Admissions

• Admissions Process
• Facts at a Glance
• Tuition and Fees
• Financial Assistance
• Application and Forms
• Admissions Calendar

Financial Assistance

Montessori Community School is committed to offering financial assistance based on demonstrated need. Financial aid applications are available from the office.

Current families must send a completed application by Winter Break to the School and Student Services (SSS) in Princeton, New Jersey for evaluation in order for the results to be in our hands by the date re-enrollment contracts are issued. There is an application fee charged by SSS, which can be waived in certain circumstances—see the Head of School for details. You can link directly to the Parents’ Financial Statement for more information and to begin the application process.

Families new to MCS are encouraged to apply for financial aid at any time. Financial aid applications are available year-round in the office. To expedite the process, families are urged to complete the Parents’ Financial Statement online. Although families new to the school may not receive 50% of their demonstrated “need” the first year, we make every effort to support new families. In most circumstances, financial assistance awarded will be greater after the first year enrolled.

The process: The SSS returns a “Report of Financial Need” to MCS for all applicants. This report provides information about “discretionary money” that each family should be asked to contribute towards tuition for one year, according to the financial information that was assessed. The number is divided by the number of children in a family who are attending (or wish to attend) tuition-paying institutions during the coming year, to arrive at a “per child” number. This number is compared to the tuition at MCS so we can determine “need”.

This information, in addition to each family’s previous year tax return and any other applicable information, is used by the Financial Aid Committee (Head of School and Admissions Director ex officio) to determine financial aid awards. Parents may write directly to the Head of School, who also serves as Chair of the Committee, to explain unusual circumstances. Typically, MCS awards approximately 50% of demonstrated “need” for re-enrolling families and varying amounts to new families.

All financial information submitted by applicants and the information sent to MCS by SSS is kept strictly confidential by the Head of School. Financial aid recipients are notified in writing regarding the dollar amount of each award. All awards are for the coming school year only.