Tuition Assistance at Community Partnership School

At Community Partnership School, we are committed to making our program accessible to all families, regardless of their financial circumstances. We believe that financial constraints should never be a barrier to a child's education. Our tuition assistance program is designed to support families in affording the enriching and transformative experience we offer.

CPS raises the majority of funding for our students’ tuition through our Advancement Office’s various philanthropic efforts. Still, each family is required to invest what they are able into their students’ academic experience. 

 

Understanding Tuition Assistance

Our tuition assistance program is need-based and aims to bridge the gap between the cost of tuition and what a family can reasonably afford to pay. We use a confidential and standardized assessment process to evaluate each family’s financial situation, ensuring a fair and equitable distribution of aid.

Community Partnership School has partnered with Clarity to determine a families financial need. We use the Clarity application to determine your family’s level of financial need based on the information you share on the application, including assets, income, expenses, and debts. 

To get started, please go to the Clarity Application and create an account. The application typically takes less than 30 minutes to complete. The Clarity Application is also mobile-friendly so you can complete it from anywhere. You are also able to save your progress and return at any time. At the end of the application, there is a $60 fee to submit, and you can share your application with additional schools that accept the Clarity Application for no additional charge. Simply use the dropdown menu in the application to select those schools.

Please remember to return to your dashboard after you complete and submit your Clarity Application, as Community Partnership School may require you to submit additional documentation which is outlined in the drop down menu below.

 

Families new to CPS who would like to be considered for a first-round review should submit a Clarity application by January 5, 2025.

Families who miss this deadline should still submit an application. Since CPS is committed to making our program accessible to all, our financial aid application remains open until we are fully enrolled in each grade.

 

  • At Community Partnership School, we are committed to accessibility regardless of an individual family’s financial circumstances. As such, all families pay a program cost (aka “tuition”) based on where their financial resources fall within our variable pricing structure. Tuition assistance is designed to ensure affordability so that financial support is commensurate with demonstrated need. All families complete a tuition assistance application as part of the enrollment process.

  • All applications require Income Tax Returns (Form 1040 or equivalent). Please include copies of the most recent tax year returns, for each adult on the application. In the case that you do not file taxes, you will be asked to provide additional documentation.

    Additional required documents, if recorded for applicants or their households:

    • Incomes from the most recent tax year, commonly on W-2 or 1099 forms.

    • Social Security Benefits summary, if distributed to an applicant or dependent

    • Child Support, received or paid.

    • Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP).

    • Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF)

    • Custody Arrangement Documents: In cases where parents or guardians do not live together or share financial responsibilities due to documented custody arrangements, include relevant legal documents outlining the custody arrangement and specifying which parent or guardian is financially responsible.

  • Our policies regarding tuition assistance aim to fairly assess each family's financial situation. Therefore, it is our policy to consider the financial contributions of both parents/guardians to best understand a student's financial need. We understand that each family's situation is unique, and, in some cases, parents may prefer to submit their financial aid application together, while others may wish to submit as individuals. We respect your privacy and offer you the flexibility to choose the option that best suits your circumstances.

    CPS treats applications with the utmost privacy and confidentiality. Our intention is to support all eligible families in accessing the education we offer while maintaining fairness and integrity in our assessment process.

    Below are some options to consider for submitting financial information:

    Submission as a Couple (Joint Application):

    If you and your spouse or partner are comfortable sharing your financial information with each other and prefer to submit a joint financial aid application, you may do so. Joint applications are designed for families who are willing to combine their financial details for the purpose of assessing financial need.

    Submission as Individuals (Separate Applications):

    We recognize that there may be situations where parents/guardians do not want to share their financial information with each other. In such cases, you have the option to submit separate applications. Each applicant can provide their individual financial information for consideration.

    Submission as Single-Parent/Guardian:

    If there is only one parent/guardian legally responsible for an applicant, we require official documentation, such as custody agreements, to waive the tuition assistance application requirement for the second parent/guardian. This documentation is essential for us to ensure fairness and compliance with our policies.


  • We require that families inform the school about their Children's Scholarship Fund Philadelphia (CSFP) application status when submitting their financial aid application. This information is vital for us to comprehensively evaluate available resources for your family.

    Reporting your CSFP application status is essential for us to accurately assess your financial need and determine the best financial aid package for your family. By coordinating this information, we can make the application process more efficient and minimize any potential delays in processing your financial aid request.

    Advisory on Second Round or Late CSFP Awards:

    If you are granted a second round or late CSFP award after you have submitted your initial financial aid application, it is your responsibility to inform the school as soon as you receive this notification. Reporting this information promptly is vital to help us recalculate your financial aid award based on your updated financial circumstances.

    We want to ensure that your financial support reflects the latest information on your available resources.

    When you report a second round or late CSFP award, our financial aid team will initiate a recalculation of your financial aid package based on the updated information. This ensures that your financial aid award aligns with your current financial situation.

    If you fail to report the award promptly, your financial aid package may not accurately reflect your updated financial circumstances. We strongly encourage you to report any changes as soon as they occur.


  • Quick Reference Guide

    Step by Step Application Guide