Financial Aid

Financial Aid Links:

Click here to download a Financial Aid application. This application is in Adobe Acrobat format. To download a free version of Acrobat Reader click the icon below. To print the application, click on the printer icon within the Acrobat Reader window.

What is financial aid?

Financial aid is an outright grant that does not have to be paid back, which is used to offset the cost of Bullis tuition. Financial aid is given to families who show financial need, which is defined as the difference between the family’s resources and the child’s educational expenses. A standardized approach, used by Bullis and almost all other independent schools, determines this need. The service that processes the applications for financial aid is called the School and Student Service for Financial Aid (SSS).

Why do independent schools such as Bullis offer financial aid?

We offer financial aid because we believe that economic diversity is part of Bullis’s strength and definition. Financial aid is a common way independent schools try to make a great education more affordable so that all at the school to benefit from this diversity.

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Who qualifies for financial aid at Bullis?

All financial aid at Bullis is need based. Aid amounts are based exclusively on demonstrated financial need. We try to accommodate as many families as possible within the financial aid budget the Board approves each year.

Bullis expects that a family will have researched all of its own resources before coming to the school for financial aid. Since the school wants to give financial aid to the families that need it the most, we have to be able to assess the financial strength of each family applying for aid. To do this, many factors need to be considered. Some of these include: (1) income, both taxable and nontaxable; (2) assets (home equity, other real estate, savings, stocks, etc.); (3) number of dependents; (4) age of parent(s); and (5) number of children attending tuition-charging schools. We also consider a number of variables when making tuition aid awards: consumer debt, earning potential for spouse not employed outside the home, automobiles (fair market and/or lease value), recreational vehicles, second homes, vacation expenses and student travel/enrichment activities.

To assess financial need, we require each family requesting financial aid to annually: (1) fill out the Bullis Financial Aid Application and return it with the most recent I.R.S. Form 1040; and (2) complete a financial statement which is processed by SSS in New Jersey. SSS then mails Bullis a financial assessment which guides our Financial Aid Committee in evaluating applicants for aid. It is our policy to require all divorced and separated parents, custodial and non-custodial, to submit financial aid paperwork.

You may fill out the Parents’ Financial Statement (PFS) form on-line. The Web site address is: www.nais.org/financialaid/sss and we strongly encourage you use this new feature. Please note that you CANNOT download the form and mail it in. You must either apply on-line using a credit card or use the original Parents’ Financial Statement form that can be obtained by calling Bullis School.

  • Step 1. School and Student Service Process - Mail to them by February 1, 2008. Complete the Parents Financial Statement (PFS) either on-line with a credit card or send to Princeton with a check to:

    School and Student Service for Financial Aid
    Educational Testing Service
    P.O. Box 6657
    Princeton, NJ 08541-6657
    Customer Service Help Line (609) 771-7770

    Please note that the Bullis code is 1960. SSS conducts a financial assessment which guides the Financial Aid Committee in evaluating applicants for aid. They will mail the PFS results to Bullis approximately three weeks after they receive your form. It is essential that you complete the PFS as soon as possible in order for the Financial Aid Committee to receive the results in time for our first financial aid meeting.

  • Step 2. The Bullis School Process — Due by February 15, 2008
    Complete the Bullis Financial Aid application and return it with your most recent IRS 1040 and most recent W-2 tax forms with all schedules to:

    Financial Aid Office
    Bullis School
    10601 Falls Road
    Potomac, MD 20854

In the past, Bullis has awarded financial aid grants to approximately 85 students annually. The average grant size has been $13,000. While many of our financial aid grants are for students in our Upper School, grants are also awarded to students in our Lower and Middle Schools.

What else do I need to know about the financial aid process at Bullis?

Financial aid and admission decisions are made by separate committees. The Financial Aid Committee begins meeting in mid-February. It is important to have all paperwork into Bullis and SSS well in advance of this time. SSS takes approximately three weeks to process the material sent to them. While the financial aid determinations are made on a rolling basis after March, those families with all parts of the aid application process finished by the middle of February are in the best position to receive timely notification of the committee’s decision.

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Are there any special financial aid resources available?

The Bullis School proudly offers significant financial aid award opportunities each year. As part of these financial aid funds, Bullis supports the Blair Family financial aid awards and the Dorothy Proudfoot Crow Memorial Scholarship. Grants will be determined based on a family’s demonstrated financial need through the standard financial aid process.

Blair awards are given to those deserving students who qualify for financial need and who possess exceptional personal qualities and exceptional talents in academics, the arts and/or athletics. The Crow award is granted to an academically talented young woman entering the ninth grade who would not otherwise have the financial resources to attend Bullis.

For more information, please contact Timothy Simpson, Director of Financial Aid.

How do I find out more information about financing a Bullis education?

We offer a separate publication entitled “Affording a Bullis Education” which details various payment plans and financial options. Families interested in financial aid should notify the Admission Office. In addition, the Bullis financial aid form is available by clicking here. A Spanish-language worksheet for filling out SSS form is now available on the NAIS Web site. To download that form, go to www.nais.org, click on the “Admission and Financial Aid” tab and select “Financial Aid Services for Schools.” In addition, families may fill out the SSS form on-line through the NAIS Web site. Go to www.nais.org for more information.

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