Poughkeepsie Day School believes that the pursuit of an excellent education should not be precluded by limited financial resources. Accordingly, we are committed to providing need-based assistance to as many qualified families as possible. Indicating an interest in financial aid on the application form has no bearing on admissions decisions. Financial aid is awarded on a first-come, first-served basis, depending on demonstrated need. Currently, approximately 25% of PDS families receive some financial assistance.

Families of students applying for admission who also apply for need-based financial aid may be eligible to receive awards of up to a maximum of 50% of the current year's annual tuition. Additionally, due to the generosity of an anonymous donor, who has successfully challenged the PDS community to match a $25,000 diversity challenge grant for the past several years, we are able to extend our ability to offer need-based aid (beyond the usual 50% cap) to qualified students. Families of prospective students who have not indicated their interest in applying for aid on the admissions application form should contact the admissions office promptly to receive the appropriate forms and further information. Families already receiving financial assistance are sent renewal packets automatically each fall. Financial aid must be reapplied for every year. When reviewing annual requests for aid renewals, Poughkeepsie Day School reserves the right to adjust awards to reflect changes in a family's financial situation. No financial aid application will be considered by the Committee on Financial Aid unless the current year's tuition has been paid in full by February 1.

Tuition for pre-kindergarten, and in some cases, for part of the costs of a full day kindergarten, may be tax deductible as child care expenses. Please consult with your accountant or tax advisor to determine whether you may qualify for these tax advantages.

To apply (or reapply) for aid (2008-2009 academic year):

1.) Complete and return the required Family Financial Aid Questionnaire to the admissions office.

2.) Complete and mail (or submit online) the required Parents' Financial Statement (PFS) directly to the School and Student Service for Financial Aid (SSS), P.O. Box 6657, Princeton, NJ 08541. Please photcopy the PFS and submit a copy to Poughkeepsie Day School. Be sure that all questions on the PFS have been answered in full; incomplete forms will be returned to you and will delay the review of your application. Request that the SSS send Poughkeepsie Day School (code 5878) a copy of the Report of Parental Contribution (RPC) and keep a copy of the PFS you send to Princeton for your own records. Note: If you would like to receive a copy of the RPC from Princeton, you must enter "Parents' Report" and the SSS code number 9000 along with PDS's code number under 7A. SSS processing usually takes between 10 and 15 working days. SSS applications submitted nline are usually processed more quickly. Click here for the online version of the form.

3.) Photocopy your 2006 IRS Form 1040 (including all schedules) and all 2006 and 2007 W-2 forms and send them to the admissions office, along with the Family Financial Aid Questionnaire. A photocopy of your 2007 IRS Form 1040 (and all schedules) must also be forwarded as soon as it becomes available. IRS Forms 1040 from both parents must be submitted if the parents do not file joint tax returns. If you are self-employed, be sure that your Schedule C (profit and loss from your business) is included with your Form 1040, as well as any corporate tax returns you file. Self-employed individuals must also submit the Business and Farm Statement (BFS) to the Admissions Office.

Once Poughkeepsie Day School receives a family's Financial Aid Questionnaire, the Report of Parental Contribution (RPF) from the SSS, the 2006 IRS 1040 Form, and any other required, supplemental forms, the Committee on Financial Aid meets to review the request for assistance and to render a decision. An award is tentative until the committee receives copies of the family's 2007 IRS Form(s) 1040, accompanying schedules, and W-2 forms.

Prospective students
Families of students applying to Poughkeepsie Day School need to begin the financial aid process at the same time they file an admissions application. In order to be considered in our first-round of financial aid awards, a prospective family should complete the financial aid process by February 1, even though admissions decisions have not yet been made. Financial aid decisions will be announced at the time of admissions decisions for all applicants whose financial aid applications are complete. A family who is awarded assistance must sign and return their child's enrollment contract by the date indicated in order to reserve both the child's place and the award. If a contract is not returned by the date indicated, the award will be rescinded.

Current students
Families of current students who receive aid must file Poughkeepsie Day School's Financial Aid Questionnaire and the PFS with the SSS by February 1. Applications received after this date will be reviewed only if funds remain. However, it is possible that awards for late applicants may not be renewed at the previous year's level, even if the family's situation remains essentially the same. Families of current students who have not applied for and/or received financial assistance in the past may apply for aid through the process described above.

School expectations for families applying for assistance

1.) The primary responsibility for financing education costs at an independent school like Poughkeepsie Day School rests with the family. This means that, except in the case of physical or mental disability or because of very young children or elderly grandparents requiring care at home, both parents in two-parent families will be assessed a contribution whether or not both choose to work outside of the home. In addition, the resources of all immediate family members (including step-parents and significant others residing in the child(ren)'s home as well as birth and adoptive parents) are taken into account when calculating "need."

2.) Siblings of aid recipients who attend other tuition-charging institutions are expected to apply for financial aid from their respective schools.

3.) In cases of separation or divorce, both parents will be expected to submit full financial aid applications as described above in the section "How to Apply for Financial Aid."

If a family wishes to appeal a financial aid decision, the family should write a letter to the director of admission expressing the reason(s) for dissatisfaction, including with the letter any additional documentation which may support the family's case. Once the appeal letter is received, the committee will meet to review the case. At that time, the committee will render a final decision to sustain or alter the first decision and then notify the family in writing.

Please direct any financial aid questions to the director of admissions at 845-462-7600 or e-mail us at pdsadmissions.