Approximately 20% of the student body receives financial aid. Tuition grants, awarded for demonstrated need, average 80% of tuition (approx. $31,760 this year). Families from a wide range of income levels have qualified for assistance based on individual family circumstances, and Harvard-Westlake strives to meet 100 percent of demonstrated need for each student it enrolls.
First, consider the true cost of an independent school education. Tuition in 2020-21 is $41,300. This means roughly $45,000 including books, lunches, transportation, and other costs.
Calculate your ability to cover these costs. If you are counting on gifts from relatives, it is important to discuss with them whether or not they can maintain that help over the course of your child’s career at Harvard-Westlake. Loans are not advisable for secondary education.
If you think you might need financial aid, the time to apply is during the admission process.
The financial aid application process, although separate and distinct, runs concurrently to the admission application process. Be sure to note that the deadline for new applicants is January 15, 2021 at 11:59 p.m. PST. Visit our How to Apply for Financial Aid page for more information.
Harvard-Westlake is committed to admitting and enrolling as many qualified students as we can. Though we do have a sizable financial aid budget, it is finite. Because we have more qualified applicants than we have the means to fund, our current reality is that we do not have the resources to fund all applicants.
No. When a family submits a “full-pay” application to Harvard-Westlake, this communicates that the family will be capable of covering all educational costs for the upcoming year and the foreseeable future. The school budgets accordingly and commits its limited financial aid funds to other families. Although Harvard-Westlake maintains modest emergency funds for families that request aid subsequent to admission, those funds are strictly reserved for families that encounter dramatic, unforeseeable financial reversals after matriculation. No funds are available for families with pre-existing needs not disclosed at the time of admission. Because the financial aid budget is finite and assistance often spans multiple years, the school does not award aid to families who did not apply for aid at the time of admission, except, as noted, in the case of dramatic, unforeseeable financial reversals. If such financial crises occur during the application process families should notify the financial aid office immediately.
The Financial Aid Committee uses the School and Student Services (SSS) website as the basis for its determination of what a family is expected to contribute toward educational expenses. The SSS methodology takes into consideration such things as taxable and non-taxable income, assets and investments, and makes allowances for things such as daily living expenses. The formula also considers family size and the number of children attending tuition-charging schools. We also account for factors relevant to living in Los Angeles and attending Harvard-Westlake. The Harvard-Westlake Financial Aid office makes all final decisions on grants.
We believe all parents have an obligation to contribute to their children’s education. We cannot be bound by the assertion that one parent has disclaimed legally or otherwise any responsibility for educational expenses. If either parent has remarried, we will consider the income and assets of the step-parent, keeping in mind the obligation of that step-parent to their children. If either parent lives in a household with another adult, we may consider the assets of that person.
Requests to not consider a missing parent need to be confirmed by a third party, usually associated with the court.
We believe that families bear the primary responsibility for the education of their children, therefore we expect both parents to contribute to the cost of tuition. If a parent is not working for pay, additional income equal to tuition will be imputed into the tuition calculation. This policy attempts to account for income a parent could earn by choosing to work.
Exceptions to this policy may occur if a parent is caring for a child not yet of school age, a child with a disability, a seriously ill child, parent, or grandparent, or if a parent is disabled and cannot work. Each application is evaluated individually.
You must apply for aid at the time the younger sibling applies for admission. The financial aid application must be for both children, and if the younger child is admitted and you qualify for aid, both children will receive the same tuition grant.
Other K-12 and undergraduate tuitions you pay are figured into our calculations of need, but in order to receive aid from us you must apply for aid at all schools your children attend. We do not consider graduate school tuition while calculating a financial aid grant.
In addition to the tuition grant, financial aid covers all required materials and activities (including trips) for classes, athletic teams, and school-sponsored groups. All students on aid receive a $1,300 draw account for use in the cafeteria and school bookstore at the student’s discretion. The school also provides full or partial support for computers. Families on aid are also eligible for partial transportation costs. The financial aid office also supports “seasonal’ costs such as Homecoming, student dances and formals, and senior year special items. Need-based funds for Harvard-Westlake summer school, external travel-study trips, and various academic and leadership programs are also available. We believe that all students on aid should participate fully in the life of the school. On average, the school allots $6500 of supplemental aid per student per year.
Families who receive financial make ten tuition payments from July to April at no additional charge.
No. We do not give academic, athletic, or other merit scholarships. Financial aid at Harvard-Westlake is completely need-based.
Yes. All families will file a new Parents’ Financial Statement on the School and Student Services web site where new tax documents are also filed. The school evaluates financial aid awards annually.
Tuition grants are announced with acceptance notices in March. The grant amount and detailed information will be included in the online contract.
Please contact us!
Greg Gonzalez
Director of Financial Aid
818-487-6607
Marian McCorry
Associate Director of Financial Aid
818-487-6605