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Flexible Tuition is a program that reflects Seven Hills’ strong commitment to providing access for families of all income levels. It is a need-based financial assistance program that allows families to qualify for reduced tuition based on their unique financial circumstances. Instead of “receiving financial aid,” those families who qualify will pay a reduced tuition amount based on their individual circumstances.
This is not a loan program. The amount of reduced tuition will never need to be “repaid.”
If in doubt, we suggest that prospective families complete the Flexible Tuition application procedures.
Flexible Tuition is different from the traditional Financial Aid program found offered by many independent schools. This shift from “Financial Aid” to “Flexible Tuition” reflects the school’s commitment to maintaining a balanced, diverse, and inclusive school community by broadening the range of families who are able to afford a Seven Hills education.
Yes. We recognize that many families who might not expect to be eligible for “financial aid” may still qualify for Flexible Tuition. If in doubt, we suggest completing the Flexible Tuition application procedures.
Seven Hills uses Clarity to store all financial information. Only the members of the tuition assistance committee have access to the information.
We have chosen Clarity as our Flexible Tuition application provider in order to better serve both our current and prospective families. We are confident this makes the process of applying for Flexible Tuition easier for families.
Flexible Tuition is available for kindergarten through grade 12. It is not available for the pre-kindergarten-for-2-year-olds program or pre-kindergarten. The availability of Flexible Tuition may vary based on the entering grade level, space in a grade, number of applicants, and budgeted funds. Families must apply within the established deadlines and qualify to receive Flexible Tuition.
Seven Hills subscribes to Clarity to process Flexible Tuition applications. Clarity provides a need-based analysis of a family’s ability to pay that assists Seven Hills in the flexible tuition decisions.
Simply stated, the formula considers your income, what you own (your house and other investments), what you owe (your mortgage and other debts), the size of your family, and how many family members are enrolled in tuition charging schools or colleges. The Clarity methodology determines how much “Discretionary Income” you have that can be used, in part, to pay school costs. Clarity gives each family an allowance for basic household necessities, based on the size of your family. This allowance, along with different types of taxes you pay and other non-discretionary costs are subtracted from your income sources. Then, Clarity estimates a portion of the remaining amount that should be available for tuition and other school expenses. Parents bear primary responsibility for financing their children’s education, so the expectation is that your family accepts this priority for spending part of your discretionary income.
When completing the Clarity Flexible Tuition Application, they will request access to your previous year tax information or the current year information. We know some families will not have their current year information completed by January 1. In these cases, please use your most recent pay-stub or the prior year’s tax forms.
To get started, please go to the Clarity Application and create an account. The application typically takes less than 30 minutes to complete. The Clarity Application is also mobile-friendly so you can complete it from anywhere. You are also able to save your progress and return at any time. At the end of the application, there is a $60 fee to submit, and you can share your application with additional schools that accept the Clarity Application for no additional charge. Simply use the dropdown menu in the application to select those schools.
Review important Flexible Tuition Deadlines
You can find our tuition here
Every family is required to contribute to the cost of their child’s education at Seven Hills. No family receives a Flexible Tuition amount that equals the full tuition.
The methodology used to determine the parental contribution considers many items including assets, liabilities, age of parents, family size, non-working parent, and the number of students in tuition-charging schools. As the Flexible Tuition Committee reviews Flexible Tuition applications, it differentiates between necessary expenses vs. money spent for lifestyle choices (e.g. club sports, financial support for extended family, travel, home improvements, credit card and debt repayment, private club memberships, etc.). Families choose to realign their lifestyle in order to put their child’s educational needs first. Beyond a certain point, the school does not provide Flexible Tuition to offset lifestyle expenditures that could have been directed to education.
- Families must reapply for Flexible Tuition each year and meet all stated deadlines.
- Current families who receive reduced tuition may expect to receive similar levels of funding each year if their financial circumstances remain the same.
- Typically, families may expect to receive the annual tuition increase set by the Board of Trustees. Also, there is a tuition tier increase between specific grades (kindergarten to grade 1, grade 4 to grade 5, grade 7 to grade 8, grade 9 to grade 10).
- If the current financial picture for a family changes, the amount of reduced tuition may be adjusted accordingly.
