FINANCIAL AID Frequently Asked Questions

A. Decisions regarding admission and financial aid will be sent out together on March 17, 2011.

A. Yes. Financial aid is awarded for one year, so we will evaluate your financial need on an annual basis.

A. No. All of our financial aid awards are based solely on demonstrated financial need.

A. Admission decisions and financial aid decisions are made separately. However, while we do have a sizeable financial aid budget, it is finite. Given that UHS has more qualified students applying for financial aid than we have the means to fund, it is likely that some applicants will be placed on a financial aid wait list.  Our financial aid process is based on the assumption that families are applying for aid only after having explored other possible means of meeting educational expenses, so we do not expect to admit a student from the financial aid waitlist if his or her family later chooses to pay full tuition.

A. UHS is unlikely to grant financial aid to a student who enrolls without financial aid unless his or her family experiences an unforeseeable, financial hardship after enrollment. If you are counting on gifts from relatives, it is important to discuss with them whether they can maintain that help over your four years at UHS.

A. Both parents must complete a financial aid application. UHS believes strongly that parents have an ethical obligation to pay for their child's education to the extent possible; we cannot be bound by a decree or other agreement that specifies or limits a parent’s responsibility for educational expenses. If either parent has remarried we will consider the income of the stepparent, keeping in mind the obligation of that stepparent to his or her other children. If either parent lives with another adult, we may consider the assets and income of that person, depending on the circumstances. We do not share the financial information of one parent with the other. If financial aid is awarded, UHS leaves it to parents to decide how to divide the responsibility of paying tuition.

A. The financial aid process for students who live with a guardian will be determined on a case-by-case basis. However, if the parents are claiming the applicant on their tax return, the parents must complete a financial aid application.

A. Please include a letter with your 2009 tax return explaining the special circumstances (such as a missing parent or one who has not provided support and has not been in contact with the family for a lengthy period of time). We look at each case individually, and we make every effort to be sensitive to particular family circumstances. To be fair to all of our students, we base our financial aid decisions on demonstrated need rather than willingness to pay.