Financial Assistance FAQs

"Need" is the difference between the total cost of enrollment (tuition and expected fees) and a family's ability to pay, which is calculated through the financial assistance application. Financial assistance is a discount in tuition costs, determined on calculated need. 

The Financial Assistance Review Committee see your tax information, as well as your application for financial assistance that you must submit online to CLARITY. All information is considered confidential and is used solely for the purpose of determining need-based assistance.

Yes, we assume that a family applying for financial assistance from Gill will also apply for aid from all tuition-charging schools their children may be attending (including undergraduate or graduate school). If another school doesn't have a financial assistance program, please note that as part of your CLARITY application. We will require verification of the financial assistance packages of other schools in which your children are enrolled.

No, these additional fees are the responsibility of the student's family. Lunch is included as part of our tuition in Grades K-12. In some cases, families with significant need may receive a transportation subsidy as part of the award. The school does provide some supplemental programs for students receiving financial assistance. The Student Support Fund, Silverman Family Unit Scholarship, Used Book Program, and Athletic Trip Financial Assistance Program are available for students who qualify.

Gill St. Bernard's School believes that the primary responsibility for financing a child's education rests with a child's family. Our Financial Assistance Review Committee's goal is to effectively evaluate each family’s financial situation thoroughly and in such a manner that the family realizes some financial sacrifice for a GSB education.

In evaluating applications for assistance, the committee differentiates between necessary expenses and money spent for lifestyle choices. With respect to the latter, beyond a certain point, we will not provide aid to off-set "lifestyle" expenditures that could have been directed to education. The parental contribution calculated by the school might differ from the CLARITY calculation. The Committee will, for example, consider potential for income to be earned by a non-working parent who does not have small children at home.

Yes. Families must complete a financial assistance application thought CLARITY each year.

GSB will typically consider the earning power of a non-working spouse if there are no legitimate, documented reasons for the spouse to be unemployed. When a parent/guardian whose youngest child is in school full-time chooses not to work, the Financial Assistance Review Committee will re-calculate the family's contribution to education using imputed income. This policy does not require the parent to work - it only attempts to adjust the level of need by accounting for the minimum income that the parent could earn if he or she chose to work. If there are specific circumstances surrounding non-employment that a family wishes the committee to consider, a written statement of special circumstances must be submitted with the rest of the supporting documentation.

GSB believes that both parents have an obligation to contribute, to the extent that they are able, to their children's educational expenses. We take into account the assets and income of both parents. We cannot be bound by the assertion that one parent has disclaimed legally or otherwise any responsibility or educational expenses. If either parent is re-married, we consider the income of the step-parent, keeping in mind the obligation of that step-parent to his or her own children. If either parent lives in the household of another adult, we may consider the assets and income of that person, depending on the circumstances. In view of this, both parents and their current spouses must complete a separate financial assistance application.

Admission decisions will be transmitted in the beginning of March. Financial assistance decisions for newly admitted students will be included with an offer of admission.

The school has a plan that allows families to spread the cost over ten payments throughout the year. Please visit: gsbschool.org/smart-tuition.