Friends of Cocoons

Friends of Cocoons

Scholarship Criteria & Application Procedure

(2011-2012 school year)

All requests for financial assistance are reviewed confidentially by the Friends of Cocoons Scholarship Committee. Children/grandchildren of an officer or director of Friends of Cocoons and children/grandchildren of employees or owners of Cocoons Day School are not eligible for assistance from this program.

Please note that the Friends of Cocoons Scholarship Committee does not make admission decisions. Families must follow the general admissions requirements and procedures set by Cocoons Day School.

The Scholarship Committee utilizes the following two-part criteria when reviewing requests for financial assistance:

1. Financial Need.

In order to assure each family that their request for financial assistance is being treated objectively and professionally, we use an independent assessment service for determining financial need. Families who wish to apply for financial assistance are asked to complete a “Parents’ Financial Statement” form. This form is then forwarded to an independent assessment service which evaluates that information and provides us with a quantitative assessment of that family’s ability to pay. Scholarships may be awarded for an amount up to the difference between the applicable program tuition and that family’s ability to pay. However, in no event will the scholarship amount exceed one-half of the applicable program tuition. The assessment of financial need is made annually and, therefore, an application for financial assistance must be made each school year.

AND

2. Educational Benefit.

The Scholarship Committee also assesses the educational benefit that any particular applicant for financial assistance would likely receive from attendance at Cocoons Day School. In order for the Scholarship Committee to make that assessment, we ask that each family submit a brief statement describing your child and explaining why you believe that he or she would benefit from attending Cocoons Day School as opposed to an alternative program.

All of the following scholarship application materials must be filed by Friday, February 4, 2011.

· Parents’ Financial Statement (PFS) completed on-line or mailed directly to the School and Student Service for Financial Aid (SSS).

The PFS may be completed on-line at http://sss.nais.org. There is a minimal filing fee that must be paid by credit card. This is the most efficient way to submit your information to SSS for processing.

Alternatively, you may complete a hard copy of the PFS and mail it directly to SSS. If you would prefer to mail in your PFS, we have a limited number of blank forms available. Blank forms can be obtained at Cocoons Day School (on Granny’s stove in the kitchen) or by contacting Sarah Koh, Cocoons Day School financial administrator. Be sure to include a check for the filing fee payable to SSS when you mail your PFS or it will be returned to you.

If you are unable to pay the filing fee, please let us know. We have a limited number of fee waivers available.

Please retain a copy of the PFS to be submitted to the Scholarship Committee along with your other application materials.

· Application materials to be submitted to the Scholarship Committee:

1. Signed copy of the PFS

2. Written statement regarding educational benefit

3. Signed copy of 2009 Form 1040, including all schedules (for verification purposes). Please note that you must submit a signed copy of your 2010 Form 1040, including all schedules, by February 28, 2011.

Application materials may be mailed (again, postmarked by February 4th) to Friends of Cocoons, 35 Heath Road, Kennebunk, ME 04043. Alternatively, application materials may be dropped off at Cocoons Day School by placing the application materials in the box marked “Friends of Cocoons” on Granny’s Stove in the kitchen.

We do not want the application process to be burdensome to you! Please let us know if you have any questions or concerns by either leaving a message in the box on Granny’s stove or by contacting Sarah Koh, Cocoons Day School financial administrator. A member of the Scholarship Committee will then contact you.

Note: In case of divorce or separation, both parents are required to submit all necessary financial information regardless of the legal or personal relationship between them (i.e. each household must submit a PFS). If a parent has remarried or has a domestic partner, we will consider the resources of the step-parent/partner, bearing in mind the obligations that individual may have to his or her own natural children.