Financial Aid & Affordability

For Families New to Friends Seminary: Applying for Financial Aid

All financial aid information is confidential, and packages are offered based on need, not merit. An applicant's financial need does not affect the admission application process.

1. Click here to go to NAIS School and Student Services (SSS) website. We encourage you to use SSS Customer Service should you have questions while completing your financial aid application. (phone: 800-344-8328; email: sss@solutionsbysss.com)
2. Create a login and enter the Friends Seminary School Code: 3334.
3. Complete the Parents’ Financial Statement (PFS) Application for each household in your family. Please remember that:
   
   a.) Each household must complete a PFS: Both custodial and non-custodial parents or guardians should complete a PFS and can do so separately (the two will be kept separate and confidential).
   b.) In completing the PFS, keep in mind you will enter exact numbers for the recent tax year (2019), and estimates for the current tax year (2020).
4. In our effort to learn the stories behind the numbers, we encourage families to use the Other Information narrative section at the end of the PFS to note unusual expenses, family structures, or other relevant information.
5. Along with your PFS, you will need to upload to the SSS website your two most recent years of tax returns (2018 and 2019), including W-2’s, Form 1040’s, and business returns, if applicable. Friends Seminary cannot accept tax documents by email or hard copy. Without your two most recent tax returns, your financial aid application is considered incomplete.
   
   a.) In accordance with the federal extension, 2019 tax returns must be filed by July 15. If your family has received an additional extension for your 2019 taxes, you will need to upload your Form 4868 or other proof of extension request and arrangement.
   b.) Your tax return for 2020 must be filed and uploaded to your SSS profile on or before April 15, 2021, to verify the PFS application unless you have filed/received an extension. You will need to upload your Form 4868 or other proof of extension. Please also contact Paige Sweet, Director of Financial Aid and Affordability, to let her know when your 2020 taxes will be available. 2021-2022 financial aid packages cannot be fulfilled without 2020 tax documents on file.

For Returning Families to Friends Seminary: Applying for Financial Aid

All financial aid information is confidential. Financial aid packages are offered based on need, not merit.

1. Click here to go to NAIS School and Student Services (SSS) website. We encourage you to use SSS's Customer Service for any questions you have while completing your application. (phone: 800-344-8328; email: sss@solutionsbysss.com)
2. Create a login and enter the Friends Seminary School Code: 3334.
3. Complete the Parents’ Financial Statement (PFS) Application.
   
   a.) Each household needs to complete a PFS: Both custodial and non-custodial parents or guardians must complete a PFS and can do so separately (they are kept confidential).
   b.) When completing the PFS, please keep in mind you are filling out exact numbers for the recent tax year (2019), and estimates for the current tax year (2020).
4. We encourage families to use the Other Information narrative section at the end of the PFS to note unusual financial circumstances of expenses, family structures, or information relevant to your PFS, especially if there have been significant changes from last year’s application.
5. In addition to completing and submitting your PFS, you also need to upload your two most recent tax returns from 2018 and 2019 (W-2, Form 1040, and any business returns if applicable) directly to the SSS website (under the “Manage Documents” tab). Friends Seminary does not accept tax documents by email or hard copy.
   
   a.) 2019 taxes—regardless of filing status—must be uploaded to your SSS profile by June 1, 2020. If your family has received an additional extension beyond the July 15th federal extension, for your 2019 taxes, you will need to upload your Form 4868 or other proof of extension request and arrangement.
   b.) Your tax return for 2020 must be filed and uploaded on or before April 15, 2021, to verify the PFS application. If you have filed/received an extension, you will need to upload your Form 4868 or other proof of extension request and arrangement. Please contact Paige Sweet, Director of Financial Aid and Affordability, to let her know when your 2020 taxes will be available.

Quaker Children at Friends Seminary: Tuition Aid Information

While all families applying for financial aid must fill out an application through the NAIS School and Student Services (SSS) website, we offer additional tuition support to Quaker families applying to Friends who are members of a Meeting. Please see below for the various funding that may be offered.

• Endowment for the Education of Quaker Students: In 2012, the Friends Seminary School Committee established a fund to ensure that children of Quaker families admitted to the School are supported financially so that they may benefit from an education at Friends Seminary.
  


• The Gilmore Fund for Quakers: This fund provides financial aid for Quakers.


• The Friends Council on Education’s National Endowment for Quaker Children Fund: This fund aims to increase the ability of Quaker families to afford to send their children to Friends schools. Friends schools value the presence and active participation of their Quaker families; likewise, Quaker families value the institutional missions and commitments of their schools. For this reason, NEQC and Friends Council join the efforts of families, schools, and Monthly Meetings to provide tuition assistance for Quaker families who demonstrate need. Grants from this fund are available to children of Monthly Meeting members in grades K- 12 who are new to their Friends school. Families must meet financial need standards as determined by the school and at least one parent of a prospective student has been a member of a Monthly Meeting for a full year prior to the supported year. Upon acceptance to Friends Seminary, the NEQC Tuition Aid application process begins when the family submits an Application Form to the Monthly Meeting for signature of the clerk and to the Director of Financial Aid. Awards from the National Endowment for Quaker Children (NEQC) take the form of grants to the schools for $1000 per student in addition to their financial aid grant from the school. Checks are sent to the schools in the fall in a lump sum for all participating students at each school.

Please note, individual Meetings may have their own education funds in addition to the ones listed above, so inquire about further support from your Meeting.