Military School Info

Financial aid for military schools is an option for many. Private schools have costs similar to a college or university and military schools, aka military academy or military prep schools, are no exception. Learn about financial aid for military schools.

Military School Costs

The two substantial items in military school costs are tuition, on the one hand, and room and board, on the other. Costs for tuition can run into the $20,000 range. Costs for tuition and 7-day boarding can approach $40,000. Some of the additional costs can be fairly substantial, too. These added costs may include various registration fees, transportation, uniforms and their care, health insurance, and special fees for certain classes and for college testing and sending college applications. When considering how to finance a military school education, it’s important to calculate the entire cost. See the article “Boys Military School Cost” for more information.

Types of Financial Aid for Military Schools

Financial aid for Military Schools is offered both by the schools themselves and by outside organizations. There are certain tuition discounts that are widely offered by military schools. One of the perks of working for an educational institution that charges for tuition is usually some kind of break when it comes to enrollment of dependents. This can go under different names, but the general result is that you pay a good deal less. Sibling discounts are often offered for the second (or third, etc.) child enrolling at an institution.

Grants and scholarships often confuse people who are not familiar with them. Grants are need-based financial aid for which there is not a requirement to pay back. Scholarships are merit-based financail aid that need not be paid back. Military scholarships can be awarded for intellectual achievement, athletic abilities, artistic accomplishment, or other specific skills or abilities. All are options for financial aid for military schools but what is available will vary with each school.

Loans are similar to grants in being need-based, but dissimilar in requiring repayment. There is no set loan amount to apply for, and if you need $2,349, you generally don’t have to apply for $2,500. Military schools often offer a tuition payment plan - with or without interest being collected on the unpaid balance - that may obviate the need for a loan. It is also not unusual to find an incentive plan, structured so that if payment is made in full by a certain date, there is a considerable (sometimes over $1000) reduction in the total amount due.

Financial Aid for Military Schools Application Process

Although the application has often been a paper one, more and more military schools offer an online alternative. In addition to the school’s own financial aid forms, it is possible that other forms may have to be filled out to calculate eligibility for financial aid for military schools. These may include the Parents’ Financial Statement (PFS) offered by the School and Student Services division of NAIS (National Association of Independent Schools). There is a fee waiver program for those who cannot afford the application fee for the PFS.

Financial aid applications may be integrated into the admissions process or treated separately, and you may have to go looking on the military school website to find the information you need. If financial aid for military school is going to be crucial in your decision-making, make sure to explore the options well ahead of time. Some scholarships and other financial aid from outside parties may have deadlines prior to the admissions application deadline, so don’t operate on the idea of doing admissions applications first and worrying about financing afterwards. NAIS offers a list of scholarship organizations and if your state has a state-based non-profit student assistance organization - about half the states do - then they, too are likely to be able to provide assistance. Online searches and the financial aid office of the military school(s) to which applications are being sent are other likely sources of help. You should also know that - in some cases - financial aid is processed on a first come, first served basis, so get applications in early for that reason as well.

If you undergo a change in circumstances, it is possible to update your financial aid information. Contact the school for more information.

Sources

8.student-1.com

sss.nais.org