Affording a Sacred Heart education.
 

Sacred Heart is committed to providing an outstanding experience to academically qualified young women of all backgrounds. The school works with every family who demonstrates need to help them realize their dream of a Sacred Heart education for their daughter.

2019-2020 Tuition

Tuition is inclusive of all fees, lunch, textbooks, instructional materials and required class trips.

Pre-Kindergarten: $30,470
Junior Kindergarten: $43,490
Kindergarten- Grade 12: $53,240

Over $5 million in financial aid awarded each year

20% of students receive financial assistance

Key Dates and Deadlines for Tuition Assistance Application

August 15, 2019: TADS financial aid application for 2020-2021 becomes available
December 1, 2019: Financial aid deadline for current Sacred Heart and applicant families

 

How to Apply for Tuition Assistance

We make every effort to provide financial assistance to all academically qualified students whose parents/guardians are able to demonstrate financial need.

Step One

Submit a Personal Financial Statement in the form of a letter to the Financial Aid Committee by December 1, 2019. Please outline the reasons for needing tuition assistance and your specific family circumstances.

Step Two

Complete and submit the TADS Financial Aid Application with supporting documentation by the December 1 deadline.

Submit the following supporting documentation to TADS via mail or fax prior to the application deadline of December 1:

a) Household members' most recently completed federal tax forms (personal and business owned).

b) W-2's from each job held by household members.

c) Most recent pay-stub from each job held by household members.

d) Documents that establish the amount of miscellaneous monthly or yearly income you currently receive (i.e. welfare, food stamps, unemployment, workers' compensation, etc.).

e) All corporate, partnership, and trust forms if a household member owns 20% or more interest in a corporation, partnership or trust.

Step Three

Financial Aid decisions are awarded upon acceptance. 

Frequently Asked Questions

Who is eligible to apply for financial aid?

Anyone who applies for admission to Sacred Heart, Kindergarten through Grade 11, who has a demonstrated financial need. Financial need is defined as the difference between what it costs to attend Sacred Heart and a family’s demonstrated ability to pay. There is no assistance available for students in Pre-Kindergarten and Junior Kindergarten. Requests for tuition assistance must be indicated at the time of application for admission.

How do I apply for financial aid?

Please see How To Apply for Financial Aid above. 

How is financial aid determined?

Many factors are considered in awarding aid, including, but not limited, to: income, assets (home equity, college funds, and investments), family size, and the number and ages of children, payments for other tuition-charging institutions (excluding daycare, preschool and graduate school), employment status and special circumstances. Our goal is to respond to each family's circumstances. Awards are needs-based and all families are expected to pay some part of the cost of a Sacred Heart education.

How is financial aid awarded?

Annually, the Sacred Heart Financial Aid Committee evaluates every application individually. We begin our assessment by reviewing the TADS application. On the school’s behalf, TADS collects the family’s financial information and makes a recommendation for a financial aid award. The school’s Financial Aid Committee evaluates each student’s recommended award based upon the demonstrated financial need of a family and the school’s budgetary constraints. The TADS report does not bind Sacred Heart to any specific award, but rather provides a guideline to help make equitable, need-based awards.

When will I be notified of my award?

New students will receive notification of their award with their acceptance letter. Each returning student will receive notification of their award with their re-enrollment contract, which is released in February.

What if I miss the financial aid deadline?

Completed financial aid applications must be submitted by December 1 in order for an award to be considered. Late or incomplete applications may not be considered.

What if I did not apply for aid when I first enrolled?

Students who initially enrolled in Kindergarten through Grade 11 without financial aid are eligible to apply if they meet all of the following criteria:

a) Two full years of enrollment at Sacred Heart
b) Significant change in circumstance
c) School account in good financial standing  

Funds are not available for families with pre-existing needs that were not disclosed at the time of initial admission.

Is financial aid automatically renewed each year?

Sacred Heart requires families receiving financial aid to reapply each year by submitting a financial aid application (TADS form and tax returns).  Every completed application is reviewed to determine if there is continued demonstrated need and the family is current on all tuition payments. At a minimum, families should expect an increase in assistance proportionate to the increase in annual tuition.

How do I request financial assistance for more than one student at Sacred Heart?

Parents need to file only one TADS application in the name of the oldest child applying to or attending Sacred Heart and should list the other children in the proper place on the TADS form.

What happens if the parents are divorced or separated?

Sacred Heart believes that parents are obligated to pay for the educational expenses of their children to the extent that they are able. The school is not bound by any divorce/support agreement specifying a parent's responsibility for educational expenses, or any assertion that one parent has disclaimed, legally or otherwise, any responsibility for educational expenses. The Financial Aid Committee will consider the assets of both natural parents, if living, before making any award. If either parent has remarried, the Committee will also consider the income and assets of the stepparent, always bearing in mind the obligation of that stepparent to his or her own natural children. In view of this policy, it is necessary that both natural parents and their current spouses, if any, fill out separate TADS forms. If this information is not provided, the Financial Aid Committee will not grant an award to the student.

What if a parent/guardian does not work?

Since it is our belief that families bear the primary responsibility for financing the education of their children, it is our policy to expect both parents to contribute financially, even if that employment is outside their normal profession or line of work.

The exception is if there are prevailing medical or other reasons (i.e. young children at home) which preclude a parent from earning an income. Each application and circumstance is evaluated individually. When a parent is not earning an income it will be important for the family to provide an explanation of why that is the case. Please include this in writing when submitting your Personal Financial Statement letter to the Committee. In the absence of an explanation, the school reserves the right to consider the potential for income to be earned by a non-working parent.

What should I do if your financial aid deadline is before I file my taxes?

We understand that your current Income Tax Return may not be prepared by our application deadline. Therefore, we ask you to estimate your tax information on the TADS application and then submit your Form 1040 by April 15th to TADS. If there is a great discrepancy between your estimate and the actual, the Committee will revisit and possibly revise your financial aid award.

What if my family cannot afford the TADS fee, how can we apply for financial aid?

Contact Elizabeth Santini, Director of Admissions and Financial Aid, at 212-722-4745 ext 110, who will determine whether your family’s income level enables you to qualify for a fee waiver. If so, you will be given a fee waiver code to use when you apply with TADS. Because our supply of waivers is limited, we may not be able to honor all requests.

What assistance is available for cost beyond tuition?

Sacred Heart’s financial aid program provides assistance for selected activities, in addition to tuition, if the cost is prohibitive. A division-specific letter is sent to families in September outlining the eligible activities and how to request aid.