Financial Aid Policies

In the evaluation of applications for financial aid and in the granting of awards, the following policies will serve as the underlying, governing factors for the process.

• The Bright School is committed to including financial aid as an integral and high priority component of each year’s operating budget.
• To the extent possible, the application process at Bright School will be “blind” regarding matters of financial assistance. No acceptance decisions will be made and no application will be screened for reasons of a financial aid request having been filed on behalf of the applicant.
• Bright School will strictly adhere to all local, state and federal laws and require nondiscriminatory practice in the administration of its financial aid program.
• All financial aid awards will be made by a financial aid committee. In the case of returning students, the committee may also request input from a grade level representative with firsthand knowledge of the student’s performance. It is expected that student recipients of financial aid will, in all matters academic and social, perform to the best of their abilities. Financial assistance is offered to make it possible for deserving students who would otherwise be unable to attend to receive the benefits of a Bright School education. With financial aid resources being limited, Bright School will not subsidize substandard performance or lack of commitment on the part of any student.
• All information provided by a family in the course of making an application for financial aid will be treated in the strictest of confidence at all times.
•  In an effort to provide uniform and objective evaluation of financial aid applications, Bright School will utilize the services of FACTS Grant & Aid Assessment. Each applicant family will be required to complete an online application form with submission of the $35 application fee to FACTS. No awards can be made without the required supporting documentation.
• The awarding of financial aid is an annual process. Awards are not automatically renewed from year to year. A separate application must be filed for each year in which financial aid is requested.
• The Bright School will not make full awards covering all tuition and fees. We believe that every family, regardless of economic standing, should demonstrate a commitment to a child’s education at Bright School by making some contribution toward the cost of that education.
• Bright School reserves the right to withdraw any offer or award of a tuition grant if it is determined that incomplete, false or misleading information was used in the application process.
• Financial aid cannot be made in cases where a student’s account carries a past due balance. In cases where an award is made for the upcoming school year and the account subsequently becomes delinquent, Bright School reserves the right to withdraw the financial aid offer.
• The income and resources of both parents must be included on any application. This policy applies to parents who are divorced, separated, cohabiting, adoptive parents, or adults with legal guardianship of the child(ren).
• In making financial aid awards, the Bright School will not subsidize lifestyle choices. If an applicant family is requesting assistance because they have chosen to commit their resources elsewhere (e.g. luxury automobiles, vacation homes, consumer debt, etc.) the school should not be expected to accommodate that decision. We believe that any family applying for financial assistance must place the highest priority on the education of their child(ren) and be willing to make an appropriate, and if necessary, sacrificial commitment to that end.
• If one parent does not work and there are no preschool children at home, a salary equal to the current maximum day tuition charge will be added to the family income in the computation of the financial need. Should either parent/legal guardian return to school and not continue working the previous income or the maximum day tuition will be added to the computation of the financial aid need. An exception may be made if a parent is caring for a disabled child, parent, grandparent, or critically ill child, parent or grandparent.  Consideration will also be given for a parent who is homeschooling children. Documentation is required.