Tuition At Champion Christian School
Note from the Executive Director: For some people, the idea of paying tuition for an education is a difficult cup to swallow. This is especially true for those in our area who are used to thinking about a public school system being free and a private school being a very expensive luxury for the wealthy only. At the Center, our Board of Directors are committed to the idea that a Christian Education is for everyone! However, there are realities that have to be dealt with such as paying teachers, staff, and the electric bill. We believe that Christian education is for everyone, but the Power Company must have a check to pay the electric bill. Staff cannot purchase groceries with goodwill.
As well as being committed to a goal of providing a Christian Education to everyone, we are also committed to providing a sound financial ministry that will be here for future generations. This has to be based on equal sacrifice by all. This three legged stool upon which this whole assumption is based consists of sacrifice by parents to pay tuition that is their fair share, staff members who are willing to work at a reduced market price to see this reality come about, and trusting the community (in the context of God’s provision) to help with the difference. An imbalance in any of these three areas will cause significant dysfunction. It is the Board of Director’s job to see that this stool stays balanced. For parents, this means that we expect everyone to help raise the needed financial aid that makes CCS a balanced socio-economic school. Parents cannot assume that they have a right to financial aid. In fact, they have a responsibility to make sure that the financial aid that they receive is used effectively by their family and to help make sure that it is not just consumed but replicated by their best faith efforts to contribute. Even those who pay the full cost of tuition are still benefitting from capital projects and materials that have been provided by others. Our tuition is estimated to be twice what it really is to carry the full costs of education at CCS. Compare our current tuition with what is funded per child at the public level!
This is a challenging, but worthwhile effort, especially when parents realize that they are in school buildings and using Center resources that were contributed by others. May we all be excited when the future generations are benefitting from what we have created by using our God given talents and abilities for His work here.
What is Cost-Based Tuition?
Champion Christian School has moved to a system of determining tuition called “cost-based tuition”. It is relatively new in the Christian school movement at the elementary and high school level, but has been around for a long time in private education and in Christian higher education. Historically, Christian schools have kept tuition prices very low in order to make it affordable for everyone, but unfortunately in that process have severely limited themselves by way of staff recruitment (due to salaries), facilities, and more. This process also insured a lack of long-term financial stability in these organizations who, in order to meet growing general operating budgets, become dependant upon fund-raising to supplement the price of education, rather than using fund-raising for special events and projects. Champion, like many schools, has operated under this model in the past and continues to struggle with the ability to pay its staff appropriate salaries, keep up facilities, and provide quality education without frustrating a limited budget.
The Board of Directors decided to determine what it actually costs to educate each child at Champion Christian School based on current and future goals. We are in the process of making yearly tuition reflect that price. The tuition rates that you see below reflect a step in our process toward reaching Cost-Based Tuition. This is our third year of change and we are hoping that it represents that last significant increase in tuition for a while. Of course those numbers are a significant part of any family budget regardless of their ability to pay. However, it is important to note that they are approximately one half to one third of what it costs to educate a child in the public sector. Our goal in charging what it actually costs is to ask families that are able to afford the full tuition to pay it, knowing that they are providing a quality education for their child and carrying the entire cost. Nevertheless, it is important to know that we understand, and especially so in our area, that everyone cannot afford to pay this cost.
The second component of cost-based tuition is a strong, fully-funded financial aid program which we have implemented at Champion Christian. Our goal is that everyone who desires a Christian education for their child at CCS, and is willing to make a manageable financial sacrifice can be here. We assure you, as a parent, that there will be enough financial aid provided for anyone who cannot afford the full tuition costs at Champion, but we need your help to make that happen. We encourage you to please apply for financial aid and we will work with you to find the funding that you need. This process will be confidential and will be handled with integrity. The school and family will work together to compile financial packages that meet the real needs of the school while affordable for your family.
Financial Aid At Champion Christian School
Financial Aid at Champion is based on our commitment to ensure that everyone who needs financial aid can obtain it. This means that our decisions about financial aid will be based on family need, not available financial aid. However, it is important to understand that for this program to work in the future, CCS and the families who receive financial aid, as well as everyone in the Christian community, need to work towards finding ways to fund the financial aid program. This has been very promising at CCS, and has been done in several ways including the Educational Improvement Tax Credit Program (which offers businesses a tax credit), general giving from foundations and individuals, and fund-raisers that are designed specifically to help provide revenue for this program. This year there are two choices for financial aid based on your family income as outlined below:
Option 1: Family Meets Federal Hot Lunch Guidelines
If your family meets the Federal Hot Lunch Guidelines, or is very close to them, you have two options for applying for financial aid. The first is to go directly to the CCS Financial Aid Department. If your income meets the following guidelines, predetermined financial aid packages are made and you will receive the maximum amount of financial aid that is available at Champion Christian this year for each of your children, which is $1900.00.
This application can be obtained from the CCS Financial Aid Office. Upon completion of the application, sign and return it with a copy of your current tax return in a sealed envelope to the school office. After the Financial Aid Department has received a completed application, they will then submit to you a Financial Aid Award Letter which outlines the award received. Please note: applications will be returned if they are not completely filled out.
Option 2: Family Is Above Federal Guidelines, But Cannot Afford Full Cost Of Tuition: Family First Needs Assessment (FFNA)
Families that are above the Federal Hot Lunch Guidelines but feel that they cannot afford to pay the full tuition may apply for financial aid using an outside agency to determine their need. FFNA is an independent, non-Center-related organization, that does charge a fee to provide a financial aid needs assessment. They are specialists in determining family financial need for Christian Schools nationwide. 1.An application can be picked-up in the CCS Financial Aid Office, completed and mailed directly to FFNA. The cost for this is $20.00 payable to FFNA.
