Tuition, Financial Aid, Scholarships, Loan Options, & Transportation Reimbursement

Any student who is currently enrolled, or has submitted a completed admissions application, may apply for Financial Aid.

An independent school education is an investment in your child's future. It is also a significant financial commitment. New students and re-enrollees must file for financial aid each year in order to be considered for financial aid each year. The Blackbaud Financial Aid (SmartAid) system opened for the 2023-24 academic year on October 5, 2022. The financial aid award is need-based and is determined by the Blackbaud Financial Aid system. An application is not considered complete until all required documentation is submitted and verified by Blackbaud SmartAid. All parents/guardians responsible for the financial support of the students must upload their tax return information in order to be considered for financial aid. The due date for the financial aid application is December 5, 2022. Allow enough time between document submission to SmartAid and verification of the information by SmartAid. Once SmartAid verifies the application, the Financial Aid Committee determines the financial aid award and an award letter, if financial aid is granted, is sent to the family by the Treasurer’s Office. The financial aid pool is a limited resource and is distributed based on need, on a first come, first serve basis. Too often parents will dismiss the idea of investigating an independent (private) school, rushing to the notion that it will be too expensive.  However, MSDA offers financial aid and scholarships to those families who qualify.  There is not a single income cap set by schools as each family has a different financial profile.

See scholarship details and other outside resources listed on this page that may be available to assist with tuition.

Any questions or concerns, reach out to the Chief Financial Officer, Terry Pappan at 973-226-0660 x1113 or tpappan@msdacademy.org.

Families seeking financial aid must file a separate Financial Aid Application through Blackbaud Account. A personal statement explaining why the financial aid is needed is required. Incomplete applications will not be processed. The priority deadline is Monday, December 5, 2022. Applications will continue to be accepted until funds are exhausted. Our school code for Smart Aid is 14619. 

Apply

Financial Aid is strictly financial need-based. Applications are reviewed by a committee. New students who complete the financial aid application process by December 2, 2022 will be notified by January 13, 2023. Families who complete the financial aid process after December 5, 2022 will be notified on a rolling basis.

Financial aid awards must be accepted by parents/guardians in a signed agreement. A financial aid application must be submitted annually. The student is required to maintain satisfactory academic achievement for award renewal.

For more information, contact MSDA Finance at tpappan@msdacademy.org.

Parents/Guardians of students in grades Pre K-12 from low income families currently or planning to enroll in a private or parochial school located within Bergen, Essex, Hudson, and Union counties are eligible to apply.

The SFIC partial-tuition application is available at sficnj.org/parent-student-portal.

MSDA is pleased to partner with Tri-County Scholarship Fund.  The mission of Tri-County is to provide partial scholarships to K-12th grade students who demonstrate financial need. The average income of a Tri-County family is $30,000. Families who would like to be considered for an award must complete the application and submit all required documents.  Click here for the application.  For more information about Tri-County visit: www.tcsfund.org.