Financial Aid Tips and Sources for Parents of Private School Students

During this season of new enrollments and planning for or needing financial aid for families we wanted to share some important resources for parents.  

The earlier you start gathering materials, the easier the financial aid process is.  Keeping all your financial information in one placer and secure is also important and will ease your application process. Learning more about what potential aid might be available as early as you will also provide more to research additional options for financial help.  

The first step is to start with the school of your choice. 

One of the best places to ask about financial aid is the admissions or financial aid office at the schools you’re interested in. They provide the bulk of the aid dollars and can give you specific advice on options, procedures, and — especially important — deadlines. Policies and guidelines vary so never assume that what’s true for one school is true for all. Ask questions. 

Your school of choice might also be aware of local scholarship providers in your region. Don’t leave out national business clubs like the Rotary club or others. Ask employers, churches, and other civic organizations in your community about local scholarship providers. See if your local bank or credit union offers scholarships as well to children of the members of the credit union or bank.  

Do research at your library or Chamber of Commerce about local scholarship providers. 

For good tips on financial aid overall and the process you need to visit this resource – https://parents.nais.org/afford/about-financial-aid/ . We double support this inspiring statement on their site – “Bottom line: If you feel your family cannot afford to pay the full cost, regardless of your income, it’s worth the effort to submit a financial aid application.”  

For finding out what your state does for private school funding/vouchers/tax credits this is a superb site – https://www.ncsl.org/research/education/private-school-choice635174504.aspx  

Sources for financial aid/scholarships that are online and have online application information include:  

https://www.jkcf.org/   

https://www.aaascholarships.org/    

https://scholarshipfund.org/   

https://grantstoindividuals.org/   

Depending on what state you’re living in, you might be able to also apply for and receive vouchers or other forms of financial aid to private schools. Here is a link to the Education Commission of the States for you to search and see information on your state’s current programs – https://www.ecs.org/50-state-comparison-private-school-choice/ . 

Another good resource for voucher opportunities by state or region is the National Conference of State Legislators Interactive Guide to School Choice Laws – https://www.ncsl.org/research/education/interactive-guide-to-school-choice.aspx . 

And remember, it’s never too early to become well-versed in financial aid for college there is a great source for parents and students from the National Association of Student Financial Aid Administrators  here – https://www.nasfaa.org/students_parents . 

SSS is proud to serve students, families, and schools in their education journey. Learn how SSS works to add proficiencies for your financial aid program and your family experience – from application to award.