Andriotis focuses on the ‘whys’ & parental nature of the private school lending market.

For many families, loans have become an integral part of their private school tuition planning.

We were happy to lend our perspective.

“If I were an international family being wooed by a public school system that recently added a boarding program, I’d start my research by asking some questions.”

An “ah, ha” moment struck me after we published that piece.

Our recently published free E-book, “An International Student’s Guide to Applying to Private School,” covers exactly these topics/questions in more detail and with a more detailed eye toward execution.

Author and colleague, Christine Chapman takes international families through the thinking; the “nuts and bolts” of applying to private school in North America and Europe.

She covers some of the questions and issues (as well as how to address them) that I raised in “Shrinking Public Schools Turn to International Boarding Programs as a Lifeline.”

If you’re an international family considering a traditional boarding school, private day school or a home stay-public school experience, “An International Student’s Guide to Applying to Private School,” Ms Chapman offers sound advice and templates for good planning.

Directed toward younger students, HPA will offer one day and one boarding scholarship in grades 6 and 7, and two day and two boarding scholarships for grade 9.

Recipients will receive 50 percent of HPA’s day tuition – or 75 percent of the boarding tuition. Additionally, qualifying students who demonstrate financial need will receive an additional scholarship that will meet their family’s full demonstrated need, less $2,500.

HPA Head Lindsay Barnes commented:

“We’re thrilled that our Board of Trustees has made a commitment to this scholarship opportunity…We’re looking for students who will positively influence our world. By taking finances out of the equation, we believe this scholarship will help make it possible for the best students to attend HPA.”

As strictly merit award, families are not required to demonstrate financial need in applying. Recipients will earn scholarships by demonstrating academic potential through their Secondary School Admission Test (SSAT) results. Minimum scores for 2012-2013 qualification are:

Grade 6: 2040
Grade 7: 2080
Grade 9: 2250

In partnering with School and Student Services By NAIS (SSS), we’ve taken the regional cost of living adjustments and data used by SSS to calculate estimated family contributions toward tuition and put them into an easy to understand infographic. We present hypothetical financial situations, and possible tuition contribution, of families in Boston, Chicago, San Francisco, and the National Standard.

The infographic is part of our new free e-book, “Understanding Private School Financial Aid: What it is and How to Apply.”

If you’re contemplating, entering, or already deep into the private school financial aid process, “Understanding Private School Financial Aid: What it is and How to Apply” can help you navigate the waters.

We can give you general picture, but, in the end, every financial aid decision is made individually by each school.

Here’s the important disclaimer:

Keep in mind that all financial numbers we present are only estimates. Every family’s financial situation is unique as is each school’s financial aid program. Each school administers and determines its own financial aid process and awards. Schools do not necessarily use, or apply, metropolitan area Cost of Living Adjustments. Application of any Cost of Living Adjustment comes at the discretion of each school. Your family’s financial aid eligibility could be different at each school to which you apply.

Visualized by AdmissionsQuest, a site for families researching boarding schools. Financial aid data provided by School & Student Services By NAIS (SSS).

Some of the background – we’ve partnered on this project with School & Student Services By NAIS with two goals in mind:

1. to help families understand the financial aid process
2. to give admission officers another way to educate families and make the application process smoother

E-Book Badges!

If you work at a school and would like to share the e-book with your families, we prepared a set of badges that you can embed on your website. They link families directly to the e-book page on our site.

It’s an easy, quick way for families to get their free copy – imagine how much easier the process would be if families already understood the big picture before you started talking to them about it!

Finally, I want to thank SSS By NAIS for all of their support & guidance as we worked through the book & our recent infographic. They’ve been a terrific partner.

As always, let us know if you have any questions or comments (you can leave one below). We’re excited to hear your feedback!

The quick interview draws on Chapman’s experience as new parent facing the cost of saving large sums in her family’s effort to plan for two future collegians.

The projected tuition bill for young parents is enormous and there’s no better time to start planning than today.

His question made us think and a few families and students may benefit from our reply.

