The Financial Aid Process
Penn Charter supplies families interested in applying for financial aid with a copy of the most recent Parents' Financial Statement (PFS) from the School and Student Service. However, it is also possible and we encourage you to access and fill out the PFS form online at https://sss.ets.org/pfsHome.do. Completing the form online can speed up the processing considerably. You will need to complete this application form by mail or online, if you want to apply for financial aid. Please refer to our tips on completing the PFS for helpful advice.

Once you are clear that you wish to apply for financial aid, follow the steps outlined below.

1. Complete the "Parents' Financial Statement" as soon as possible. If mailing, send the original to the School and Student Service for Financial Aid and a copy to Allan Brown, Penn Charter's director of financial aid. (No copy needed, if done online.) Estimate financial data where necessary, but get this completed as soon as possible because grants are made on a first-come, first-served basis.

2. As soon as possible, send directly to Allan Brown at Penn Charter:
a) a copy of your most recent tax return and all schedules (likely 2005)
b) a copy of your final pay stub for 2006
c) if you anticipate a marked difference between your anticipated income from 2006 as compared with 2005, then a note of explanation would be helpful.

3. The Financial Aid office requires a copy of your 2006 tax return and W2s along with all schedules as soon as possible, although the office will make a decision based on the information available at the time of admissions. However, we reserve the right to review any grant upon receipt of your 2006 return. (If filing electronically, you must submit paper printouts of tax forms.)

If financial aid forms are not complete at the time of the admission decision, a family may need to accept the space offered by signing the enrollment contract and returning it with the required deposit before being informed of the financial aid decision. However, your deposit is refundable, if you feel the grant is insufficient and you respond in a timely fashion. The Financial Aid Committee meets regularly, starting in January, to act on completed aid applications. Therefore, it is to your advantage to have all the forms sent to SSS and to Allan Brown at Penn Charter as soon as possible, so that we can act promptly on your request as soon as a decision on admissions has been made.

Should you have any questions regarding any aspect of the financial aid program, please contact Director of Financial Aid Allan Brown at ext. 147 or abrown@penncharter.com.