Tuition Assistance

Tuition assistance is JA’s need-based aid program. Among the largest schools in JA’s market, all offer tuition assistance. JA families can choose to complete a need-based application each year. Administered by the third-party service School and Student Services (SSS), this application determines if a family qualifies for financial assistance. If you’ve had a student apply to college, you are likely familiar with the FAFSA. JA uses a similar third-party service that determines the amount a family can afford for their JA education. JA’s need-based assistance is quite similar to that of independent schools both locally and nationwide, with schools using various third party vendors. Tuition assistance decisions are made only after a student is accepted and admitted at  JA through the admissions process. Tuition assistance is coordinated by the Business Office and operates separately from the Admissions Office. Families who ask about options for affordability or financial aid will be referred to the tuition assistance application.

Tuition assistance makes a JA education more affordable for a broader range of families and can assist full-pay families who are facing a season of unexpected financial challenges. The revenue provided by families whose tuition is discounted through tuition assistance (based on their ability to pay as determined by the third-party financial vendor) strengthens the school and its programs for everyone enrolled. For example, schools have certain fixed costs, such as buildings, faculty, and upkeep that are necessary regardless of the number of students enrolled. To admit additional mission-appropriate students whose family can pay 90, 80, 70 or 60 percent of tuition helps cover those fixed costs and is more beneficial than not enrolling them at all. Unless JA is at capacity at every grade level with families who pay full tuition, tuition assistance makes sense for the JA community: it makes a JA education accessible to mission-appropriate families who might not otherwise be able to attend, and it helps keep tuition increases lower than they otherwise would be through the net tuition revenue that is generated from tuition assistance. Without this family-supplied revenue, the school would not have the extensive programs and long-tenured faculty with advanced degrees it has today. The school would be smaller, offer less programming, have reduced operating funds, and this would result in higher costs for all families.

Any family may apply for tuition assistance for students in grades K-12th grade.  The only exception is that tuition assistance is not provided to 12th grade students who are new to JA. Tuition assistance at Jackson Academy is a need-based aid program, based on the review of a third-party service, School and Student Services (SSS).  Families who apply for tuition assistance disclose financial information and details about their resources to the third-party service that evaluates the family’s ability to pay.  We understand family circumstances can change over time, and even for some full paying families, there are seasons of life in which they need help. If they qualify for tuition assistance, this may assist them in keeping their student(s) enrolled at JA.

Tuition assistance is completely separate from admissions and is coordinated by a different office. Students who have been fully accepted and admitted may apply for tuition assistance. The process involves submitting an application to the third party vendor (SSS). The third party analyzes the information submitted by the family and then tells the school the amount of demonstrated need for that student. If there are still funds in the tuition assistance budget, the school will attempt to get close to the demonstrated need of the family as determined by the third-party vendor, SSS. The school considers many factors that affect a family’s ability to pay, but it also must consider the resources available for the program in any given year. All tuition assistance applications and decisions are handled confidentially.

Yes, due to the fact that it is a need-based program, family needs change from year to year.  Each year families are required to reapply, and our third party vendor (SSS) evaluates each application to determine the demonstrated need for the family. Current families must be current in the Business Office and be eligible for re-enrollment before being considered for tuition assistance for the upcoming year.

The tuition assistance application will require families to submit financial information such as tax returns, W2s, 1099s and other information to determine the financial status of the family.  The application also asks for information pertaining to the family’s home, automobiles, and if they are paying for education at other institutions for other children of the family. All of this information goes into determining the demonstrated need of the family.  The need assessment from SSS is only based on tuition alone and no other fees charged, so it does not consider enrollment fees, consolidated fees, or family membership fees when it determines the amount of need. This information is submitted to the third party vendor which makes a recommendation to JA about a family’s ability to pay for independent education. The information is held in strict confidence with only the Tuition Assistance Coordinator having access to the records. Records may be supplied to the JA Tuition Assistance Committee if necessary to make a determination.

Families receive tuition assistance based on financial need. Academic, artistic, or athletic achievements are not determining factors in the qualification for need-based aid. The third-party service that defines a family’s contribution to tuition does not receive information about a student’s extracurricular activities or academic abilities.

There are students in grades K-12 who are on tuition assistance. In recent years, families with students who are on the Honor Council, honor roll, Cum Laude, valedictorian, salutatorian, or involved in extracurricular programming have a demonstrated financial need that qualifies them for tuition assistance. Below are percentages of students on tuition assistance based on their extracurricular activities (some may participate in arts and athletics).

Current 6th-12th Grade Breakdown of Students on Tuition Assistance:

• Arts: 28%
• Athletics: 28%
• Non-Arts/Non-Athletics: 32%

22% of JA’s student body is part of the tuition assistance program.

