Financial Aid FAQ’s
Who may apply for financial aid?
Any student who meets LePort’s acceptance criteria, including an academic assessment for elementary and middle school programs, may apply for financial aid. LePort Schools’ admissions process, including its financial aid program, does not discriminate on the basis of race, ethnicity, gender, or any protected class.
What are the criteria by which aid is awarded?
Financial aid is based on three factors: a family’s demonstrated financial need, i.e. the difference between what the family can afford for education and the tuition rate, the student’s potential fit for LePort Schools, and available financial aid funds at your campus of interest.
Do current LePort students get priority in receiving financial aid?
Yes, priority is given to existing LePort students who have received aid in previous years, or to LePort families whose financial situation has drastically changed, to allow for continuity in those students’ education.
Why do I need to tour the school before applying for financial aid? Financial Aid applicants are required to tour the school to ensure that LePort is a good fit for your child and your family. It is important to tour the specific campus of interest so you can be entered into that campus’s interest/wait list for enrollment. After you decide that you are interested in enrolling at a particular campus, the campus administrative team will direct you to our online application process, which can be found under the How To Apply tab.
How are financial aid decisions made?
Once an applying family has sent in their application and tax returns to FAST, FAST then reviews the applicant’s eligibility and provides a recommendation to the LePort Schools Financial Aid committee. The Financial Aid committee then applies other criteria (e.g. whether the applicant is an existing student at LePort and whether the child has a Montessori background, etc.), processes the results, and notifies you whether or not financial aid will be awarded for the existing or upcoming school term.
If I am low income, am I guaranteed to receive aid?
No. Applying for financial aid does not guarantee any specific results. The financial aid budget is divided into subcategories by campus and amount of aid; if the budget for the subcategory in which your child falls is exhausted, your child will not receive aid. If your child is eligible for aid at a different campus, you will be informed that you have the option of enrolling your child at that campus.
Is income information kept confidential?
Yes. All information received on the applications will remain confidential and only be seen by FAST and the Financial Aid Committee during review.
Will others at LePort know if my family receives financial aid?
No, financial aid is strictly confidential. LePort will not share financial aid status with any other persons, including other LePort parents or teachers. Only the campus admins who process payments and forms will know, and will keep that information private the same way they do with all other personal information about our families. You as a parent must also agree to keep your award confidential. We maintain a standard of confidentiality for the well being of our students, and staff to ensure an inclusive school culture.
Is there a deadline to apply for financial aid?
You can apply for financial aid at any time. However, the sooner you apply, the more likely the budget for your chosen campus has not been exhausted for that school year.
How will our family be notified of our financial aid award?
You will receive a letter in the mail about 7 – 10 business days after you submit the online form and send in a copy of your tax return to FAST. The letter will come from the LePort Schools Financial Aid Committee and will inform you of your award amount, if applicable.
Is there an application fee?
Yes, parents must pay a non-refundable $45 fee per application, which goes directly to FAST for application processing and review.
Will my family have to reapply for financial aid each year?
Yes, families must reapply each year for financial aid and awards may vary depending on changes in a family’s finances, as well as changes in the overall financial aid budget available. In general, priority is given to returning students.
