040EZ with all schedules and attachments for each parent.
  
  

  We will consider waiving the requirement for submission of the Financial Statement for Parents Who Are Separated or Divorced by the non-custodial parent under the following circumstances:

  1. Information is provided which clearly indicates that the location of the non-custodial parent is unknown.
  2. Information is provided that the non-custodial parent has not provided support and has had no contact with the family for at least 10 years.

  In either of the above mentioned situations, supporting documentation clarifying the situation will be accepted from a doctor, lawyer or other such person with knowledge of the family’s circumstances. There may be other extenuating circumstances which would warrant our waiving this requirement.

• When are financial awards decided?

  Financial aid decisions are made separate from student applications, but in tandem.
  
  All aid will be no later than March 15 for the March 10 acceptances.

• How can I get help with the application form?

  If you need support during the process of completing your Clarity application, there is in-app support available as well as email support at support@claritytuition.com in both English and Spanish. The application itself is also fully translated into Spanish.

  
  For questions about The Newman School program, contact Melissa Bacon, Director of Admission, at mbacon@newmanboston.org.

• What should I do if I have not received my W2(s) before the deadline?

  You should estimate. Amounts are corrected by the financial aid office after your tax information is received. The top priority is to have your child’s financial aid application completed before January 31st in order to be considered for the coming school year.

• Is all information confidential?

  The Newman School takes the privacy and security of your personal information very seriously. Clarity is certified for both GDPR and SOC2 and uses enterprise-level security standards including end-to-end encryption of all personally identifiable information. For more information, please refer to Clarity’s Privacy Policy.

  Students receiving aid are only known by the financial aid committee and business offices.
  
  Teachers and administrators are not aware of who receives aid.

• How is financial aid distributed?

  Priority is given to older students since they need funds for a shorter period of time and are preparing for college. Consideration is sometimes given to present The Newman School families who have an emergency or other unforeseen circumstance that can be documented.

  
  It is not recommended that a family enroll in the school with an intent to apply for aid at a later date. We budget by grade level, and if you wait until after enrollment, funds will already be allocated to other families. 

• Where does the money come from?

  Financial aid funding is collected from the school’s operating budget, foundation grants, and major donors.

• Could an FA request negatively affect a student application?

  Financial aid does not negatively affect a student's application. The Newman School is committed to building a community of talented, passionate, and driven students from a wide range of backgrounds independent of their financial circumstances. There are instances when the overall financial need of the applicant pool exceeds our financial aid budget. Accordingly, families may be denied aid or moved to the admissions wait pool.

• How do I know if I qualify for aid?

  A family's eligibility for financial assistance is determined through a careful and thorough analysis of the information provided in the Clarity Application. Clarity and The Newman School financial aid methodology will provide Newman with a dollar figure of a family's discretionary income derived from our review. Newman will then consider a portion of a family's discretionary income to be available for private education tuition and related fees.

  
  Families should evaluate all personal revenues when considering to apply for financial aid. If all available resources from both parents still do not meet tuition expenses, the family may then qualify for aid. Exceptions may be made if one parent cannot work due to disability or leaving non-school age children at home.

• What else do I need to know?

  • Financial Aid grants are awarded on the basis of parental financial needs. The Newman School has chosen Clarity as our official Financial Aid Application in order to better serve both our current and prospective families. New and returning parents will submit a Clarity application each year in order to qualify for financial assistance; however, Clarity retains your information from previous applications, so it will be even easier to reapply.
  • In evaluating the amount of aid needed to meet tuition costs, the Financial Aid Committee takes into account the family’s other children (ages, schools they attend), additional dependents, all sources of income, priority of spending, debts, and expenses.
  •  The Financial Aid application process occurs at the same time as application for admissions. However, the decisions to accept and to award assistance are separate.
  •  In the case of divorced, separated, or never married parents, both parents must upload copies of their personal tax return. Neither parent has access to the others’ information. If one parent has no contact with the family, the custodial parent should submit third-party verification explaining the situation, i.e. by clergy, school administrator, or other individual with knowledge of the situation.
  • Renewal grants are given priority. Then, consideration is given to those seeking aid for the first time. Priority for Financial Aid to incoming students is given by grade. Due to the number of years potentially involved in meeting need, it is sometimes more difficult for the school to make awards in the lowest grade levels.
  •  It should be understood that lifestyle choices that result in increased expenses or decreased income cannot be underwritten by the financial aid program.