THINK YOU’RE NOT ELIGIBLE FOR HELP
PAYING FOR JEWISH DAY SCHOOL?
YOU MAY BE SURPRISED.
In 2022 the Samis Foundation established the Day School Affordability Initiative to make K-12 tuition for eligible Seattle-area Jewish day schools even more affordable. The initiative provides financial relief for families whose income is too high to qualify for traditional scholarships, but for whom day school tuition is still a real barrier given the many competing priorities they face.
The program ensures that for families who earn less than $350,000, tuition will not exceed $15,900/year per child or 15% of their Adjusted Gross Income (AGI) for the 2024-25 school year, whichever is lower.
Samis created this initiative to make Jewish day schools in the Seattle area more accessible to families who are juggling important financial priorities, and hope to give their children the unmatched, lifelong benefits that only Jewish day schools can provide.
Use the eligibility estimator
to see if you qualify.
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Day School Affordability Initiative FAQ
Jewish Day School Affordability grants are coordinated by each individual school. Once the Samis-supported school of your choice confirms that you’re eligible, your tuition is automatically reduced, and the Samis Foundation pays the difference directly to the school. To determine if the school of your choice is eligible for DSA grants, please visit Samis-supported Jewish day schools.
The Day School Affordability Initiative provides funds for families whose income may be too high to qualify for traditional scholarships, but for whom full tuition would represent more than 15% of their gross adjusted income. All families interested in a K*-12 Jewish day school education at any Seattle area Samis-supported school participating in DSA are encouraged to apply. You have nothing to lose, and a lifetime of Jewish connection to gain.
Want to know if your family qualifies? Find out in just minutes with this quick and anonymous eligibility estimator.
*Kindergarteners must be 5 by the Washington State, August 31st deadline to be eligible for DSA.
You will find Adjusted Gross Income (AGI) on line 11 of your 1040 tax return.
Yes! Both current and incoming day school families in participating Jewish day schools may be eligible to receive reduced tuition for the 2023-2024 school year. Grants may be renewed annually and there’s no limit on the number of years of eligibility. Check with the school of your choice to find out if they are participating in DSA. Want to know if your family qualifies? Find out in just minutes with this quick and anonymous eligibility estimator.
To apply for a Day School Affordability grant, contact the qualifying school of your choice. The school’s admissions officer will provide you with the simple checklist of documentation needed as part of the regular admissions process. In addition to submitting your tax return and W2s, you will be asked to complete a one page application that confirms your eligibility. Once your eligibility is confirmed, you will be notified by the school.
Eligibility is based on income plus the number of children you have in tuition-charging schools. The purpose of the cap is to ensure that families pay no more than $15,900 per student or 15% of your adjusted gross income (AGI) per year, whichever is less. It does not change if you have one, two, or three students enrolled.
By capping household tuition, the benefits of a Samis Day School Affordability grant grow with the number of children enrolled. For example, a family may find that the calculator sets their household tuition cap, based on percent of AGI, at $21,000. That is the annual total the family would pay at Samis-supported Jewish day schools. But the program also caps tuition at $15,900 per student, so here’s how costs would be calculated based on the number of children enrolled:
- With one child enrolled, the family would pay $15,900 regardless of the school’s standard tuition.
- With two children enrolled, tuition is $10,500 per student ($10,500 x 2 = $21,000).
- With three children enrolled, tuition is $7,000 per student ($7,000 x 3 = $21,000).
Yes. The one-page application will ask additional questions that may modify your family’s adjusted gross income. Day School Affordability will take into account parsonage, alimony, and child support that’s not on your tax return, tax-exempt interest, and retirement contributions in excess of $6,000 per participant as well as tuition paid at all schools, early childhood through college.
Your eligibility calculation is not affected by assets and liabilities such as your home’s value or mortgage.
You can expect Day School Affordability grants to be available throughout the years your student is enrolled in a qualifying Samis-supported Jewish day school in Washington State. Your family’s eligibility would not change if your financial situation remains consistent. The Samis Foundation has built in increasing levels of support to account for tuition increases each year.
The tuition support available to your family will be calculated based on your adjusted gross income (AGI) and number of children in any tuition-paying schools. This program provides tuition support for any child enrolled in an eligible Seattle-area Jewish day school.
For example, consider a family with 3 children in tuition-paying schools is eligible for a $37,500 tuition cap based on their AGI, but only one child attends a Samis-supported day school. In this case, the family pays just $12,500 for day school tuition (one-third of the cap). Tuition for the other children would be determined by their respective schools.
Day School Affordability grants are available for all Seattle-area and Washington State Jewish day schools supported by Samis and participating in DSA. Explore Jewish day school options in Washington State and check with the school to see if they are participating in DSA.
Day School Affordability grants are given to families whose adjusted gross income (AGI) may preclude them from traditional scholarships and are available to any family earning less than $350,000. If your family is already qualified for or currently receiving a scholarship from a Samis-supported Jewish day school in Washington State, you may find the Day School Affordability program results in lower tuition. The school will automatically calculate your tuition under Day School Affordability if you apply for a traditional scholarship and your tuition will be the lesser of the calculations.
All families applying for admission to Seattle-area Jewish day schools are invited to apply for financial aid. This form of aid is well established and is known as a traditional scholarship or Traditional Tuition Assistance (TTA).
Day School Affordability (DSA) grants are designed to help families whose income is often too high for TTA, and therefore would not have qualified for any form of assistance in the past. With these DSA new grants, Samis is working to relieve the burden on Jewish families who are juggling important competing priorities and want to give their children the lifelong benefits of a Jewish day school education.
Yes. The tuition cap is set to increase 3% per year. The 2023-2024 academic year tuition cap will be $15,450.
Day School Affordability grants are currently available for:
- Jewish Day School (JDS)
- MMSC Day School
- Northwest Yeshiva High School (NYHS)
- Seattle Hebrew Academy (SHA)
- Seattle Jewish Community School (SJCS)
Making Jewish Day Schools in the greater-Seattle area more affordable than ever
Recent studies of trends in Jewish day school tuition and participation rates show what Jewish parents have known for decades: The tuition at dual-curriculum Jewish day schools has grown too high, making them out of reach even for families who make what would ordinarily be considered a very comfortable income.