Affording BFS
Buckingham Friends School (BFS) proudly designates 15% of its annual operating budget to support families who demonstrate a need for financial assistance.
Our goal is to make BFS education accessible and affordable for more families. As a Quaker school, we also utilize our Financial Assistance reserves to provide an opportunity for families of under-represented populations to join our community, bringing a richness of cultural variety and a breadth of representation to our campus. Approximately 37% of BFS families receive financial assistance. Applying for financial aid has no impact on our admissions decisions. No student is denied admission due to financial need.
We are happy to assist you with the financial aid process. If you have any questions, please contact Melissa Clayton, Director of Admissions and Financial Aid, at 215-794-7491 x132 or email her at [email protected].
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Tuition: • Tuition for the 2024-2025 school year is $25,788.
• The 6th, 7th, and 8th Grade Technology Fee for 2024-2025 is $750.
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Financial Aid Process:
BFS grants financial assistance in accordance with the principles established by the National Association of Independent Schools and as administered by School & Student Services (SSS). Please note, financial aid decisions are made by BFS’ Financial Aid Committee and are based upon the analysis provided by SSS. This number is based on a family's "Estimated Parental Contribution" that takes into account many variables including but not limited to income, assets, debt, household size, and tuition commitments for all children.
If you feel that assistance will be necessary for your child to attend BFS, please visit the SSS website and follow instructions for completing an application and submitting documentation. Our School Code is #1936. SSS provides wonderful technical and informational support as you complete your application. Please contact them at 1-800-344-8328, or https://www.solutionsbysss.com/.
If we can assist your process in any way, please feel free to contact Melissa Clayton, Director of Admissions and Financial Aid, at 215-794-7491 x132.
Applications for financial aid are accepted on a rolling basis. Because financial circumstances can change, families must apply for aid annually.
BFS is proud to offer aid each year to students in grades K-8. However, we still are unable to meet the need of all of our qualified applicants. Therefore, we offer aid to current families first, and then review the applications of newly accepted families.
Any questions about financial aid or the process of applying for aid may be directed to our Melissa Clayton Director of Admissions and Financial Aid at 215-794-7491 x132.
Loans:
BFS does not offer loans to pay for tuition. If you feel that a loan is suitable for your financial circumstances, please contact a lending institution.
The Tuition Policy at Buckingham Friends School:
The following is a statement of the policies that govern Family Financial Support at Buckingham Friends School.
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All information submitted for family financial support purposes is held in the strictest confidence.
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No application for family financial support may be considered unless and until the applicant provides all information requested by the Financial Support Committee.
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All “Report of Family Contribution” forms received from School and Student Service for Family Financial Support shall be reviewed and recalculated with appropriate adjustments.
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In the case of divorced or separated parents, financial resources of both natural parents will be considered, and therefore, both parents must provide complete financial information for the Financial Support Committee to consider. It is the responsibility of the custodial parent to ask the non-custodial parent to complete the online parent financial statement and providing federal tax information required by the school. Simply sign-on to www.sss.nais.org. Parents are assured that all information submitted will be kept in the strictest confidence, and that information will not be shared with either family. We will not be able to review an application for financial support unless both parties cooperate and provide the required information in a timely manner.
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In cases where a non-custodial natural parent’s whereabouts is unknown, or when that parent has made no contact with the student for a period of years, and has given no financial support to the student during that time, the Financial Support Committee may waive the requirement of financial information from the non-custodial parent.
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The Financial Support Committee may refuse to grant financial support if the applying family has an overdue account with the School.
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In the case of two parent families where only one parent works, and if there are no dependent children or parents at home, or if the non-working parent is not disabled, the School will make an adjustment to increase income by the equivalent of a full-time minimum wage.
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An adjustment will be made to compensate for the cost of living index for the Philadelphia area.
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The first $40,000 of net worth will not be considered in the calculation of need.
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Buckingham Friends School subscribes to the “Principles of Good Practice for Financial Aid Administration” advocated by the National Association of Independent Schools. A copy of these principles is available for review in the School’s business office.
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The amount of family financial support offered will vary from one family to another because each family’s needs are looked at individually. Financial support could be as high as 95% of tuition, but only in rare and exceptional cases. The Financial Aid Committee expects each family to contribute the maximum amount they are able towards tuition.