Affording CESJDS

If you cannot find the answer in the instructions, please contact the FAST helpline at 1-877-326-FAST (3278) or call Sherice Tomlin at (301)-692-4884.

All applications should be completed and submitted online. Visit FAST to submit your online application.

There is space available in Section “Help Bubble” 723 of the application. Please be brief in your explanations as FAST is unable to process any attached letters. If you feel that you cannot convey everything in the space provided, please send a letter directly to Sherice Tomlin for consideration by the Tuition Assistance Committee.

Parents who feel that their family situation can be best conveyed in a meeting or phone call are encouraged to contact admission@cesjds.org or call 301-692-4800 to schedule a meeting.

Once the application is submitted, you will receive confirmation from FAST.

Absolutely not! FAST does not share information with any other parties other than the organizations you select on your application. When calling to discuss your application, FAST uses a verification process to ensure they are speaking with an authorized person.

FAST does not notify families of their determinations. Recommendations from FAST are used by the School as a part of the assessment process. Families awarded assistance will receive an email with the information. Current families on February 6, 2020, and for new families on March 6, 2020. After these dates, tuition assistance will be awarded on a rolling basis.

If you have experienced a significant change in circumstances after submitting your application, you may request a review of your tuition assistance decision by completing this form.

Current Families: For families in the re-enrollment cycle, the deadline to appeal your decision is February 20, 2020.

New Families: For families enrolling for the first time, the deadline to appeal your decision is March 20, 2020.

All Families: If you have a change of circumstance at some other point in the year, please contact us for a review of your tuition assistance at that time.

No. We ask that families wait to submit their Enrollment Agreement until the tuition assistance process is completed.

Tuition assistance is allocated on a first applied, first received basis after the deadline. Failure to submit your information on time may result in a delay in processing your request. Qualified families will receive aid to the extent that funds remain available. Parents applying late will be placed on a waiting list and will receive their decisions after the process is completed for timely applicants.

Estimate 2019 business performance based on the available financial records. Refer to Line 602 in the Income Information section of the application for more information. You will be able to enter your business income, offer clarifying details concerning your business income, and list any additional sources of income.

Families only learn how much tuition assistance they will receive when they are accepted to the school. Families must go through the admission process at the same time as the tuition assistance process. Families awarded assistance will be able to view their award on the second page of the online Enrollment Agreement.

No, tuition assistance does not cover other costs such as book, school trips, etc.

Prospective families must apply for admission of new students to the School before applying for tuition assistance. If you have questions about how your family may fit into the program, please feel free to contact Orna Siegel our Director of Enrollment and Tuition assistance. Please email Melanie Rosenthal at mrosenthal@cesjds.org to set up an appointment. We strongly encourage prospective families interested in the tuition assistance program to have a conversation with Orna as they consider CESJDS for their children.

Not at this time.

The School stresses confidentiality in all matters relating to tuition assistance. Only Business Office personnel directly involved in the review of applications have access to families’ financial information. This information is never shared outside of this small team. We uphold the highest standard of confidentiality in management of each and every family’s case.

Just as we trust that families present a complete and accurate financial profile in their applications, we also trust that families will consider their tuition assistance award to be confidential.

Our program is designed to provide stability and predictability for families, year over year. Most families in the tuition assistance program stay in the program throughout their children’s years at CESJDS. If your financial profile remains approximately the same from year to year, you will continue to qualify for aid. Some families do experience a positive change in circumstances, and will find that they no longer qualify for assistance. Families apply for assistance annually so that we have the most current and complete picture of overall need.

Loss of income is one of the most stressful situations families can face. Our school allocates resources through our tuition assistance program so that families experiencing a significant adverse change in circumstances will have a “safety net,” providing additional aid to help the family stay enrolled through difficult times. This safety net is accessible to all CESJDS families, whether they are currently in the tuition assistance program or full-tuition paying families whose circumstances have changed; it is accessible at any time before or during the school year.

For the best educational experience of each child, CESJDS expects that both parents (if at all possible) will participate fully – academically and financially – in the child’s education. CESJDS requires both parents to complete an application for tuition assistance. We are happy to assist both parents, together or individually, in understanding how the program works for divorced or separated parents.

If all students are elementary school age or older, both parents are expected to contribute to tuition expenses. Should one parent choose not to work, program guidelines impute an income for the non-working parent. Exceptions may be made in cases where responsibilities (such as medical care or elder care) effectively limit a parent’s ability to commit to regular work.

Important Dates

• November 15, 2018: FAST Applications goes live
• December 31, 2018: FAST Applications and tax/supporting documents due for current families.
• January 31, 2019: FAST Applications and tax/supporting documents due for prospective families.
• February 1, 2019: Current families are notified of Tuition Assistance Awards with their Enrollment Agreement
• February 15, 2019: Enrollment contracts due for current families
• March 1, 2019: Current families are notified of Tuition Assistance Awards with their Enrollment Agreement