Tuition Assistance FAQs

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 Helene Rhodes, Senior Enrollment and Tuition Assistance Manager, at hrhodes@cesjds.org to set up an appointment. We strongly encourage prospective families interested in the tuition assistance program to have a conversation with our admission team as they consider CESJDS for their children.

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.