BFS
Our Strategic Vision

BFS Dates, Deadlines, Policies & Procedures for Reenrollment, Tuition, and Financial Aid

 

November 15, 2018

 

Dear BFS Families,

Thank you for choosing Brooklyn Friends School for your child’s education. We appreciate your decision to entrust your child’s education to BFS and your family’s commitment to the community.

As the snow falls outside, we are starting to look ahead to the upcoming re-enrollment season. This communication will provide you with important information about the re-enrollment process for the 2019-2020 school year so you will have ample time to plan and take the necessary steps to prepare for re-enrolling your child or children.

Re-Enrollment for the 2019-2020 School Year

Re-enrollment for students currently attending Brooklyn Friends School will commence in January. To receive a re-enrollment contract, a family must have their student account in good standing. This requires that all amounts owed to BFS, including tuition and after-school program fees, be paid in full.

Families with balances due in January will receive a letter with a statement of their account instead of a contract. A re-enrollment contract will be released after the account balance has been paid. No exception to this policy will be made. If the balance is not paid by the re-enrollment deadline, BFS cannot guarantee that a spot will remain available for that student for the 2019-2020 school year.

At the time of re-enrollment please make sure your biographical information, especially your email address, is correct in My BackPack.

Re-Enrollment Timeline:

Re-enrollment contracts for the 2019-2020 school year will be available by Friday, January 18, 2019. BFS will send an email with instructions detailing how to access and submit the re-enrollment contract prior to this date. All contracts are executed digitally and will not be available in paper form.

A non-refundable, non-transferable deposit – in the form of check, electronic funds transfer (EFT) or money order – is required to complete your re-enrollment. BFS does not accept credit card payments for deposits or tuition.

For 2019-2020, the non-refundable, non-transferable enrollment deposit will be $5,000. This amount has increased, but remains in line with our peer schools. For families who receive financial assistance, the non-refundable enrollment deposit will be 10% of their net tuition. The amount of your enrollment deposit will be specified in your re-enrollment contract.

IMPORTANT! To secure your child’s place at the school, your completed contract and your enrollment deposit must be submitted online to Brooklyn Friends no later than 4:00 pm on Monday, January 28, 2019.

Please note that, to reserve a space for your child at BFS, the school must receive both your enrollment deposit and signed contract. Submitting one without the other will not hold your child’s place. If you fail to submit both your signed re-enrollment contract and your deposit by January 28, your student will be placed on a waiting list.

If there is a possibility your child will not attend BFS for the 2019-2020 academic year for any reason, including a possible move, new job or change in schools, or if you have any other questions, please contact the Division Head and Enrollment Office prior to signing the contract and submitting the deposit and before the January 28 deadline.

At the beginning of February, enrollment will open for newly accepted applicants. BFS is committed to giving qualified applicants an opportunity to join the community once our current families have re-enrolled. To make this possible, we ask all BFS families to respect our re-enrollment process and deadlines. We cannot reserve spaces for current BFS students who have not re-enrolled by the deadline.

Withdrawal Policy:

In the event that a family wishes to withdraw their student after enrollment, they may do so by giving written notice to the Enrollment Office by Friday, May 17, 2019. Families who withdraw prior to the deadline will forfeit their non-refundable tuition deposits, but will not be required to pay the balance of the full year’s tuition.

IMPORTANT! After the May 17, 2019 deadline, families who have enrolled their student will be obligated to pay the balance of tuition for the 2019-2020 academic year even if the child does not attend BFS, regardless of the reason.

The school encourages families to consider purchasing the Dewar’s Tuition Insurance Plan when they re-enroll. Please note that, unless there is a documented medical reason for withdrawal, the student must attend 14 consecutive days from the student’s first class day of attendance in the 2019-2020 school year to be eligible for insurance funds.

Financial Aid:

Applications are available now through the TADS website. For current Brooklyn Friends School families, Friday, December 7, 2018 is the due date for submission of all financial aid forms and supporting materials. Please do not be late with your application as financial aid is subject to availability and awards will be granted first to families who have met the deadline.

Vanessa Reynolds (vreynolds@brooklynfriends.org) is the Financial Aid Coordinator. All related questions should be directed to her. Financial aid decisions are made by the school’s Financial Aid Committee. Your financial information will be kept confidential and will not be shared with teachers or other staff members.

Families who are currently receiving financial aid must re-apply every year, even if financial circumstances have not changed. Financial aid grants are awarded in relation to a family’s demonstrated financial need. Financial aid awards will be included in the re-enrollment contracts issued on January 18, 2019 for those families who have met the financial aid application deadline, whose tuition accounts are in good standing and who qualify for aid.

To apply for financial aid:

  1. Complete the “Financial Aid Assessment” at com.
  2. Submit all required documents (see list below) to TADS either by uploading the documents from home or mailing them directly to TADS. Do not send tax documents to BFS.

 

Required documents:

  • “Financial Aid Assessment” (online form at com)
  • Your 2017 Form 1040, 1040A or 1040EZ (your federal tax return)
  • All other federal tax schedules that were filed including business and partnership schedules
  • Your 2017 W2 Form

For complete information and greater detail about the financial aid application process, please visit the Financial Aid page of the Brooklyn Friends website or contact Vanessa Reynolds in the Enrollment Office.

We hope you have found this information helpful. Please let us know if you have any questions.

In friendship,

Christine Schwegel, Chief Financial Officer

Karine Blemur-Chapman, Director of All-School Enrollment

Vanessa Reynolds, Financial Aid Coordinator