Pine Hill Waldorf School
Parent Handbook

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VIII. Financial Information

• Tuition
• Tuition Aid
• Reenrollment Agreements
• Tuition Protection Plan
• Revolving Loan Association
• Ancillary Fees
• Optional Student Accident Insurance

The original Waldorf school established in 1919 was made possible by the gift of an affluent industrialist committed to social renewal. Almost all Waldorf schools today do not have such backing and need to charge tuition to finance their operating costs. At Pine Hill tuition covers approximately 90% of these costs.

Pine Hill and most other Waldorf schools in the United States set a fixed tuition rate each year and then attempt to assist parents who are not able to fund the education by themselves, but who nevertheless genuinely desire such an education for their children.

Each year the Board of Trustees earmarks a percentage of the operating budget, typically about 12%, for tuition aid. For the 1996-97 school year this translated into a tuition aid pool of over $100,000.

Our policy is to conduct a "needs blind" admissions process. We strive to separate to the extent possible the relationship of teacher and child from the financial relationship that parents have with the school.

Parents who wish to apply for tuition aid can get an application and instructions from the school office. Applications from reenrolling families are due April 15th. The Tuition Aid Committee of the Board reviews applications and makes all decisions concerning awards. All information submitted to the Committee is held in confidence. Class teachers do not make decisions concerning tuition aid and in most cases are not aware of which families in their classes receive assistance.

The Tuition Aid Committee is guided by the following policies:

1. Tuition Aid is awarded annually on the basis of need and availability of funds to families with children in grades 1-8.
2. Tuition aid grants vary in amount and do not exceed 50% of tuition for families enrolling two or more children and 25% for families enrolling one child.
3. Applications for tuition aid must be timely and complete.
4. The Committee will not consider the applications of families who have past due balances for current year tuition unless satisfactory arrangements have been made with the Finance Committee.
5. The Committee considers all aspects of a family's financial situation, including the income and assets of both parents in cases of divorce or separation.
6. The Committee does not discriminate on the basis of sex, race, religion or national origin.

Once tuition aid is announced, any applicant may appeal to the Committee for a review. Sometimes the Committee is able to offer additional assistance at a later date or provide more information about the reasons for its decision.

The school sends Reenrollment Agreement Forms to all families in February. Parents are asked to return these forms to the office by April 1st, together with a reenrollment fee of $100 per child. The school will return a copy of the form to them within four weeks of its being received in the office, with a cover letter indicating that a place has been reserved for their child/children for the following year.

As of 1997, reenrollment forms will become financially binding after May 15th, i.e., families will then be under obligation to pay tuition for the following school year.

Parents who cannot make a financial commitment to the school as of May 15th, should consult with the Admissions Office before submitting their Reenrollment Agreement.

Exceptions to the above policy:

• Parents applying for tuition aid should submit their Reenrollment Agreement Form by April 1st. In their case, the financially binding date will be delayed until the tuition aid process and all relevant paperwork have been completed. The school will return a copy of the Reenrollment Agreement to them at this time, and the financially binding date of the Agreement will be noted in the cover letter.
• In instances when the school thinks it may not be able to serve the educational needs of a child due to apparent learning disabilities or severe behavioral problems, the school may delay reenrollment until appropriate assessments of the child are completed and the parents and school agree that the school's program can meet the child's needs.
• If a parent(s) and teacher have seeminly irreconcilable difficulties concerning their relationship or the relationship between teacher and child, either party may ask the school to delay reenrollment until the difficulties have been clarified and a solution found. The College of Teachers is responsible for approving this request and setting up a process involving both parties and the school Advisory Committee (consisting of two teachers and two parents). This group will meet and recommend a solution to the College of Teachers. The College will then make the final decision to allow or decline reenrollment.
• Reenrollment may be declined if tuition payments are in arrears, subject to the decision of a joint committee of the Board of Trustees and College of Teachers.

Virtually all independent schools require full payment for the entire school year because expenses are incurred on an annual basis. Pine Hill cannot therefore refund tuition paid or cancel unpaid obligations in the event of a student's separation from school during the year. We realize, however, that family circumstances can change, and in these instances it would be desirable to have some method to protect your financial commitment to the school. This is what the Tuition Protection Plan is designed to do. Here is how it works:

1. If a student is withdrawn voluntarily after May 15th, the Plan will pay 60% of the pro-rata tuition that is due for the remainder of the school year.
2. If a student is involuntarily dismissed from Pine Hill during the year, the Plan will pay 100% of the pro-rata tuition due for the remainder of the school year.

Fine Print:

• The school reserves the right to determine the reason for separation.
• The Plan does not cover temporary absences due to illness or other medical conditions.
• The Plan does not cover withdrawals or dismissals due to insurrection, rebellion, riot, civil commotion, war, toxic waste or nuclear accidents, epidemic, destruction of any school facility or closure of the school for any reason.

All new families enrolling children in grades one through seven are required to participate in Pine Hill's revolving loan program. This entails loaning the school $1,000 interest free for the duration of your enrollment at Pine Hill to fund a mortgage taken out to support the construction of our building. Although we strongly encourage parents to make this commitment in full before enrollment, installment payments on this obligation may be spread over three years. Please refer to the detailed Revolving Loan Association description for more information.

Nearly all school costs are covered in the tuition. Parents will be asked to pay additionally for:

• some class trips
• recorders
• eurythmy shoes
• lost or damaged materials, books and supplies
• class dues (according to the discretion of the class)
• rental of musical instruments

The school offers an optional student accident policy through a Boston insurance company. The policy covers accidents round the clock or during school time only; there is no deductible and $100,000 of coverage. Inquire in the office if you are interested.

VII. School Standards       Table of Contents