1. Once all students in a family are in Grade 1 or older, Shining Mountain Waldorf School assumes that each parent has the capacity to be an earner and contribute to costs of tuition. Families with separate households must have each parent complete an application for CHAT. SMWS requires complete financial information (an application via FACTS) from both the custodial and non-custodial parents, including the Parent’s Financial Statement form and tax forms. This information is collected in an attempt to determine the ability, not the willingness, of each parent to financially support their child’s education. If there is only one legal guardian (and there is no financial support from another parent/guardian), that parent must state so in writing as a part of the application and include legal documentation from a judge, attorney, certified clergy member, or licensed therapist, stating the sole financial responsibility rests with one parent/guardian. Parents must restate/resubmit this in writing on an annual basis. 
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3. Any extenuating financial circumstances that are not captured in the application should be detailed in the CHAT Letter of Need and uploaded to the FACTS system along with the rest of the  application information. 
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5. Final award decisions are made by the CHAT Committee based on the recommendations from FACTS. All information is held in the utmost confidence by both parties. 
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7. All CHAT awards are need-based awards. CHAT awards are gifts, not loans; they range greatly in amount but are never full tuition awards. 
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9. Students must be in Kindergarten – 12th grade to be eligible for CHAT. There is no CHAT for Preschool.

1. Families are asked to reapply for CHAT each year. Please follow the same process with FACTS as outlined in the above section, noting that the process for returning families begins in the fall from November through February. Fall Application dates will be communicated to returning families each year.

Tuition Assistance is only awarded to families once a student has gone through the Admissions process and been accepted. Once the CHAT Committee has reviewed your application and made their decision, the CHAT Committee will notify applicants of their award amount and the CHAT agreement will be sent for your signature in your contract. For midyear applications: A minimum of 2-weeks processing time will occur between the time of all documentation and application parts submitted, to receiving an award response. Midyear CHAT awards are based on aid-availability.

Financial need and awards are recalculated every year, using current information. Families are required to re-apply for CHAT annually. If a family’s financial circumstances remain largely unchanged, grants are typically renewed at a similar level, subject to the school’s available resources. Should your need increase or decrease significantly, SMWS will reevaluate your financial award.

We expect that families who begin by paying full tuition to the school will continue to do so unless unforeseen circumstances make that impossible. If your financial situation has changed since your child/children started at SMWS, you should consider applying for CHAT. SMWS makes every effort to be helpful when circumstances are beyond a family’s control (i.e., loss of job, death in the family, or unexpected illness). The school is usually not able to support parents who choose to make a change in their employment status that reduces their income (i.e., a working parent who returns to school, or a parent who chooses to quit their job to start a business).

We encourage every family in need of financial assistance to apply. A number of factors are used to determine financial need, so it is impossible to specify income levels or other criteria that would guarantee a student receives financial aid. Income, assets, taxes, family size, unusual expenses, parents’ ages, and number of family members in tuition-paying schools are just some of the factors used in the equation to determine financial need. There are many factors that affect award decisions, but SMWS is committed to meeting the needs of a broad spectrum of families.

Applications are considered complete when the following is received in FACTS: 

• • A completed Community Honoring Affordable Tuition Process (CHAT) application. Questions about completing the form can be addressed by phone at 866-315-9262 or by email at help@factstuitionaid.com.
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  • A copy of your completed tax return for the most recent tax year. If you have not received W2 forms, you may use the last pay stub from the most recent year-end to estimate income. 
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  • Letter of Need (optional) – A personal letter outlining your situation and any extenuating circumstances is optional, but helpful if you have special circumstances. Such a letter can be included with your documents and uploaded to FACTS.  The letter is important in the overall consideration to highlight the unique details that you would want to be expressly understood in the review process, which may not be reflected in the FACTS application.