Tuition assistance discounts represent 10% of JA’s gross tuition, but 24% of gross tuition comes from tuition assistance families. This discount percentage is less than the SAIS (Southern Association of Independent Schools) average. Based upon available funds, JA attempts to get close to the demonstrated need of families as determined by the third-party vendor, SSS. The tuition paid by families receiving assistance helps make a JA education accessible to more students and contributes to keeping tuition lower for everyone.

Tuition assistance helps everyone.  For families not on tuition assistance, there are two main benefits to all families.  First, tuition assistance allows our student body to be larger than it would be otherwise and allows for JA programs to compete on the stages, fields, and courts.  Secondly, the net tuition revenue that the school receives from tuition assistance families helps keep everyone’s tuition lower than it would be if there were no tuition assistance program. Net tuition revenue is the income a school receives after a tuition assistance discount or a multiple child discount is applied, for example. On average, families could expect to see a 20% increase in tuition costs if JA did not have tuition assistance families in place.

JA does not offer athletic scholarships or merit scholarships.  JA does not offer scholarships for new students. The only scholarships available are endowed scholarships received by current JA students who have attended JA in the previous year or longer. Endowed scholarships exist because donors have created a scholarship in memory of or in honor of a loved one or as a way to recognize excellence among the student body. Each scholarship has specific criteria that the recipient must meet, such as a certain grade-point average, excellence in a particular academic discipline, demonstrated citizenship, or leadership.

Facts about JA’s scholarships:

• JA follows the criteria set by the donor for endowed scholarships.
• JA uses a committee-based structure that involves members of the faculty, administrators, and donors to select endowed scholarship recipients.
• Only currently-enrolled students are eligible for endowed scholarships at JA, not incoming students.
• JA applies the scholarship to tuition during the recipient’s next year.

Receiving tuition assistance based on demonstrated financial need is a private matter for families. JA holds the family’s financial information submitted to the third-party vendor in strict confidence. Sometimes families who receive tuition assistance refer to their tuition assistance as a “scholarship” either by error in terminology or sometimes because it avoids discussing the receipt of tuition assistance.

Every family contributes toward tuition, even those receiving tuition assistance. No student receives 100% tuition assistance. The tuition assistance provided is based on the recommendation of the third party vendor.

No, tuition assistance is need-based aid applied to tuition. Other fees such as extracurricular fees are not considered.

A limited amount of tuition assistance is available for families with demonstrated financial need; therefore, please apply as early as possible.  The determination of financial need is calculated by SSS – School and Student Services, an independent third party.  The criteria for applying for assistance include:

• Student must be accepted or enrolled at JA prior to applying for assistance. 
• Student must be in good standing, both academically and behaviorally. 
• Current families must be in good standing with the Billing Office.  
• There must be at least one earned income in the household to apply.  
• Families currently enrolled as full-pay families must provide written documentation of a significant change in financial condition that occurred after the time of enrollment to apply for assistance. (e.g., pink slip dated four months prior to applying (without re-employment), death certificate of income-producing family member)

To apply, create an online account at sssandtadsfa.my.site.com/familyportal using your email address and establishing a password. Jackson Academy’s SSS code is 4158.

If you have applied previously, simply log into your account and begin a file for the new school year.  If you forget your password, do not start a new account. Please call the Parent Helpline @ 800-344-8328 and they will help you to reset your password. Creating a new account causes you to lose historical data and your prior year tax documents will not be imported for you.

Create a Parent Financial Statement (PFS) by answering all questions as guided through the sections listed in the left margin of your SSS account. For help with the site prior to submitting your PFS, please call the Parent Helpline. 

Once you have answered all of the questions in the PFS, you will submit your application. There is a $60 fee charged by SSS that is non-refundable. The Tuition Assistance Coordinator is unable to view your file until it is submitted and the fee has been paid.

After submitting your PFS, you are given access to “My Documents” where you will upload the required tax documents. Please remove any security or password protection from your PDF files.

Tax Documents required:

• Form 1040 for the two most recent tax years
• Mississippi tax return
• W-2 forms
• 1099 forms, if applicable
• If you plan to file an extension, please upload your IRS extension to file form along with current year paystubs, W-2s, K-1, and 1099 forms, typically issued in January. Applications cannot be processed until all required tax documents are received.  Once the required documents have been uploaded, applications are typically processed within 5 to 7 business days.

The deadline to submit the application for returning students for the 2025-2026 school year was February 12. Deadlines are set in early December when the tuition assistance process for the next school year is opened. Newly accepted and admitted students should contact the Tuition Assistance Coordinator.

JA will communicate tuition assistance determinations via email.

SSS Parent Helpline:
800.344.8328

Jackson Academy:
Dawn Duncombe
Controller & Tuition Assistance Coordinator
601.362.9677
ddumcombe@jacksonacademy.org