Oldfields School

Financing an independent education is a major investment in your daughter's future. The cost of attending a school like Oldfields, with its low student-to-teacher ratio, outstanding faculty, and personalized attention, is substantial. We are committed to providing a quality education for young women at an affordable price, and to maintaining a diverse community of individuals from all socio-economic, religious, and cultural backgrounds. Financial Aid is need-based and decisions are made by the Financial Aid Committee on the basis of demonstrated need and availability of funds. The Financial Aid process is separate from the application for admission process and applying for aid will not jeopardize a girl's opportunity for admission. Oldfields awards in excess of $1 million in grants to approximately 30% of the student body.

The deadline for applying for financial aid is February 1. If you are interested in applying for financial aid, please contact the Admission Office to request an application for financial aid. Oldfields uses the School and Student Service for Financial Aid (SSS) as a guide for achieving equity in measuring family needs. You may also access more information about SSS at the NAIS web site. Once need has been determined, preference is given to legacies and returning students.

Although the Board of Trustees is strongly committed to a healthy financial aid budget, we are not able to award financial aid to each family who qualifies. In awarding financial aid within the context of limited funds, the Financial Aid Committee must weigh the student's academic and social record, her potential contribution to the community, and Oldfields' commitment to maintaining a diverse community of individuals from all socio-economic, religious, and cultural backgrounds. Oldfields also looks for evidence that a family's commitment to their daughter's education is as strong as the School's.

When you inquire to Oldfields for an application for admission, indicate your interest in applying for financial aid to the Admission Officer. You should also indicate your interest in learning more about how to apply for financial aid on the admission application. We will then mail to you all the forms necessary to complete a financial aid application. These forms are available in November.

Complete the Parents' Financial Statement (PFS) and make two copies, one for you and one for us. Mail the original Parents' Financial Statement (PFS) plus the required fee to the School and Student Service for Financial Aid, SSS PFS (ETS), PO Box 371478, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 15250-7478 by January 15 to allow processing time. It is important that the form be completed thoroughly, or it will be returned to you and processing will be delayed. You may also complete this form online for a lesser fee and it may be processed more quickly. Be sure to print a copy of what you submitted on line for your records and to send to our office.

Send to Oldfields the following by February 1:

A copy of the Parents' Financial Statement
A copy of your 2007 Income Tax Form 1040 or 1040A with all supporting schedules, copies of your 2007 W-2, end of year pay stub, or an employer letter verifying income
A copy of your 2008 W-2 along with a statement of any anticipated difference between 2007 and 2008 1040 information. If awarded aid, your 2008 Income Tax Form 1040 or 1040A with all supporting schedules will be due April 10.
A signed IRS Form 4506-T with lines 1-4 completed
(Optional) A letter detailing financial circumstances not addressed by the Parents' Financial Statement

Yes. The Centers of Excellence Merit Awards are given to exceptional students who are passionate about pursuing either the visual arts, performing arts, or riding. The Anna Austen McCulloch Award, named for the founder of Oldfields School, is given to students who have the potential to best represent the School�s motto: Courage, Humility, and Largeness of Heart. For a student whose mother or grandmother is an alumna of the School, the Oldfields School Legacy Award is given based on her academics, character, and a commitment to reaching potential.

To apply for any of the Oldfields School Merit Scholarships, all candidates must complete the admission process. In addition, merit applicants must write a 300-500 word essay describing their goals for their first year at Oldfields School, and how their life�s experiences have prepared them to achieve those goals.

Yes, families of returning students will receive new PFS forms each year and will follow the same general procedures as outlined above. The deadlines for filing for financial aid are the same for returning students as they are for new students and should be strictly met. It is also imperative that bills from the current school year be paid up to date at the time of applying for financial aid for the next school year.

Awards are recalculated each year and reflect any changes that may have taken place with regard to a family�s financial situation. A family should expect that a student�s financial aid will continue until the student graduates and if, during this time, financial situations stay relatively constant, the amount of allocated financial aid will also remain relatively constant.

SSS takes into account a number of standard and universal financial factors when computing a family�s financial need. Some of the most notable are income and expenses, assets, family size, age of parents, and number of children attending tuition-charging institutions. SSS analyzes these factors and then computes a discretionary income. A portion of this discretionary income is then suggested as the contribution a family should make toward education at Oldfields. The greater the discretionary income, the higher the potential family contribution. Oldfields then uses the above information to assess a family�s financial strength relative to all of the other families who are also applying for aid.

Oldfields' policy in determining the financial need of students from separated or divorced families is derived from the underlying principle on which we base financial aid for all our students -- that is, parents have an obligation to pay the educational expenses of their children to the extent that they are able. This obligation takes precedence over any obligation of the School to provide financial assistance to its students. Remarriage of either parent creates a new family unit with new relationships, but we believe that natural (or adoptive) parents still have a responsibility for educational expenses despite any legal agreements to the contrary. Therefore, the income, expenses, assets, and liabilities of the entire new family unit are considered pertinent to the natural (or adoptive) parents' ability to contribute to the cost of education.

The non-custodial parent (and any spouse or partner) must also complete the application for financial aid as outlined above. It is the responsibility of the custodial parent to request forms from our office and forward them to the non-custodial parent.

We will consider waiving the requirement of the application for financial aid by the non-custodial parent under the following circumstances:

Information is provided that clearly indicates that the location of the non-custodial parent is unknown

Information is provided that the non-custodial parent has provided no support and has had no contact with the family for at least five years

In either of the above cases, supporting documentation clarifying the situation will be accepted from a doctor, lawyer, and member of the clergy, or other person with knowledge of the family's situation. There may be other extenuating circumstances that would warrant our waiving this requirement. Written inquiries should be sent to the attention of the Director of Financial Aid.