WRA bases aid decisions on demonstrated need, which is defined as the difference between the amount of money a family can afford to contribute and the cost of tuition. The family's contribution is calculated according to information provided on the Parents’ Financial Statement (PFS), which is created by the School and Student Service for Financial Aid (SSS).

To apply, please visit the SSS website and complete the Parents’ Financial Statement (PFS) online. SSS opens their application process on October 2.

SSS LOGIN TO APPLY

Deadlines for submission are as follows:

Day Applicants - Due Jan. 17, 2020
Boarding Applicants - Due Feb. 14, 2020

Submit a copy of your 2018 IRS 1040 and all supporting schedules for individuals as well as corporations, small businesses and partnerships, W-2s and 1099s for parents and/or step-parents to SSS for processing. If you own a business, please also upload all your business tax documents including, if applicable, Schedule C, Schedule K-1, and Schedule E.

Please note that our school's SSS code is 8110.

For Day applicants, in addition to your 2018 tax documents, a copy of your final 2019 pay stub or other documentation of your 2019 income is required. This can be uploaded to your SSS application under additional documents and must be completed by January 17, 2020.

For Boarding applicants, in addition to your 2018 tax documents, copies of your 2019 IRS 1040 and all supporting schedules for individuals as well as corporations, small businesses and partnerships, W-2s and 1099s for parents and/or stepparents need to be submitted to SSS. If you own a business, please also upload all your business tax documents including, if applicable, Schedule C, Schedule K-1, and Schedule E. These need to be submitted by February 14, 2020.

Once processed by SSS, the results of your application will be visible to representatives of the WRA Financial Aid Committee. Any information that is provided to WRA will remain confidential. Whenever possible, financial aid decisions will be communicated concurrently with admission decisions.

WRA strongly encourages you to upload your financial documents to SSS. However, documents can be mailed with the required SSS cover sheet, located in the "My Documents" tab in the SSS Family Portal, to: (please allow up to 2 weeks for processing)

SSS by NAIS
Application Processing Center
P.O. Box 449
Randolph, MA 02368-449
(Overnight mail should be sent to 437 Turnpike St. / Canton, MA 02021)

WRA is committed to serving qualified students who are unable to afford full tuition. After a student has been accepted through the admission process, the Financial Aid Committee reviews completed financial aid files. Western Reserve Academy subscribes to the School and Student Service for Financial Aid (SSS), which assesses and helps to determine a family’s need for assistance based on income, assets and reasonable expenses. In addition to using SSS, we require your previous year’s tax returns and all applicable schedules, to help determine the level of need. After determining a manageable family contribution, the committee determines a financial aid award and sends the award along with the admittance packet.

Financial aid need and awards are recalculated every year using up-to-date information. If there is little change in a family’s circumstances, one can expect that grants will be renewed at similar levels plus the yearly tuition increase. If there are significant changes in a family’s situation, adjustments will be made.

Many factors affect award decisions, including a family’s income, assets and the number of children in tuition-charging schools. Qualification for financial aid from WRA can be determined only after a family has completed all the steps in the financial aid application process.

In cases of divorce or separation, WRA requires information from both natural parents and any step-parents. Each parent must complete and submit a Parents’ Financial Statement (PFS), the WRA supplemental financial aid form and a copy of their current IRS 1040 and all supporting schedules for individuals as well as corporations, small businesses and partnerships, W2s and 1099s. The family’s ability to contribute is based on both natural parents’ and any stepparent’s income and assets, bearing in mind responsibilities that stepparents may have for their own biological children.

There is limited financial aid available to international families. Families must complete and submit the SSS Form For International Families in order to be considered.