Tuition support is a grant that bridges the gap between a family's demonstrated financial need and the total cost of enrolling at Birches.

Tuition and tuition support cover all school fees, including books, classroom supplies, field trips, etc. Additional expenses, including the afterschool school program, and bus transportation, are discounted at the same rate as tuition support.

Any family who has financial need can apply for tuition support through SSS. Birches is committed to keeping our school affordable to families of different economic backgrounds. In the 2022-2023 school year, 24% of Birches students received tuition support. We work to provide tuition assistance to as many qualifying students as possible.

All awards are granted on the basis of demonstrated need. Birches School uses the School and Student Service (SSS) to determine tuition support percentages.

An applicant family must submit the Parents' Financial Statement (PFS) online to SSS. The PFS includes information about income, expenses, assets, and liabilities. The PFS goes directly to SSS who computes the information and determines an estimate of what a family can be expected to contribute toward an independent school education. The difference between this amount and a student's anticipated total tuition is the amount of demonstrated need.

The NAIS Family Guide to Financial Aid, published by NAIS, provides a thorough examination of financial aid at independent schools. Questions about eligibility and the application process are addressed, as well as guiding principles.

Student files are read and evaluated by the Admission Committee without regard for a family's ability to pay tuition. Tuition support materials are reviewed only after a candidate has been endorsed. At that point, we consider our available tuition support funds given the needs of the applicant group.

Tuition support grants are awarded annually and applications must be re-submitted every year. As family circumstances may change, tuition support awards may change accordingly.