- Families must complete the application through Clarity annually to determine eligibility for Flexible Tuition. Families who submit late applications may receive reduced awards, reflecting the remaining budget at the time.
The Flexible Tuition Committee uses the Clarity methodology as the basis for its determination of what a family might reasonably expect to contribute toward educational expenses. This includes how many family members are enrolled in tuition charging schools or colleges. It is Seven Hills’ expectation that a family requesting tuition assistance from Seven Hills will also apply for assistance at all other tuition charging schools.
Seven Hills does not offer sibling discounts. However, the Clarity methodology does take into consideration the number of children from a family enrolled in tuition-charging schools.
Each parent/guardian household must submit a separate Flexible Tuition application along with all tax documents and required forms to be considered for Flexible Tuition. Consideration of all available resources from both parents/guardians and their spouses or live-in partners will be based upon the belief that a family’s contribution for education is a reflection of “the ability to contribute, not the willingness to contribute,”
As a result, the School is not bound by existing decrees, agreements, or arrangements exempting a parent from financial responsibility or educational costs. All financial information is kept strictly confidential, and at no time will one household have access to the others’ information.
Seven Hills determines tuition reduction for the student, and it is the responsibility of the parents to determine a payment schedule structure. If a parent is no longer involved in the life of the child in any way, please speak directly with Seven Hills’ Admissions Office at 513.728.2400 to determine how to proceed.
A wide range of families with a variety of circumstances qualify for the program, from those who are able to pay close to the top range of Flexible Tuition to those who are at the entry level of the range. Many factors are evaluated, including income, assets, unusual expenses, lifestyle choices, and family size when determining if a family qualifies for tuition assistance.
For qualifying families, it is the expectation of the school that both parents will contribute to the family’s income unless there are young children at home or specific circumstances that do not allow for both parents to be employed outside of the home.
Flexible Tuition requests are also evaluated based on available budget, number of applicants, and grade/space availability. An application for flexible tuition does not guarantee funds will be allocated.
If a family does not apply for or did not qualify for Flexible Tuition during the admission process to Seven Hills, Flexible Tuition will only be considered in subsequent years if the family experiences a significant change in circumstances. Changes may include an employment change, a large decrease in income, an increase in the number of children attending tuition-charging institutions, or a medical issue. Should you meet these requirements, please reach out to admissions@7hills.org prior to applying for financial aid.
Yes. The school offers the options to make one payment in full, two payments, or 10 monthly payments.
Flexible Tuition discounts are applied to the published tuition fees, as printed in the enrollment contract. Additional costs, such as tuition refund insurance, after school care, summer camp, or lunchroom fees are incremental charges which are not covered by Flexible Tuition.
All financial information is highly confidential. Only the Flexible Tuition Committee will have access to this information. The Committee, Admission Office Assistant, and Business Office will see the final tuition range. Division heads and faculty members do not have access to any financial materials nor are they aware of which families apply for Flexible Tuition.
Families apply for admission and Flexible Tuition concurrently, but they are separate processes. Flexible Tuition applications are kept strictly confidential and do not influence an admission applicant’s admissibility. All Flexible Tuition decisions are considered confidential agreements between The Seven Hills School and the recipient family, and are treated accordingly. A confidentiality agreement must be signed by each family who receives a Flexible Tuition or Scholar Award,
Seven Hills is not able to offer Flexible Tuition to every student who qualifies for both admission and a reduced tuition. Just as there are more applicants annually than available spaces at Seven Hills, there are more families applying for Flexible Tuition than there are funds available. A student may be accepted to Seven Hills but waitlisted for a reduction in tuition.
- Seven Hills awarded $5.8 million to 40% of the student body for the 2023-24 academic year.
Seven Hills has a generous Flexible Tuition budget; however, it is not unlimited. It is required that families follow the Flexible Tuition timeline in order to receive full consideration. Flexible Tuition requests are also evaluated based on available budget, number of applicants, and grade/space availability. An application for flexible tuition does not guarantee funds may be allocated.
All Flexible Tuition awards are considered a discount. None of these awards need to be paid back.
The filing deadlines are extremely important. In order to make fair, informed, and expeditious decisions for all families, it is important that families adhere to the established deadlines.