The young man’s question (paraphrased as it’s a full paragraph):

I come from a low income family. My parents want what’s best for me and are trying to make sure I get the best education possible. I’m a B+, 10th grader. I, and my parents, are interested in boarding school for me. My current school is in a poor environment. Are there schools with scholarships for kids like me?

I won’t waste the opportunity. Thank you.

Our Answer:

Yes. There are some great boarding schools dedicated to providing opportunities to families and students with limited resources. Here are four boarding schools to consider.

These schools practice an overt commitment to providing boarding school opportunities to students who have limited resources; they share the common commitment of making a boarding school education possible.

Each each has unique admission criteria and they vary in competitiveness. Each evaluates students differently and you’ll need to do your research to see which might be the best fit.

In no particular order:

Girard College

Milton Hershey School

Church Farm School

From Boston.com: “Phillips Exeter to Offer Free Tuition to Some Students: Lower-income pupils targeted“

This quick list is by no means inclusive; it’s truly off the top of our heads and I’m sure we may have missed a school(s).

If you know of boarding school committed to opportunity and affordability by all means leave a comment and/or send us a note.

The conversation closed with a discussion about the benefits of boarding schools and why school fit is so important.

You can listen to their conversation by clicking the graphic below (it will open a new window).

prepGATE, like many other lenders, had exited the boarding and private school loan business during the economic downturn.

Prior to their withdrawal, prepGATE had been a mainstay of the K-12 education financing world with a long history of helping families finance their private education choices.

prepGATE’s return is nothing but good news to families and schools. It means more options and opportunities for everyone.

Welcome back, prepGATE.

“’For the amount of money we spend, the return we get is unbelievable…We change lives,’” foundation founder Russell Wight Jr.

Wight believes that now is time to grow; he’s starting to look for other benefactors who can support The Wight Foundation model in other cities.(NS-L)

The foundation has been quietly supporting and making a boarding school education possible for Newark area students for 25 years with an amazing track record of both support and success.

Newark Star-Ledger writer Eunice Lee takes the foundation’s success and story public in her article, “Foundation That Sends Newark-area Students to Top Schools Looks to Expand to Other Cities.”

From its 1986 beginning, with five students placed in boarding schools, the foundation now places, and supports, “about 25 students every year.” (NS-L)

Wight’s track record is enviable, with few students leaving the program and the bulk going on to four year colleges having earned scholarship monies.

Despite the challenging adjustment- going from Newark to traditional boarding school- Wight students are prepared and rise to the challenge.

Writer Lee relays the experiences of Shakirah Miller-Harrington, Kathleen Da Silva, and Thalia Brownridge-Smith:

“Shakirah Miller-Harrington, 38, was raised by a single mom in Newark. She recalls getting an ‘F’ on an essay at boarding school. She rewrote the paper three times — still all ‘F’s. Her fourth try got her a ‘D.’

Da Silva also recalls struggling. She learned to accept critiques — even when they felt brutal. In English, for example, the entire class dissected essays line by line.

‘It’s not to make anybody feel bad, it was so we could learn,’ she said. ‘I realized you need criticism to get better.’

There were other challenges, too.

‘It was like culture shock to the nth degree,’ said Thalia Brownridge-Smith, a Newark native and Peddie 2000 graduate. She applied to 11 colleges and got into every one, then went to the University of Pennsylvania on a full scholarship.

Miller-Harrington cited misconceptions about Newarkers: ‘Questions used to arise — ‘Do you know how to steal a car?’ “(NS-L)

Wight students return to give-back as adults. Brownridge-Smith teaches in Newark at the school where Miller-Harrington is principal.(NS-L)

Perhaps it’s personal connection and guidance that Wright offers in support of it’s students. The foundation helps students and families prepare for boarding school, and college, staying in continual contact- including foundation founder, Russell Wight Jr.

“Each student’s report card comes across his [Wight's] desk. If he sees slipping grades, he writes a letter.”(NS-L)

“’I beam — I get excited…It’s very hard to describe the thrill, the satisfaction you get from this,” Wight explained to Lee.