Application Process
How can my family qualify for a scholarship?
How do I apply?
What is the difference between a Pre-Application and a full application?
What is the deadline to apply for a scholarship?
Can my child/ren enroll in any school?
When will I find out if my child will receive a CSF scholarship?
Why do I have to register at a private school before I find out if my child will receive a scholarship?
How much is a scholarship? How are scholarship amounts calculated?
What costs will my scholarship cover?
If awarded a scholarship, when do I receive the money?
What happens after the first year? Will my scholarship continue?
Transferring Scholarships
I want to move my child to another private school in New York. Can I keep my scholarship?
I am moving out of New York City. Can I keep my scholarship
Other Questions For Current Scholarship Families
What is the Scholarship Verification Report (SVR) process?
Can scholarships be placed on hold?
What happens next year? Will my scholarship continue?
What happens after 8th grade?
My child has to repeat a grade. Can he still use the scholarship?
Financial Information Questions
What financial information does CSF need?
What if my children are not listed on my tax form?
What if I did not file taxes last year?
General Tips To Remember
How can my family qualify for a scholarship?
To be eligible for a new Teddy Forstmann scholarship, children must be entering Kindergarten for the first time OR entering 1st-8th grades and coming from a public school (report card is required). Also, your family income must fall within guidelines established by the Federal School Lunch Program. See below for maximum eligible incomes by household size for the 2023-24 school year and please note each scholarship is calculated based on your family’s income, household size, and the tuition for your child at your chosen school:
|
*Maximum Income Based on Total Annual 2022 Income |
|
|
Household size (including adults and children) |
Maximum Eligible Income |
|
Two |
$49,437 |
|
Three |
$62,181 |
|
Four |
$74,925 |
|
Five |
$87,669 |
|
Six |
$100,413 |
| Seven |
$113,157 |
| Eight |
$125,901 |
| For Each Additional Family Member |
Add $12,744 |
How do I apply?
First, find the CSF participating private schools you want to apply to and check their preferred scholarship application process. Please note: for some schools, you will need to apply directly through the school. For most other schools, you will complete an online pre-application to determine your eligibility and enter your contact information.
If you complete the online pre-application and are eligible, you will be invited via email to submit a full online application. You will be required to submit financial documents (1040 tax form and/or other proof of income), choose a CSF participating school, and register your child at the school before your CSF scholarship can be calculated and awarded. If you apply directly through a school, school administrators will work with you to complete your application and gather the required documents.
For all families, regardless of your application process, CSF will notify you with a decision of your child’s scholarship award.
What is the difference between a Pre-Application and a full application?
The Pre-Application is the first step in applying. You will be asked to create an online account with CSF and provide contact information and basic facts about your child and family income to determine your eligibility. If/when you are invited to submit a full application, you will be asked to select your desired school and provide more detailed information including your federal tax form and any other income documentation. Remember, if your child is entering 1st -8th grades, you will be asked to submit a public school report card.
What is the deadline to apply for a scholarship?
There is no deadline. Scholarships are awarded on a rolling basis until funding is exhausted. Therefore, we encourage you to complete your application as soon as possible.
Can my child/ren enroll in any school?
The school must be a participating school with CSF. For a list of participating schools, please visit our website at https://nyc.scholarshipfund.org/application/. If you are unhappy with your child’s school for any reason, it is possible to transfer the scholarship to another participating school.
When will I find out if my child will receive a CSF scholarship?
After you have completed your full application, CSF will confirm with the participating school the tuition amount and that your child is registered at the school. Please allow 6-8 weeks for application processing. CSF will notify you by email or mail with confirmation of your child’s scholarship award.
Why do I have to register at a private school before I find out if my child will receive a scholarship?
Since scholarship amounts are calculated based on your family income, household size, and tuition, we need confirmation from your child’s school that your child is registered and the tuition amount charged before we can calculate your scholarship.
How much is a scholarship? How are scholarship amounts calculated?
Families receive varying scholarship awards based on the family’s income, household size, the school’s tuition cost, and other non-CSF financial aid. The maximum scholarship award in 2023-24 is $3,400, and the average scholarship award is $2,446.
