Tuition Assistance.

One of the most difficult things about running an independent school is that it costs a hell of a lot to provide a first class education for our students. If we charged what it really cost, the tuition for elementary school would be well over $20,000 per year--perhaps even close to $30,000. So we reduce the tuition in the hope that we can fundraise the difference and still manage to keep the school running.

But we can't reduce the tuition low enough for everyone to afford a Jewish Day School education. Thus, we offer extensive Tuition Assistance to our families. It's one of the most wonderful things that Kadima does. This is especially because it is important to remember that when we offer aid, it is money that is coming directly from our bottom line. We don't have a giant endowment which provides support for financial aid. Our financial aid dollars come directly from our operating and fundraising revenues. Yet, we make a concerted effort to try to make a Kadima education a possibility for everyone.

The TA process is difficult. I also think that because it is, by necessity, shrouded in confidentiality, it is also subject to a variety of misconceptions. Indeed, until I became President, I did not have a full understanding as to how the process worked. I doubt that few people--even those getting TA, understand the TA system. Here's a simple primer:

First. The Board approves a budget for Tuition Assistance that meshes with our overall revenue and expense estimates. The TA Committee is not permitted to exceed that budget amount. Thus, the Committee has to budget its own resources to ensure that it has enough funds to handle the various requests, respond to new students, and meet certain exigent circumstances. It is important to emphasize that the TA Committee, like the school, has limited resources. We simply cannot grant unlimited aid to everyone family that "needs" it. If we did, the school would close because it would run out of money very fast.

Second. The President appoints the TA Committee. The members of the TA are known only to the President, the Vice-President of Finance, the Head of School, the Director of Finance, --the latter two also sit on the Committee--and to the Almighty. The Committee is confidential for all sorts of reasons, the primary one being that we don't want anyone to attempt unduly influence the Committee, or to be concerned about who knows their private business. So the identity of the Committee is strictly confidential.

Third. The Committee then meets and establishes its criteria and sets ground rules that will govern its actions during the process. TA decisions are inherently emotional, so it is best to set the rules before dealing with specific cases. This likely includes setting aside funds for new applications (which come in later) as well as a small pool for truly exigent circumstances (someone loses their job in June, for example). This also, however, reduces the pool available for returning students, and it demonstrates why it is absolutely critical that people get their applications in on time.

Fourth. Upon receiving applications, the finance office reviews and checks them, conducts due diligence, and then submits them to the Committee for review. When reviewing applications, the Committee uses a variety of considerations, including, but not limited to, the financial need, the evidentiary support for the request, and the timeliness of the request. Awarding TA is not done by computer; it is done holistically and based upon numerous factors. This continues until all decisions have been made.

Fifth. The TA has an appeal process. This year, it is likely that the appeal process will be more formalized; an appeal is not meritorious simply because the applicant did not like the grant. Nor is an appeal a negotiation; it is likely that appeals will only be granted if the Committee abused its discretion (i.e., really got it wrong), misunderstood certain facts, was unaware of certain facts, or there are new facts.

That's how TA works in a nutshell.

The most important thing for returning families is that they meet the relevant deadlines for applying for aid. In any professional organization--a college, for example--if you want aid, you must meet certain deadlines. Kadima is no different. If you are a returning family, and you miss the deadline, your application will be considered after the timely ones, and it is possible that there will be insufficient funds to meet your request. I cannot emphasize enough the importance of getting your application in by the deadline. Indeed, last night, the Board passed a resolution expressly instructing the TA Committee to consider the timeliness of a person's application when making TA grants.

So if you think that you'll need TA, get your application in on time, and the school will do its best to make it possible for you to attend Kadima next year.

The deadline for applications is February 1, 2010.