Financial Aid
Financial Aid Program
Lincoln School seeks to enroll a diverse and talented student body from Nursery–Grade 12 *, and Lincoln’s strong commitment to its financial aid program supports this mission. Lincoln believes that qualified students should have the opportunity to attend an independent school regardless of their family's financial situation.
*Please note that no financial assistance is available for the Little School.
Typically, more families apply for financial assistance than can be funded in the first round of admission decisions. In the event that funds become available later, some applicants on the waitlist might then become eligible for financial aid assistance.
Financial Aid Deadline information:
- Currently enrolled Lincoln students:
December 1, 2019 - New applicants for admission:
December 31, 2019
Financial Aid Notification of decisions:
- Currently enrolled Lincoln students:
at time of re-enrollment, January 2020 - New applicants for admission:
at time of admission notification
Applying for Financial Aid
SSS (School & Student Services), an independent organization partnered with NAIS (the National Association of Independent Schools), processes Lincoln’s financial aid applications. Based on the financial information you provide in the online application, SSS estimates the amount your family can contribute to educational expenses and shares this with the school to help make fair and objective financial aid decisions. To begin your financial aid application, follow the steps outlined below.
Step 1
Visit sss.nais.org.
Step 2
Click on the prompt to begin your Parents’ Financial Statement (PFS). If you have more than 1 child at (or applying to) Lincoln School, you need only complete one PFS.
Please note you do not have to complete the PFS in one sitting. You will be given a password so you can save your PFS and return to finish it at another time.
Step 3
Follow the instructions you are provided regarding uploading required financial documents (federal tax returns, W-2 forms, etc.). You will be prompted to submit and pay for your application prior to being able to upload tax documents.
Your documents will be handled with the highest level of security. To read more about SSS’s document security, visit sss.nais.org.
For assistance in completing the Parent Financial Statement (PFS):
Parent Financial Statement Workbook and Instructions | English Version | Spanish Version
SSS Customer Service | (800) 344-8328 | Monday through Friday, 9 a.m.– 8 p.m. | Saturday, 9 a.m. – 4 p.m. | sss@nais.org
Billing or FACTS questions | contact the Business Office at businessoffice@lincolnschool.org.
Lincoln Financial Aid Program Questions | contact Sue Farnum, Director of Admission and Financial Aid
| sfarnum@lincolnschool.org or 401-331-9696 ext. 3153
Financial Aid FAQ's
- How is need-based eligibility and aid determined?
- Does financial aid need impact my child’s chances of being admitted?
- How is aid determined for parents who are divorced, separated, or were never married?
- What kind of aid is awarded?
- When should I apply for aid?
- Do I need to apply for aid every year? Is my aid renewable?
- When are tuition and fees due?
- Are there payment plans available?
- When are financial aid awards made available?
- Are there conditions of financial aid awards?
How is need-based eligibility and aid determined?
To determine need, Lincoln’s Financial Aid Committee utilizes the services of the NAIS School and Student Service for Financial Aid (SSS) in Princeton, NJ at sss.nais.org. An analysis of the financial need of a family is computed based on the income, assets, and household information of both biological or adoptive parents by SSS. A review of this report, supporting financial documents, and special circumstances is reviewed in the context of Lincoln School’s aid policy and other information that may be available. The Financial Aid Committee is responsible for all award decisions.
Does financial aid need impact my child’s chances of being admitted?
The Admissions Committee makes determinations regarding admission without knowledge of who may have applied for financial aid. However, there is no guarantee that a student will receive financial aid if admitted, as the amount of aid depends on (1) the family’s eligibility and (2) the amount of funds available.
Typically, more students qualify for admission and financial aid than can be funded in Lincoln’s initial financial aid application process (deadline: December 31). In these cases, students may be placed on a wait list. In the event of additional funds later becoming available, some students who were wait listed may subsequently be offered admission with financial aid awards.
How is aid determined for parents who are divorced, separated, or were never married?
The expectation is that both parents contribute to the cost of education for their child to the extent of their ability. Both parents should complete a separate Parent Financial Statement (PFS) found at sss.nais.org.
If there are extenuating circumstances regarding the noncustodical parent, please contact Sue Farnum, Director of Admission and Financial Aid, at sfarnum@lincolnschool.org to provide more details.
What kind of aid is awarded?
When should I apply for aid?
Do I need to apply for aid every year? Is my aid renewable?
Every family must apply for financial aid each year as our financial aid is awarded based on the current year financial situation of a family. However, if a family's financial circumstances remain essentially the same from year to year, one may expect to receive a similar amount of financial assistance. A significant change in a family's financial situation may result in a change in a family’s financial aid eligibility and aid offered.
When are tuition and fees due?
New students to Lincoln: An enrollment fee of $500 per student is due – along with a signed enrollment contract– to accept an offer of admission and hold a space in the class.
Returning students: The re-enrollment fee ($500 per student) is due with a signed re-enrollment contract by early February of each year for the year ahead.
There are 3 options for paying tuition (see below). First payments are due in July prior to the school year.
Are there payment plans available?
Lincoln School offers three different options to pay annual tuition: a one-time payment, a two-time payment, or a ten-month installment payment plan through FACTS. Although Lincoln does not accept cash or credit card payments for tuition and fees directly, credit card payments can be arranged through FACTS. Billing questions should be directed to the Business Office at businessoffice@lincolnschool.org.