affording SLOCA
Finances should not be a barrier to a great education. There are many ways to help pay for your tuition. If you want your family to be at SLOCA, we want to help you figure out how to make it happen!
affording tuition
financial aid
We realize that the cost of tuition can be a hardship for some families. Don’t let that stop you from enrolling—if you want to be here, we want you to be here. We have increased the amount of financial aid we offer and will continue to increase it, so please apply! A third party processes the applications and applicant information—there are only two people on our staff who can view financial aid applications and it is kept confidential. We do take into account special circumstances, such as job loss or significant medical bills if this is brought to our attention. We have always taken care of our families with financial needs and will continue to take care of them. Our desire is to figure this out with you!
- To apply: go to online.factsmgt.com/aid, create an account, and submit your application.
Please note: there is a $40 fee to apply and W-2 forms and tax returns are required to be submitted. - Applications for the following school year open in January. Determinations are made on a rolling basis beginning in April (we continue to accept applications throughout the school year).
work scholarship
Are you looking for ways to lower your tuition and get more involved on campus? We love it when parents work with us! Work scholarship positions work much like other jobs, except your pay goes directly towards your tuition, tax-free! In addition to work scholarships, we also have other job opportunities ranging from part to full-time. These positions allow you to be near your children on campus and make a difference in their education.
- Safety Team: Another way to help pay for SLOCA is working on our safety team.
- Work @ SLOCA: There are other available opportunities each year for work scholarship. Keep an eye out for available positions in our Job Openings page.
raise right (formerly scrip)
This program allows you to purchase gift cards where the companies give back a certain percentage to your school. We apply 75% of that percentage given back to the school directly to your tuition account to help pay for your tuition. This is a great way to help offset your tuition while paying your normal expenses. Family and friends can join in also!
529 college funds
Families in California can now withdraw up to $10,000 per student annually from their 529 college funds for K-12 tuition (per student). Talk to your tax professional about this option, we cannot advise on tax matters.
referral
Current families receive a $500 tuition credit for each newly enrolled family* they refer. And there is no limit to the number of families you can refer!
*referral credit does not apply to Tiny Wonders and year-round preschool
Last year, we had never applied for financial aid, and frankly, we didn’t think it would really help that much. The application is lengthy and involved, tedious at times. I wasn’t sure it was worth it, if we would even qualify, if it would even make a difference. We heard the leaders of the school say with earnest sincerity that they really wanted people here who wanted to be here, but we ourselves didn’t see a way forward. However, much to our delight and surprise the financial aid program helped provide a pathway for our family to spend another year at SLOCA. We hope that sharing how this program has impacted us will mean that more families can benefit from this resource… If increasing costs are a barrier to you, I encourage you to explore the financial aid and work scholarship programs.”
meeting your fundraising goals
Our tuition does not reflect the actual cost of attending school here—in fact, it only covers about 77% of the cost of doing business (aka, providing a beautiful education!). Fundraising isn’t for extra amenities, it’s for essential expenses, which is why we have a required per family fundraising goal. This has tax benefits for our families, allows them alternate ways to support our school, and brings our community into our shared goal of educating for life. To help our families reach this goal, we offer multiple ways for you to meet it! Here are a few:
