Financial Aid for Students with Learning Differences

Forman subscribes to the principles and services of the School and Student Service for Financial Aid (SSS). In doing so, Forman believes a family has the primary obligation for financing their child’s education. In determining a family’s eligibility, factors such as family size, parents’ ages, extraordinary expenses, and retirement provisions are considered. Distinctions must be made between obligatory expenses such as tax payments and those made by choice, such as buying a new car.

It is our expectation that your child’s Forman education be among your highest priorities when it comes to your family’s discretionary expenses. Because financial situations vary, an objective need-analysis system is used as a basic guideline to provide consistency in assessing need. Forman reserves the right to accept the recommendation of the Report of Family Contribution from SSS or to amend it by using additional documentation to complete the application process in accordance with the needs of the School.

The Financial Aid Committee assesses each family’s financial aid situation individually. In addition to the SSS guidelines, however, the Committee implements the following principles and practices:

1. Forman expects that all adult family members will work to contribute to their household income and their student’s education. The Committee may impute income for parents or guardians who choose not to work. Families with pre-school aged children and/or elderly family members in the home should make the Committee aware of their circumstances.
2. If more than one child in a family attends a tuition-charging institution, it is required that a family applying for financial aid does so at each of the institutions their children attend.
3. Savings, investments, and assets in a student’s name or held for a student with the purposes of higher education may be considered available resources for secondary school education and be equally distributed during the years she is enrolled at Forman in addition to the four years of college/university.
4. Please know that parents who return to school or change jobs as a personal choice, thereby reducing their household income, will not necessarily be granted additional financial assistance from Forman School.
5. In situations of divorce or separation, your child’s non-custodial parent must also complete financial aid forms. These forms are required for a completed financial aid application. In the case of an absentee parent or one who has no obligation to your child’s education, we require explanation and/or documentation from the courts.

All financial information submitted in support of a financial aid application is held in strict confidence. All financial aid awards are confidential agreements between the recipient family and Forman School.

It is our expectation that families who begin at Forman School paying the full tuition will continue to do so in subsequent years. Full pay families who suffer a job loss are encouraged to contact the Director of Financial Aid directly.

Forman requires that all applicants complete and submit the Parents’ Financial Statement to SSS as well as supporting documentation each year that a student wishes to matriculate at the School. Awards are evaluated annually based on the most recent year’s financial information. The Committee will review and make adjustments appropriate to changes in financial resources and tuition increases. Forman cannot always guarantee meeting an increased need should a family’s financial situation change.

The Financial Aid Application
Forman uses School and Student Services (SSS) to process our financial aid applications. SSS is a service of the National Association of Independent Schools. Please go to the online Family Guide to Financial Aid brochure for more information. To complete your financial aid application for the coming enrollment year, follow these steps.

Applying For Financial Aid Online

1. To apply, go to www.solutionsbysss.com and complete the application before February 15, 2023.
2. Click on the prompt to begin your Parents’ Financial Statement (PFS). Each parent household must complete one PFS.
3. You will be given a username and password that will allow you to return to your PFS at a later date before submitting it. Your information will be secure.

In addition to the PFS, we require that you upload the following documents to SSS to complete your financial aid application:

• Signed federal tax return with all supporting schedules from the current year and the previous year
• Current year W-2s from all working parents (or IRS Form 1099 or a Business/Farm Statement if self-employed)

We understand that some employers do not mail W-2 forms until the end of January. If this is the case, please submit all other financial aid application materials by the February 15 deadline, then send along the W-2(s) as soon as possible.

If you complete the PFS online, your information will be delivered accurately and quickly to our school (Forman school code is 3220), allowing us to make a more informed decision about your eligibility for financial aid. Paper applications are slower and less accurate.

For questions about the PFS online, call SSS at 800.344.8328.

All parents (including those who are divorced, separated, or never married, as well as guardians and spouses if remarried) are required to complete a Parents' Financial Statement (PFS) by February 15, 2023.

Forman School has partnered with Clifford Allen Associates to provide trusted, quality student health insurance for our international students. Click here to follow the easy four-step process to enroll your student in an insurance policy.

Payments made for the special education provided at The Forman School may be deductible medical care expenses under the Internal Revenue Code. While ordinary education is not medical care, the cost of medical care may , under certain circumstances, include the cost of attending a special school for an individual with a disability if his or her condition is such that the resources of the institution for alleviating such disability are a principal reason for his or her presence there.

Whether tuition expenses for Forman will be deductible in a particular case will depend upon the facts and circumstances of each individual student’s situation. There are also percentage limitations applicable to otherwise deductible medical expenses, depending on the parent’s adjusted gross income. Therefore, before claiming a tax deduction for expenses relating to the special education of a student, we highly recommend that you consult with a tax lawyer or accountant about whether your payments to Forman may qualify for a medical expense tax deduction.

As additional documentation, below is a letter from the Headmaster certifying the special nature of the program provided by The Forman School as well a PDF guide by the Social Security Administration.

Forman School has partnered with Clifford Allen Associates to provide trusted, quality health insurance for our students. Click here and follow the easy four-step process to enroll your student in an insurance policy.

A guide that outlines how to afford out of pocket treatment costs, and provides information on specific rights and services offered to families of children with learning differences.