The Geneva School offers tuition assistance to families with students in grades K–12 (students entering Pre-K are not eligible for tuition scholarship assistance).  The Geneva School uses the Family Financial Needs Assessment organization (FFNA) to help determine how much aid the school will provide to families.  Additional assistance is also available to some low income families from the Step Up for Students program.  A family may submit an application for both scholarships.  However, FFNA will take into consideration any money awarded by the Step Up for Students program.  If you apply to FFNA before Step up for Students, FFNA will reprocess your application if you are awarded any scholarship from Step Up for Students.  Please see the explanations below for information about each agency. The Geneva School does not accept the Mackay Scholarship.

Please also note that anyone receiving financial aid will not be eligible for the 3% pre-paid tuition discount.

Family Financial Needs Assessment (FFNA)
Family Financial Needs Assessment is an independent third-party agency contracted by The Geneva School to provide an unbiased and confidential assessment of a family’s need for financial assistance.  The application fee to FFNA is nominal, and any family who is unable to pay full tuition because of financial need is encouraged to submit an application.  Decisions are based on a family's financial need and school funds available.

The school requests that applicants for scholarship use the Fast Back Online Application method in order to expedite the process.  The cost to apply is $40, and the results are returned to the school within three business days. 

Even though the application itself will be completed online, certain documents (for example, a copy of your tax return) will need to be faxed to the FFNA office.  Only when FFNA has received all necessary documentation will they process the application.  Please note that you may use your tax return for the year 2008.  However, if your situation requires an explanation beyond the scope of the application (for example, a significant change in income from the year 2008 to the present), include a brief letter to FFNA explaining your situation.

When applying for financial aid it is the parent’s responsibility to ensure that the application submitted is complete.  FFNA will send the results to the school (not the applicant).  Once the school hears from FFNA, the Board of Governors will review the amounts.  You will be contacted by the accounting department regarding your awardas soon as possible.

For further information, please visit FFNA’s website at www.ffna1.com.

Current Families Applying to FFNA
Current families who have applied (or intend to apply) for financial aid should check the “Financial Aid Pending” box on the Student Enrollment Agreement.

Once a family is notified of the finacial aid amount, they have one week to decide whether they will accept the offer.  If they do not accept it, but have already enrolled their children, then the enrollment fee, minus $100, will be refunded.

Onceyou have checked the “Financial Aid Pending” box, if the deadlines outlined above are missed, the Student Enrollment Agreement becomes binding.  This means that the cost of tuition, less the financial aid amount, is required to be paid whether or not the student attends for all, part, or none of the school year.

New Families Applying to FFNA
New families must wait until after they have received an acceptance letter before applying to FFNA.  They then have a week in which to apply to FFNA.

Once a family is notified of the scholarship amount, they will have one week to decide whether to accept their child’s spot.  Once a spot has been accepted the Student Enrollment Agreement and appropriate fees become due.

Step Up for Students Scholarship
Step Up for Students is a school choice program awarding private school scholarships to low-income students in Florida.  Families and students must qualify for the scholarship and apply directly to Step Up for Students.  Students must be accepted at The Geneva School before scholarship is awarded.

Families applying for the Step Up for Students Scholarship for the first time must meet the following criteria:

• The student must live in Florida.
• The student must be entering Kindergarten (those children must be 5 years old on or before September 1), entering 1st grade, or if entering 2nd grade or above, must have been in attendance at a Florida public school the school year prior to receiving the scholarship.  Documentation reflecting uninterrupted attendance from at least October 1 through the end of the school year is required.
• The family income must fall within the levels set for this program by Florida law.

For further information, please visit www.stepupforstudents.org and click on “Step Up for Students.”