2. You may complete a FFNA Application online. Go to www.ffna1.com . The cost for an online application is $30.00
3. You may submit an application with expedited return which will get returned within 2 weeks. The cost for an expedited application is $40.00.
All financial information with FFNA is confidential. The Financial Aid Department at Champion Christian will receive a determination of financial aid based on your application, but we will be unaware of your private financial information. Once we receive that determination from FFNA, we will provide you with a Financial Aid Award Letter. You may contact the CCS Financial Aid Office to appeal any decision by FFNA.
Other options for financial aid:
Your letter may mention two other possibilities for funding including the Children’s Tuition Fund and the Work Program.
One example is the Indian Creek Valley Christian Family & Children’s Center’s Children’s Tuition Fund through the Educational Improvement Tax Credit (EITC) Fund. All families with household incomes less than $50,000 (the student and additional dependants in household will increase limit $10,000 each) will be eligible for Level 1 Tuition Grants. Families may apply for additional grants at Level 2. Families who meet the Federal Hot Lunch Food Program Guidelines will be eligible for both the Level 1 and Level 2 Tuition Grants.
There are important dates that are involved for you to receive this money. The first important deadline is May 1st. Any awards or applications received by that time will be given first preference for the financial award. It is important to note that if you miss these deadlines you may not be able to receive the financial award that is necessary to complete this package.
The work program is made up of jobs designed to care for the maintenance of our facility, cleaning, construction repair, and the upkeep of our facility. Many parents have already participated in this program to reduce the cost of tuition. This year the program is open to anyone regardless of income. More information about the Work Program can be obtained from the Financial Aid Office as to what jobs are available and how many hours it will take to fulfill your commitment.
Also, there is our newly developed CCS Board of Directors’ Scholarship Fund. It is important to note that any money designated from this fund is currently unfunded. Please note: we would ask people that are receiving financial aid from this fund to help find avenues (fund-raisers, donations, etc.) to raise money to support that fund.
What Happens After Receiving the Financial Aid Award Letter?
In both cases, after receiving the Financial Aid Award Letter, you will have 2 weeks from the date of the award letter to make your decision about enrollment at Champion. If you determine in the 2 week time period to enroll your child, you will submit the signed contract that will be supplied with your Financial Aid Award Letter. If you feel that the financial aid package is not one that you can manage, you may contact the Financial Aid Office to see if there are any other options available for you. If you ultimately determine that you cannot afford to send your child to Champion Christian, any registration fees that you have paid will be refunded. However, your fees for FFNA will not be refundable.
An Overview of the Application Process
The application process at Champion will follow the following steps:
Step 1: New Families
Make sure you have reviewed all the appropriate handbooks and information at Champion, meet with administrators, and make a decision that Champion is the place that you would like to enroll your child. If you are a re-enrolling family you may go immediately to Step 2.
Step 2: Enrollment Application & Registration Fees
Sign and complete an application and submit with one half of the registration fee. In order to receive the early registration discount as a re-enrolling family, you must make your registration application and pay $50 by March 31st. The second half of the registration fee must be paid by April 30th. Please Note: New families applying for the first time to Champion automatically receive an early registration discount regardless of when they apply. However, getting priority on financial aid is contingent upon applying early in the process. The registration fee is non refundable but contingent upon financial aid (see note above).
Step 3: Financial Aid Application
If you cannot afford to pay full tuition at Champion Christian please apply for financial aid (see previous instructions). If applying directly for aid through the Financial Aid Department at Champion Christian, it will take a minimum of 2 weeks to process your application if everything is complete. If applying for FFNA, the average time is one month, unless you pay for the expedited process as noted above.
Step 4: Financial Aid Award Letter
After Champion Christian Financial Aid Department receives notification from FFNA or processes your application internally, they will submit to you an award letter. That award letter will detail your cost for tuition this year, the amount of financial aid you received and is available, and your possible payment plans. Under the financial aid award letter there will be several components. The first will be the actual costs of tuition and each child’s tuition will be broken down individually. This amount would be the amount that you are required to pay for tuition. There will then be a section stating the actual cost of the tuition, and ending with the financial aid awarded. It is important to note that there may be types of awards that require your action or completion by certain deadlines.
The award letter’s next section would then be a subtotal. This amount would the amount that you are required to pay for tuition or use the work program to help support. If, after you receive your Financial Aid Award letter, you believe that you have not received enough financial aid and choose not to send your child to Champion Christian, any registration fees that you have paid will be refunded. Note, however, that any application fees charged by FFNA for financial aid are not refundable.
Step 5: Submission of your signed contract
This notes your acceptance of the financial award package and your tuition payment amount.
Step 6: Materials fee due on July 31st.
Actual school year tuition payments will be due by the first day of school at the end of August.
Step 7: Tuition rates for this year
The current tuition rates can be found on the current tuition sheet. It is important to note that financial aid is similar, but contains different aspects that the school program. The financial aid office can help you determine these differences. More information about the work program can be obtained from the financial aid office. This program is available regardless of income. You will need to fill out a questionnaire and read over the guidelines for the program.
Families are eligible for paying up to one half of their tuition with the work program. Please note that there are no multi-child discounts or pastoral discounts that are available for tuition.