Tuition Assistance Process

Families requesting tuition assistance must demonstrate a financial need and file United States IRS tax documents. Nantucket Lighthouse School asks families applying for tuition assistance to complete a SmartAID Application online annually. Please note there is a SmartAID Application Fee of $35. SmartAID determines need using a formula that considers all areas of a family’s financial position.

SmartAID will process your information and notify Nantucket Lighthouse School with the results, which guide the Tuition Assistance Committee in determining grant qualification and the amount awarded.

On-time SmartAID applications without errors or omissions may positively affect your chance of receiving an award.

All tuition assistance applications and information are held in the strictest confidence.

Admissions decisions are made independently of tuition assistance awards

Questions?

For a conversation about our Tuition Assistance Program, kindly contact our Business Manager AdaRuth Waig at 508-228-0427 or awaig@nantucketlighthouseschool.org.

SmartAID Application Steps

Step 1: Please visit https://smartaidforparents.com and create an account by entering your primary email address as your username. SmartAID will use this email address to contact you if your application is “on hold” for missing documentation. You will receive a verification email once you create your username and password. After you click the verification link, you can log in.

The Nantucket Lighthouse School’s Smart School ID# is 14559.

Applications should be submitted on or before Monday, February 12, 2024.

Step 2:

Upload supporting documentation to SmartAID. Required supporting documentation includes:

• Most recent paystubs

• Most recent W-2 forms for all jobs

• Most recently filed federal tax returns with all schedules: 1040, 1040A, and 1040EZ

• Most recently filed business tax returns: 1120, 1120S, 1065 (if applicable)

• Supplemental income documentation such as Social Security income, Welfare, Food Stamps, Child Support, 1099-M Forms, Worker’s Compensation, Unemployment, Veteran’s Benefits, Housing Allowance, etc.

If you cannot provide any of the items mentioned above, please submit a special circumstance letter indicating which document(s) you cannot provide and why. This information will be shared with the school for consideration.

Please note, if parents file separately, both parents must submit their tax information.

In the case of divorce or separation, the assets of both parents are taken into consideration. Both custodial and non-custodial parents are required to fill out the PFS and submit the necessary tax documentation. When a parent has remarried, the assets of the stepparent may also be considered, bearing in mind the stepparent's obligation to their own children. The assets of the stepparent should also be included on the custodial parent PFS.

Step 3:

If you feel the SmartAID application does not fully capture your family's financial position, please send a letter to Nantucket Lighthouse School’s Tuition Assistance Committee. If you are a currently enrolled family, you may also list the ways in which you have participated in the fundraising and maintenance of the school. Letters may be sent to 1 Rugged Road or emailed to awaig@nantucketlighthouseschool.org.