Erie Day School funds most of its annual operating expenses with tuition dollars. This decision means that tuition controls, in large part, the quality of the education Erie Day School is able to offer. While recognizing that a financial commitment is appropriate for something as crucial as children’s education, the School acknowledges that financial assistance will be necessary to build and maintain the sort of student body Erie Day School aspires to have. Central to our mission as a school is to have a diverse student body that reflects the community in which we live. It is our belief that a diverse community of learners provides our students with a more global perspective and enriches their lives by having exposure to a wide variety of socio-economic, religious, and racial groups.
To help families better afford an Erie Day School education, financial aid is available to those with students in Grades 1-8 demonstrating financial need. Erie Day School uses the Parent's Financial Statement (PFS) from the School and the Student Service for Financial Aid (SSS) forms. To determine your family's eligibility, parent's need to complete an application for financial aid available at www.sss.nais.org. This is an NAIS (National Association of Independent Schools) owned service that helps schools objectively determine a family's ability to pay for school tuition and other educational expenses.
This need is determined based on information the family provides confidentially to the SSS tuition aid program. Awards are based on the complete financial profile provided by the family, not solely on income. All applications for financial aid, and any resulting awards, are held in the strictest of confidence. Financial Aid awards at Erie Day School are generally presented in April.
How does one qualify?
It is important to understand that financial aid is not charity, but rather a means to an end. In assessing a family’s ability to pay tuition, School and Student Service for Financial Aid (SSS) evaluates each family's complete financial record. Salary is only one component taken into consideration when making this determination. As the cost of independent school education has risen, so have the parameters by which SSS makes these determinations. A family should never be deterred from applying if they seek an independent school education for their child.
Where do the funds come from?
Erie Day School funds its financial aid awards through a variety of programs. In past years, these programs have included the Pennsylvania Educational Improvement Tax Credit Program (EITC), Adopt-A-Scholar Program; school sponsored fundraising events and the generosity of friends of the School.
How many families receive financial aid at Erie Day School?
Currently, more than 40% of the student body receives some form of financial aid. Last year, Erie Day School awarded more than $400,000 to eligible families.
Scholarships
The Henry E. Fish Merit Scholarship
The Henry E. Fish Merit Scholarships are offered for two purposes: to further assist families in providing their children with an outstanding school experience, and to recognize students who have excelled in their academic and personal lives. Students who receive a Fish Merit Scholarship are expected to maintain an 85% average with no grade below 70% and good social standing at Erie Day School throughout their academic career at Erie Day School.
The Criteria:
The Henry E. Fish Merit Scholarship Program is a competitive merit-based program that recognizes exceptional students based on: academic achievement; extracurricular achievements; character; and motivation.
Who is Eligible:
New student applicants entering Grade 5 through Grade 8. Students of families currently enrolled at Erie Day School are not eligible for this scholarship.
The Award:
The winner receives a 60% tuition award for each year that he or she remains in good academic and social standing at Erie Day School. Each merit scholar is responsible for $5,000 yearly tuition. Additional fees are the sole responsibility of the family. Recipients are required to maintain an 85% average with no grade below 70% to renew their awards annually.
How to Apply:
Applications (including all items listed below) will be accepted through September 1, 2013 with preference given to candidates that apply by May 21, 2013.
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student application for enrollment;
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transcript with grades and standardized test results;
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meet one-to-one with the Head of School; and
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all vaccinations must be up-to-date.
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The Selection Process:
Henry E. Fish Scholars will be chosen by a faculty committee from a pool of finalists. Winners will be notified within two weeks of application. A $300 non-refundable deposit is required at the time of enrollment unless special arrangements have been made. This deposit is applied toward the tuition balance.
The Young ECO HERO Award
Is your child a ‘Young Eco Hero’? Do you know a ‘Young Eco Hero’?
Have you been working to preserve the world around you? Recycling or reusing may be a practice in which you are deeply involved. Have you been teaching others how to protect the environment? Have you participated in an environmental project? If your answer to any of these questions is yes, then you are an 'Eco Hero' and Erie Day School is grateful for your activism. In our eyes, Eco Heroes serve as role models, showing others that individuals can make a difference.
Erie Day School is proud to honor the work of young people in Grades 3 and 4 who have made strides concerning environmental sustainability. Winners of the Young Eco Hero Awards will receive a scholarship to Erie Day School, adjusting tuition rates by more than 50%.
This is a great chance for you to share and be rewarded for your efforts toward environmental activism. Please read the guidelines below and if you, or someone you know, are eligible, please fill out the application attached.
Application Requirements:
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The child is concerned with environmental health, advocacy, research or protection of the natural world.
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The child’s efforts are action-based and self-initiated, and not one assigned by a teacher or other adult.
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Applicants must be a new student to Erie Day School, entering third or fourth grade during the 2013-14 school year.
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Science Fair and scouting badge projects will be considered if they include environmental action and/or educational outreach to others.
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We do not accept projects related to confined animals.
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The Young ECO HERO Award application
The Selection Process – The Young ECO HERO Award will be chosen by a faculty committee from a pool of finalists. Winners will be notified within two weeks of application. A $300 non-refundable deposit is required at the time of enrollment unless special arrangements have been made. This deposit is applied toward the tuition balance.
If you meet these requirements, complete an application and mail it to Erie Day School, 1372 West Sixth Street, Erie, PA 16505 or email to ktyler@eriedayschool.com.
