Financial Aid and FAQs

SYA follows Clarity guidelines to help determine each family’s estimated contribution toward independent-school education. Our Financial Aid Committee thoughtfully reviews every application alongside our available budget, and we are pleased to support approximately half of our students with financial aid.

While we cannot fund every request fully, we encourage families to apply so we can consider their needs with care.

We understand that your 2026 Income Tax Return may not be prepared by our application deadline. Therefore, we ask you to estimate your tax information on the Parents’ Financial Statement (PFS), submit the most recent tax return available and this year's W-2. 

Families that feel the financial aid award does not accurately represent their financial circumstances may request an appeal.  Appeals should include any new information or materials that may not have been factored into the original submission and determination. In order to initiate an appeal, parents should email the Financial Aid Committee (lhebert@sya.org) within seven days of their initial award. The Financial Aid Committee will then review the new materials and determine if an adjustment is warranted based on the new information.

 SYA allocates 100% of its financial aid budget when initial acceptance notifications are sent to provide families with the most complete view as to what their financial commitment would be.  Because of this, there are no FA funds held in reserve.  Any appeals that warrant a change in award are still dependent on initially distributed grants being returned to our FA pool.

Both parents are expected to contribute to their child's education. Financial aid is based on ability to pay, not willingness to pay. Therefore, both parents must participate in the financial aid process. Both must submit a Parents' Financial Statement and supporting tax documents to School and Student Services.

Families receiving need-based aid from their home schools normally qualify for aid from SYA. However, we cannot answer this question definitively without seeing your financial aid application. 

There are a number of other options available which may meet your needs. National Association of Independent Schools (NAIS) offers a list of vendors on their website. Additionally, Schools and Student Services (SSS) offers a list of scholarship programs.