Manzanita is a member of School and Student Services by NAIS (SSS), which assists independent schools in determining a family’s financial need. Families submit a Parent’s Financial Statement (PFS) to SSS that contains detailed financial information. From the information provided on this form, SSS uses a standardized calculation nationally accepted by independent schools to compute a family’s estimated tuition contribution. The information is reviewed by Manzanita and is used as a guideline in determining financial aid decisions.

Our school code is 207414.

SSS takes into consideration such things as gross taxable income, assets, liabilities, family size, and number of children attending tuition — charging schools. The income and assets for both parents and the students are considered. SSS creates a Family Report for all parents who apply for financial aid. Your Family Report will provide an overview and a calculation of your estimated tuition contribution.

No, admissions and financial aid decisions are made separately.

Yes. Financial aid awards are based on your family’s estimated tuition contribution and Manzanita’s financial aid budget, both figures change from year to year.

Our financial aid deadline is January 24, 2020. We understand your taxes may not be complete so we ask that you estimate your financial information to the best of your ability. Manzanita will use the information that you provide to make a preliminary financial aid award decision. We will verify that the information that you provided is correct after reviewing your tax returns.

All available sources of financial support are considered when making financial aid decisions. Each parent must submit a separate PFS to SSS. If one parent does not complete a PFS, we will not be able to process the financial aid application.

In order to treat families equally, we try to level the playing field by not taking into account lifestyle decisions. If a family has children over the age of four, we assume that both parents are employed. If one parent chooses not to work, we will assign income based on a full--time lower--wage position to that parent for purposes of calculating the family’s estimated tuition contribution.

Decisions for 2020 - 2021 are based on 2019 income, since we cannot predict what will happen next year. You may submit a letter explaining your specific extenuating circumstances to the Financial Aid Committee.

Other K‐12 tuition you pay is figured into your family’s estimated tuition contribution. However, in order to receive aid from us you must apply for financial aid at all schools your children attend. You should note that college tuition money is regarded as investment rather than education expense, in that it rapidly pays for itself in higher income levels.

Your financial aid award is included with your acceptance notification. The specific amount is listed on your enrollment contract.

Manzanita families may choose among three payment options:
• One payment due by July 1, 2020.
• Two installments, due on July 1, 2020 and October 1, 2020.There is 4% carrying fee for this payment plan.
• Six installments due monthly, beginning July 1, 2020. There is a 4% carrying fee for this payment plan.

Applying for financial aid at Manzanita is a private matter between the family and the Financial Aid Committee at Manzanita. The Committee conducts a comprehensive review of families’ personal financial situation and that review is not discussed with any other person outside of the Committee. In an effort to protect a family’s privacy, we expect all financial aid applicants to exercise discretion during the financial aid process by not discussing their financial aid application or award with other families or faculty. In addition, School and Student Services by NAIS (SSS) prioritize collecting and processing a family’s documents in a safe and efficient manner. When documents are sent to SSS, families submit their information to SSS through a secure server. Additionally, families are now able to track receipt of the documents sent to SSS through a unique password protected account.

Complete the Financial Aid Appeal Form and return to our Admissions Director. You will also need to make necessary changes to your Parent Financial Statement on SSS. Once all of this is completed, the Committee will meet and then contact you to let you know if you qualify for more aid and if so, how much.

Families who receive financial aid and have positive change of financial status are expected to inform the Manzanita Head of School, so that financial aid can be adjusted. This is to ensure equity for all Manzanita families. Manzanita expects honesty from all of its families.

Please review the information on the financial aid page on the Manzanita website. If you have additional questions please contact our Admissions Director, Karen Andersen, (310) 455-9700, Ext. 206.