Financial Assistance

Background to Policy

Christian education costs money and as an independent school, TCS receives only 1/3 the operating grants as an equivalent school in the public system. The balance of the school's educational and operating costs must be made up in the form of tuition and every family, within reason, is expected to shoulder their share of the tuition burden for providing their children with a Christian education.

If a family is not paying their full share of tuition, then the other families within the school are effectively paying for their tuition. However, TCS recognizes that tuition poses a significant financial burden on some families and that from time to time families find themselves in financial distress. This financial distress means that families will at times be unable to both pay for Christian education and cover their own basic needs.

TCS is also a community that helps and supports the other families within the school body. To help provide short-term bridging to those families in need, TCS will allocate a portion of its annual operating budget to subsidize the tuition for those families in the greatest need. However, school families are expected to exhaust every possible avenue of tuition support on their own before they approach TCS for subsidy support. For example, families in need are expected to turn to their own immediate families and church community for support before approaching TCS for subsidy relief.

Where tuition subsidy is provided, it is intended to be a short-term bridge while families work to improve their financial situation and are able to eventually carry their full share of tuition. TCS's subsidy policy is not intended to embarrass or shame those families requesting and truly in need of financial support. However, the school has an obligation to all of its families to ensure that the school's resources are properly cared for and that the school's limited resources are allocated only to those in the direst of needs. As a result, extensive financial disclosure will be required of tuition subsidy applicants.

Tuition Subsidy Policy

Each family requesting a subsidy must complete, in full, a subsidy application including the following information and documentation:
  • A cover letter explaining the family's situation, specifying the exact amount of assistance they require, and outlining their plans to restore their own financial ability to cover their tuition costs in the future.
  • This letter must also specify that they have read, understood and agree with the terms of subsidy policy.
  • Personal household budget, detailing income and expenses, including a net worth statement and unearned income.
  • Income must be verified by attaching a copy of the previous year's Notice of Assessment from Revenue Canada.
  • Demonstration of having exhausted all other avenues of support (family, church, other supporters) before appealing to the school family for tuition relief.

All school families must pay the full annual registration fee and any associated levies. No subsidies will be granted for these fees.

No subsidy requests will be considered until these registration fees and development levies have been paid in full.

Incomplete subsidy requests will be returned to the family and will not be .processed until they are returned in a completed format.

Each year's subsidy requires a new application with updated disclosure of the family's financial situation.

Families on tuition subsidy are required to immediately advise the school administration office or Finance Committee of any significant change in their financial situation. Should extra income become available to a family, TCS expects that reducing the school's subsidy allowance should be the top priority for that family.

First time subsidy request families are required to undergo an interview with representatives from the Finance Committee to verify the need for subsidy and ensure the family requesting subsidy understands their obligations to the school and the school's policy on subsidies. Interviews in future years for repeat subsidy requests may also be required, at the discretion of the Finance Committee, to confirm the continued financial need of the family.

The maximum subsidy amount that TCS will provide is for 50% of school tuition.

Tuition subsidies are intended to be short-term bridging or assistance, desired to help families until they are financially able to resume carrying their full tuition load. Repeat tuition subsidies from one successive year to the next will be considered, but each year's tuition relief will be reduced from the previous year. The typical phase-out of tuition support will follow these guidelines — 50% subsidy in the first year; 40% in year two; 30% in year three; 25% in year four and zero thereafter.

No subsidy will be granted until any tuition arrears from previous years are paid in full. The deadline for payment of previous year's financial arrears is June 30 of that school year.

Families will be immediately removed from the school register for the following year in the event of account deficiencies from the previous year. The maximum period of time a family may be on subsidy is a period of four consecutive years.

The maximum salary a family can earn and still qualify for subsidy support is $45,000 per year for families with one child in TCS and $50,000 per year for families with two or more children in TCS. This salary cap will be reviewed from time to time to reflect current costs of living.

Subsidy requests will be reviewed and processed by the Finance Committee on a first-come first-served basis until the current year's subsidy budget has been fully allocated.

Any surplus in the subsidy account at the end of a school year will be returned to the school's general revenues and will not be carried over into the following year.

The Finance Committee will have the flexibility to apply some discretion to these guidelines, depending on the severity of the need, the status of the subsidy budget and the number of other families requesting assistance that year. S

hould there be unique or extenuating circumstances, school families have the option of making a request that falls outside of these guidelines, either to the Finance Committee or the Board, and present their case for why an exception to the standard policy should be made for their situation.

Any Questions?

Please contact Kathleen Lefevre, Business Manager, regarding financial aid. The TCS Business Office number is 254-6716.