FINANCIAL AID AND TUITION

FINANCIAL AID at St. Margaret’s

St. Margaret’s is proud to offer a strong and supportive need-based financial aid program. For the 2022-23 Academic year, over 4.5 million dollars in need-based grants were awarded to enrolling students. We believe that having a diverse and equitable school is at the core of our institutional values. We see financial aid as a St. Margaret’s community strength. Our goal is to engage and guide capable and talented students from all socioeconomic backgrounds and make the opportunities of St. Margaret’s accessible to all.

We encourage families to preview our financial aid application process listed below, and to contact our Office of Admission & Financial Aid at any time with follow up questions.  We are here to support your family, and we look forward to working with you.

Sincerely,

Phoebe F. Larson,
Director of Admission, Financial Aid & Enrollment Management
Families are encouraged to apply for admission as well as need-based financial aid. After admission decisions are determined, completed financial aid applications are considered by the St. Margaret’s Financial Aid Committee. Need-based grants are awarded to families at the time of Admission.

St. Margaret's is a member of School and Student Services for Financial Aid (SSS). SSS utilizes national methodology to calculate a family's financial need. This methodology assists St. Margaret's in determining a family's financial ability to contribute towards the cost of tuition. The Financial Aid Committee carefully evaluates the income and assets of each family applying for aid and awards financial assistance according to demonstrated need.

All need-based financial aid awards are reviewed and recalculated each year. Families are asked to re-submit updated financial aid application information and annual tax information. Please know, all of St. Margaret's financial assistance is confidential and based upon a family’s needs, the school does not offer any athletic nor arts scholarships.

Financial Aid Deadlines

Financial Aid applications for New Families are due Wednesday, February 15, 2023
 
Financial Aid applications for Currently Enrolled Families are due Tuesday, February 28, 2023

NEED-BASED FINANCIAL AID Application Steps:

  1. Click here to print, complete and then upload St. Margaret's Financial Aid Request Form. (This Request Form may be uploaded and submitted with your SSS online Parents Financial Statement.) 
  2. Complete the School and Student Services for Financial Aid (SSS) Parents' Financial Statement (PFS) online here. You may contact the SSS Helpline at (800) 344-8328 for assistance. Please submit the PFS online. There is a $51 processing fee.
  3. Submit your signed 2022 Federal Tax Form 1040 including all W-2 and/or 1099 forms and schedules, including K-1, 1120S, 1065 and 1098-T forms for both parents to SSS. If you have an S Corporation, Partnership or you are a Sole Proprietor, please submit Schedule K-1, 1120S and/or 1065 along with your taxes. If you have a college student, please submit form 1098-T. We ask that all financial aid applicants complete their taxes early in order to meet the necessary financial aid deadline. If families are concerned about submitting all of the necessary tax documentation by the stated deadline, the Financial Aid Committee will allow a CPA certified draft copy of the 2022 1040 tax return with all schedules in order to complete the financial aid file.


Priority will be given to financial aid applications received by the respective deadlines. Please note: divorced or separated parents must each submit a financial aid application. The Financial Aid Committee is unable to review applications until they are complete. Financial aid awards are recalculated each year for current students and reflect any changes in a family's financial situation.
 

All application forms for financial aid are confidentially collated and tracked by St. Margaret’s Business Office. Melissa Norwood, Student Account Specialist, manages the processing of all financial aid forms. Please direct all completed financial aid paperwork to the attention of melissa.norwood@smes.org. If you have any questions regarding the St. Margaret’s need-based financial aid program, deadlines and online forms, please contact the St. Margaret’s Office of Admission and Financial Aid at (949) 661-0108 ext. 1248 or admission@smes.org.
Financial Aid Information for Separated or Divorced Families:
 
When working with separated or divorced families, the expectation is that both biological parents will participate in the full Financial Aid Application process.

Both parents need to submit a completed Parents’ Financial Statement via the SSS (School and Student Services) portal/website, upload their (2022)taxes to the SSS portal and complete the St. Margaret’s Financial Aid Request Form. All documents would be part of the need-based Financial Aid Review and all information would remain confidential. In addition, we ask that all divorced households forward their current Divorce Agreement - as they apply for need-based financial aid. All Divorce Agreement information is private and would need to be submitted to Alanna Cajthaml in the St. Margaret’s Business Office.

TUITION at St. Margaret’s

The St. Margaret’s tuition and fees listed are for the current 2023-2024 school year. Families may expect a modest increase in tuition and fees for the 2024-2025 year. Whether a child is re-enrolling or entering St. Margaret's for the first time, a non-refundable deposit fee is required to guarantee a place in the school. The balance of the tuition is due in 10 payments or 2 payments (May 31 and November 30).

In addition, St. Margaret's Episcopal School requires participation in the Tuition Refund Plan underwritten by the Commercial Union Insurance Company, Boston, MA, for A.W. G. Dewar, Inc. The plan costs approximately 0.9% of tuition and protects the educational investment of the family should a student not complete the school year for any reason. The Tuition Refund Plan premium is included in the cost of tuition.
An independent preschool through grade 12 college-preparatory day school in Orange County, California
NON DISCRIMINATION POLICY
St. Margaret's Episcopal School does not discriminate on the basis of gender, race, color, religion, sexual orientation or national and ethnic origin in the administration of its educational, admission, financial aid, hiring and athletic policies or in other school-administered programs.
St. Margaret’s Episcopal School
31641 La Novia Avenue
San Juan Capistrano, CA 92675
949.661.0108
 
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