Process & Policies

To receive aid for the first time, a student must already be enrolled in or accepted for admission to Trinity Valley School. In addition, the student must exhibit exemplary citizenship and a positive classroom attitude reflected by above-average grades. The student also must have actively participated in the life of the TVS or previous school community. Finally, the Parents' Financial Statement must show demonstrated financial need. To receive aid in subsequent years, the student must continue to meet the above requirements.

Trinity Valley School recognizes and takes into account the widely varying costs of college education for other family members. That cost will be considered when figuring parents' contribution for Trinity Valley School tuition if the parents have also applied for financial aid at any other family members' college or university. In addition, that cost will only be considered for each person for four years, i.e., the usual length of college attendance. If a parent is already enrolled in or enrolls in college, graduate, or professional school, Trinity Valley School will allow up to the amount of the family's oldest Trinity Valley School child's tuition as a legitimate allowable unusual expense, and no more. Any tuition for siblings at other primary or secondary schools is automatically taken into account.

Because financial aid is based on a family's ability to meet the cost of an education at Trinity Valley School, a family will be defined as consisting of both natural parents of the applicant, any step-parent, plus any children from the original marriage along with any children produced by the current marriage. The School will not be bound by the assertion of one parent, including a divorce decree, that he/she is not responsible legally or otherwise for educational expenses. Thus, both parents must provide the information that is requested on the Parents' Financial Statement that is filed each year with the School and Student Services. If this information is not available at the time the application is evaluated, it may cause an arbitrary assessment of financial need to be made by the school. This may result in a lesser award or no award at all. The financial aid contract will be sent to both parents, who must decide how to divide the parents' contribution, and it will be both parents' responsibility to ensure that Trinity Valley School receives payment.

Financial aid decisions are based on dual incomes for a two-parent household. Exceptions would include families with children younger than kindergarten age or other dependents in the home needing full-time care, or some physical/health limitation that prevents a parent from working. If a parent chooses not to work without having any of these extenuating circumstances, the school will add the equivalent of a 40-hour per week, minimum wage income to the total family income for the year. Childcare costs, as always, will be taken into account.

If more than one student in a family receives an award, but any of the students do not enroll, the amount of the award to the enrolling student(s) will be re-determined in accordance with the School's financial aid procedures and the number of students in a family who actually enroll, whether or not any aid contracts have been signed.