Financial Aid

Anyone who applies to St. Patrick’s may apply for financial aid. Financial aid awards are allocated on the basis of need as determined by the Financial Aid Committee based on recommendations from Clarity. Although we try to accommodate as many families as possible, we are not always able to meet all requests for financial aid.

The Admission Committee is not aware of who has applied for financial aid. Admission decisions are independent of financial aid decisions.

Clarity uses a formula to calculate how much a family can contribute to their child's independent school education. It takes into consideration a family's income, assets, and liabilities, as well as factors including, but not limited to, family size, living expenses, and the number of children in tuition-charging schools. As the Financial Aid Committee looks at financial aid applications, it differentiates between necessary expenses and money spent for lifestyle choices. With respect to the latter, beyond a certain point, we are unable to provide aid to offset “lifestyle” expenditures that could have been directed to education.

In general, if an applicant’s parents are living separately, both custodial and non-custodial parents must complete the financial aid application and submit required documentation through Clarity unless there is a legal agreement stating explicitly that a particular parent bears no financial responsibility for education. Most often, the Financial Aid Committee expects that both parents will contribute to the education of their child. If the non-custodial parent’s whereabouts are unknown, a letter (from a third party, such as a teacher or minister) will be required to verify that this parent has no contact with the applicant. Because the Financial Aid Committee considers the entire family’s ability to pay tuition as part of its review process, new spouses must also submit financial information. St. Patrick’s recognizes that each family’s situation is unique and always welcomes a conversation and/or additional documentation to clarify a family's financial picture.

If all dependent children in a family are attending school, our expectation for a family receiving financial aid is that both parents are employed outside the home. The Financial Aid Committee will consider exceptions to this policy based on individual circumstances. 

Families applying for financial aid who have children at other institutions that offer financial aid (including, but not limited to, other primary schools, secondary schools, colleges, and universities) are expected to apply for financial aid at those other institutions as well.

Yes. Families who receive financial aid for tuition are eligible for financial assistance for our Extended Day program, tutoring, and other miscellaneous fees across the school year.

Late applicants should speak to Enrollment Management staff directly before applying to the school or for financial aid, as most of St. Patrick’s financial aid budget will have been distributed to applicants who applied by the deadline. However, it is not impossible for aid to become available at a later date—please contact us by email.

Families must reapply for financial aid every year. 

New applicants will be notified of their award when they receive their admission decision in early March. Returning families will also receive their financial aid award in early March. Generally, financial aid awards remain fairly constant year-over-year. If a family’s financial circumstances have changed significantly, a financial aid award may be modified to reflect the change.