Affording a Trident Academy Education
Trident Academy Tuition Support Program
“Fast Facts”
Trident Academy values a diverse student body in terms of socio-economic, racial, ethnic and religious backgrounds. To help insure this intention, the school takes great pride in being able to provide some tuition support to families demonstrating clear financial need to avoid excluding students whose families might not be able to afford enrollment in the school. The decision to admit a student is based solely on the student’s learning profile and personal conduct. Similarly, the Tuition Support Program is based only on the family’s demonstrated financial needs.
Affordability is a concern for all families, regardless of income. This brochure attempts to answer the most frequently asked questions about financing a Trident Academy education as well as outline the different payment options available to the student’s family. We encourage you to call our office at any time with any additional questions you may have.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q. Whom should I ask about the Tuition Support Program and when should I ask?
Information about the Tuition Support Program is available through the Admissions Office. Since support with tuition is based solely on the family’s demonstrated financial need, inquiries about it should be made when application for admission to the school is being made.
Q. How is tuition support determined?
The major factors affecting financial need include the family’s net income and assets, the number of dependents in the household and the number of children attending tuition-charging schools and colleges. Allowances are made for certain taxes, medical costs and unusual expenses, as well as other adjustments which are recognized by the Internal Revenue Service.
Trident Academy provides special education services and therefore, payments to Trident Academy may be considered deductible medical care expenses under the Internal Revenue Code. The regulations under Section 213 of the Internal Revenue Code provide that: While ordinary education is not medical care, the cost of medical care may include the cost of attending a special school for a handicapped individual, if his or her condition is such that resources of the institution alleviating such handicap are a principal reason for his or her presence there. Whether the expenses of Trident Academy will be deductible in a particular case, however, will depend upon facts and circumstances of each individual student’s situation. There are also percentage limitations applicable to otherwise deductible expenses, depending on the parents’ income. Before taking a tax deduction for expenses relating to the special education of a student, parents should confer with their tax lawyer or accountant about the rulings and regulations under Section 213 of the Internal Revenue Code and other applicable laws.
Q. How do I apply for consideration by the Tuition Support Program at Trident Academy?
Trident Academy requires parents/guardians to file a Parents’ Financial Statement (PFS) which is the official application provided by Trident Academy and the School and Student Services for Financial Aid (SSS). This form assists us in making our tuition support decisions and is available by calling the Admissions Office for a paper copy or you may apply online at http://sss.nais.org . Directly submitting the PFS and the supporting documents to SSS online is not only quicker, but the fee is less as well.
If you have more than one child in independent schools, you need to fill out only one Parents’ Financial Statement (PFS) form. SSS will send the information to each school whose code number you indicate on the PFS. The code for Trident Academy is 904648.
We recommend you begin your application process with SSS as early as February 1st. Your 1040 and all schedules are required as part of the PFS. If you have not completed your 1040, you should include your W-2’s and/or 1099’s with your submission. No additional copy is needed for the Trident Academy file. Applications for support with tuition are not considered until all required forms are submitted to SSS. The PFS for all re-enrolling students should be submitted to SSS by February 15th. The Tuition Support Committee will meet on March 1st to consider the applications that have been completed for re-enrolling students. The PFS for new enrolling students should be completed and submitted by March 1st. Consideration of new student tuition support applications will be made mid-March. If applying for admissions after March 1st, submission of your PFS to SSS should be made as you submit the admissions application to Trident Academy so that both processes will be accomplished at relatively the same time.
Q. What happens after I have completed the application?
While we believe that each family should assume some financial responsibility for the cost of educating their child, we work within the limitations of our tuition support budget, using the SSS recommendations as a guideline, to determine the financial aid award to be offered to each family. If there are extenuating circumstances that you believe further impact your ability to pay the amount that SSS has suggested, we encourage you to write a letter explaining them. Every effort is made to offer as much support as possible to all accepted students; therefore, it is important to submit all required materials in a timely fashion. The Committee maintains strict confidentiality of all financial information.
Q. Does Trident Academy require tuition to be paid in an annual sum, or can I spread out my payments?
The enrollment fee of $1000.00 is applied to the tuition and Trident Academy offers three payment plans for the balance. The first plan requires payment in ten equal payments, beginning June 1st prior to fall entry, and extending through March 1st of the year of enrollment; there is an administrative fee of $100.00 for this plan. The second plan requires the payment of tuition in two equal payments on July 1st and December 1st, and the third plan offers one lump sum payment with a $250.00 rebate if the school receives it by July 1st.
Q. Is there anything else I should know about tuition obligations?
Since Trident Academy cannot refund or cancel unpaid obligations in the event of a student’s absence, withdrawal or dismissal, we provide a Tuition Refund Plan which will pay some or all of the outstanding financial obligations. The premium for this coverage is required of all students and is included in the Fees that are added to the tuition.
There is a New Family Fee of $1,500.00. This non-refundable fee applies to any family with a student coming to Trident Academy as a full time enrolled student for the first time. It is a one-time fee charged at the time of enrollment of the first child. Payment is due with your first tuition payment.
A non-refundable Enrollment Deposit of $1000.00 is required as a manifestation of acceptance of the invitation to enroll/re-enroll in Trident Academy. The deposit is applied to tuition.
Q. If my child receives tuition support for one year, will he or she automatically receive financial assistance each of the following years?
Applying for tuition support is a yearly process. You will have to submit a Parents’ Financial Statement each year. Each year we will review tuition support information from SSS and review applications in light of available funds to determine what grants can be made for the next academic year. Those who received grants in previous years are re-evaluated in relation to current circumstances before tuition support is awarded. The present economic circumstances make it necessary for many families to request support with tuition. It is our goal to stretch the available funds to as many qualified applicants as possible. It is very important, therefore, to submit your financial information at the earliest possible date.
It is our hope that this information has been helpful in answering your preliminary questions about financing a Trident Academy education. If you have any questions, we encourage you to call our office and we will be happy to assist you.
Trident Academy
Admissions Office
1455 Wakendaw Rd.
Mt. Pleasant, SC 29464
843-884-3494
Trident Academy admits qualified applicants without regard to race, color, religion, national or ethnic origin, and does not discriminate in administration of tuition support or other administered programs.
