Tuition, Tuition Assistance, and Loans

Many families are attracted to Wingra School for its excellent teaching, individualized approach, and strong sense of community. Often the only deterrent is the cost of tuition. Few families can afford the cost of an independent school education without a major shift in financial priorities and planning. Most Wingra families have chosen to adjust their spending, maximize both parents' earnings, and give their children's education a very high priority in their financial planning.

Tuition

Families meet their financial obligations to Wingra School in different ways. Wingra offers three payment-plan options to better accommodate the range of economic resources available to our families. The monthly payment plan allows for an easier monthly payment schedule at a slightly higher cost. The annual payment plan provides a discount for families able to pay the entire tuition at the beginning of the year.

Some families take out a short-term loan in order to take advantage of the discount and find that the savings in tuition exceed the cost of interest. Some families rely on help from grandparents or family trusts in order to afford tuition for Wingra.

For families unable to pay the full cost of tuition despite careful financial management, Wingra School established the Joyce Perkins Scholarship Fund in 1987. Tuition assistance, in the form of a reduction in tuition, is awarded based on financial need.

Tuition payment plans

Amounts reflect 2010-2011 tuition for one child
Families new to the school make the first payment upon signing a contract

Tuition Assistance

Wingra School offers need-based tuition assistance to families unable to afford full tuition. Step by step instructions, can be found here (Adobe Reader required; click here to download). As part of the process, Wingra uses the School and Student Services By NAIS (SSS) in Randolph, MA to determine each family's financial need. The analysis is based on a number of factors, including taxable and non-taxable income, assets owned, liabilities, ages of parents, and the number of children in the family.

Named after Wingra School's Director, the Joyce Perkins Scholarship Fund awarded a total of $4000 of tuition assistance in its inaugural year of 1987-1988. The amount awarded has grown each year, and currently 25% of Wingra students receive tuition assistance. Money for the fund comes from fundraising events and donations. The Wingra community has worked hard and contributed generously over the years to continually increase the amount of aid available.

Families must reapply each year for tuition assistance. Awards are based on a family’s financial need, which is determined by SSS, and the amount of money available in the Scholarship Fund. Once a family receives tuition assistance, Wingra strives to maintain that level of aid in future years if a comparative need is demonstrated. As a family’s financial circumstances change, the level of aid will change correspondingly. All tuition assistance information provided is held in strictest confidence.

Tuition assistance decisions are made independently of other school functions and do not affect a student's chances for admission or continuation at Wingra School. Tuition assistance packets for the 2010-2011 school year are available in the school office, or call 608-238-2525 to request that one be mailed to you. The application deadline is March 15, 2010.

If you have any questions or would like further information, please call or write to Mary Campbell or Bonnie Schey at 608-238-2525 or info@wingraschool.org.

A welcoming community for all kinds of families, Wingra School does not discriminate against any person on the basis of gender, race, color, creed, religion, sexual orientation, political persuasion, national or ethnic origin, or disability in its admission or tuition assistance policies.

Tuition Loans

Your Tuition Solution loans are offered through Springstone Financial LLC, a Massachusetts company that provides educational financing to families whose children attend independent schools nationwide. It is a personal, unsecured loan designed exclusively for educational expenses. Families need to apply only once for multiple years. Application forms for this loan are available from the Your Tuition Solution website.