Admissions
Tuition and Financial Aid
Because of the high demand for financial aid, we regret that we are unable to offer additional aid for the 2013-2014 school year. Additional financial aid funds will be available for applicants entering in 2014.
Tuition
Avenues’ tuition for the 2013-2014 school year is consistent with tuition charged by other independent “all-through” schools in New York City (those offering nursery to grade 12 or kindergarten through 12th grade). For the 2013-2014 school year, Avenues’ tuition will be $41,650.
Tuition includes the full cost of books and materials; all field trips; and transportation to and from activities during the school day that are part of the academic program. Mandatory fees are $2,100 and cover lunch, snacks, athletic uniforms and annual investments in educational technology (to fund laptops, tablets and continuous improvements in our technology offering). Optional fees will be billed to the students’ accounts. Optional fees may include purchases in the school store, summer programs, after-school programs, etc.
Before – and after-school programs and transportation are optional.
Financial Aid
Avenues seeks to build a student body that reflects the diversity of New York City. Students of all backgrounds will find that the Avenues environment embraces the tenets of mutual understanding and creativity as a method of promoting the highest levels of student achievement. To this end, Avenues will offer financial assistance to the parents of admitted students. An application for financial assistance is a separate process from the application for admission. To apply for financial aid, you must indicate your intention on the online admissions application, submit the Avenues request for financial aid form and submit the Parents Financial Statement through the School and Student Service for Financial Aid (SSS). SSS, a nationwide service, which assists independent schools in processing requests for financial assistance. All financial information and all financial assistance decisions are confidential.
Avenues believes the primary responsibility for tuition rests with the family, and each family is expected to look to its own resources before requesting aid. However, Avenues tries to recognize the distinctiveness of each situation and, when there is demonstrated need, to tailor grants to meet the needs of each qualified family.
All families who need financial assistance are encouraged to apply. A request for financial assistance will not adversely affect an application for admission. Admission decisions are based on a student’s academic merit and personal qualities.
Please click here to read about the required tax forms and the steps necessary to apply for financial aid.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is financial assistance available for school expenses not related to tuition?
Families receiving financial assistance may also receive assistance with other school expenses such as books, supplies, and fees for after-school programs. Avenues is committed to making participation in all aspects of school life possible for all students.
How is financial need assessed? Is there an income cutoff?
Many factors are taken into account, including, but not limited to, the number of children in a family and how many of them attend tuition-paying schools; additional dependents; all sources of income, assets and liabilities; expenses such as mortgage or rent, automobiles, camps and lessons and unreimbursed medical expenses. Since each family’s situation is evaluated individually, there is no specific income cutoff.
If parents are divorced, separated or never married, who must submit financial information?
Avenues bases its policy on guidelines provided by the National Association of Independent Schools (NAIS), which state it is the responsibility of parents to pay for the educational expenses of their children to the extent they are able. In assessing need, Avenues will take into account the assets and obligations of both parents and will not be bound by separation or divorce agreements or by the assertion that one parent is unwilling to pay. Therefore both parents must fill out separate Parents’ Financial Statement (PFS) forms. It is the responsibility of the custodial parent to ask the noncustodial parent to complete this form. Both parents must also submit tax returns.
How will a non-earning spouse affect a financial assistance award?
Since Avenues expects families to look to all of their own resources before requesting financial assistance, income will be imputed to a spouse who is not working for pay. Certain circumstances, such as the need to care for a disabled or elderly parent or a preschool child, will exempt a family from this policy. Each application is evaluated individually.
Will financial assistance be renewed each year?
Families must reapply for aid each year by submitting a current PFS form and tax returns. If a family’s financial situation remains similar from one year to the next, Avenues will continue to grant similar assistance.
When should an application for financial assistance be made?
A request for financial aid must be made when the application for admission is submitted. The School and Student Service for Financial Aid (SSS) provides the parents’ financial form (PFS) in both online and paper forms. Deadlines must be strictly met for the school to consider a request for financial assistance.
If a family is enrolled without financial assistance, may they request aid the following year?
A family may submit the required forms to request financial assistance during the next year’s application cycle. However, barring an unforeseen financial crisis, a student who has been enrolled less than two years will not be eligible for financial assistance.
Do financial awards have to be repaid?
No. Financial awards are grants and do not have to be repaid.
