Riverdale Country School is committed to attracting and admitting a highly qualified student body with diverse talents, interests, and backgrounds. A commitment to financial aid enables the school to offer admitted students who might not otherwise have access to an independent school education the opportunity to enroll regardless of their financial circumstances. Students who receive financial aid and their families are important members of our school community. Financial aid is available in PreKindergarten through grade 12 and is offered to admitted students on the basis of financial need and the availability of funds. There are no financial aid awards based solely on merit. The financial aid evaluation is made independently of the admission decision and does not affect a candidate's eligibility for admission. No applicant is denied because of financial need.
For the 2011-2012 school year, more than $6.5 million has been awarded to approximately twenty percent of the student body (PreK-12). Financial aid grants range from $1,000 to $40,000 and the average financial aid grant is just over $29,000. Families receiving financial aid have a variety of incomes and financial profiles. The middle 50% of household incomes for families receiving financial aid this year range from $74,600 to $184,000. One quarter of families receiving financial aid earn less, and one quarter earn more. In addition to income, some of the factors used to determine financial aid include savings, investments, number of dependents, ages of parents, and number of children attending tuition-charging schools and colleges.
To ensure an equitable distribution of the financial aid budget, families applying for financial aid must submit the School and Student Service for Financial Aid (SSS) Parents' Financial Statement (PFS) and their previous year's federal tax return as well as the Riverdale School Supplemental Form. Assistance is based on the entire, unique financial picture of each family, taking into account a variety of factors. Each financial aid file is assessed individually. Applications for continued assistance must be filed annually.
FINANCIAL AID APPLICATION PROCESS
Please see the download below on the Riverdale Financial Aid Application Process to learn more. You can find answers to frequently asked questions on the School and Student Services website here. Please note that all steps in the process must be completed by December 15, 2011. If you have any questions, contact Sheila Hicks, Director of Financial Aid: (718) 519-2728 or shicks@riverdale.edu.