Please note: All CSF families are required to pay some portion of tuition. Families are required to contribute a portion of their tuition. This year, the average CSF family in New York pays $3,147 towards tuition.
What costs will my scholarship cover?
CSF scholarships are used to pay for tuition at a private or parochial school. Scholarships cannot be used to pay for registration fees, school uniforms, afterschool programs, or other non-tuition costs.
If awarded a scholarship, when do I receive the money?
Families do not receive checks from CSF. The schools receive payments twice a year (in the Fall and Spring) directly from CSF. Prior to each payment, schools must verify that students have a 90% attendance rate and that each family is up to date on tuition payments.
What happens after the first year? Will my scholarship continue?
Our goal is to extend all scholarships through 8th grade, depending on the availability of funding and your family’s continuing eligibility. Scholarships do not automatically roll over to the next school year. Families must requalify each year by submitting their most recent financial documents. CSF contacts families by email about how to requalify in late winter or early spring every year.
I want to move my child to another private school in New York. Can I keep my scholarship?
It may be possible to transfer your child’s scholarship. Follow these steps:
- Contact the Children’s Scholarship Fund at (212) 515-7137 to let us know you want to switch schools. If a transfer is possible, the old school will complete an Exit Confirmation Form. This will tell us the last date the student attended the old school and show that you have no outstanding debts at the old school.
- The new school will complete a School Commitment form confirming the student is registered at the new school.
- Once this process has been completed, Children’s Scholarship Fund will send you a letter confirming your transfer and indicating your adjusted scholarship amount.
Other Questions For Current Scholarship Families
What is the Scholarship Verification Report (SVR) process?
Twice a year, CSF makes scholarship payments to the schools. Before we can make the payment, schools have to verify that your child has a 90% or better attendance rate and that you are current on your portion of tuition payments. If you are not current with your payments to your child’s school, you risk the chance of termination from the program and being responsible for the full tuition.
Can scholarships be placed on hold?
If your child is currently using a CSF scholarship and you want to take the child out of school temporarily, it is possible to put the scholarship on hold for 6 months. After 6 months, if the child does not return to a participating school, the scholarship will be lost. Please notify the CSF participating school as well as the Children’s Scholarship Fund. Please submit your request to CSF in writing.
What happens next year? Will my scholarship continue?
Provided there is sufficient funding, scholarships will be renewable every year through 8th grade, assuming financial need continues and you are current on the balance of tuition and meet other renewal requirements. We contact families by email about how to requalify in late winter or early spring. Please notify our office if your contact information has changed or if you have not heard from us about requalification by the end of March.
What happens after 8th grade?
CSF does not award high school scholarships and does not fund recipients after they graduate from 8th grade. We recommend you inquire about scholarships and financial aid at your preferred high schools as early as possible in your child’s 8th grade year and attend as many high school Open Houses as possible.
My child has to repeat a grade. Can he still use the scholarship?
Yes, the scholarship is not tied to academic performance. You can still use the scholarship to repeat a grade. However, your child must maintain a 90% attendance record at school, and you must be up to date on your payments to the school.
Financial Information Questions
What financial information does CSF need?
CSF requests the following income documents to be submitted with your application:
- Federal 1040 tax forms. To request a transcript, call the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) at 1-800-908-9946
- Budget Letter showing your public assistance and food stamps
- Child support statements
- Social Security income
- Unemployment letter from the Department of Labor. For questions on how to obtain a letter, please call 1-888-209-8124
- Worker’s Compensation
- Notarized financial assistance letters from family or friends
What if my children are not listed on my tax form?
If your children were claimed by someone else on their tax form, we will need to see that person’s tax forms also. If your children were not listed on anyone else’s tax form, but are listed on your budget letter, then we will need a copy of your public assistance and food stamp benefit letter.
What if I did not file taxes last year?
If you did not file taxes, then you will need to send us documentation of all income and you will have to submit a Verification of Non-filing from the IRS and a notarized letter declaring your income.
- If you receive public assistance, you must include a budget letter, supervisor’s summary, or a copy of form W-700U.
- If you receive court-ordered child support, you must include official court-ordered documentation.
- If you receive child support that was not court-ordered, you must include a signed statement from the person who provided the support. This statement must be notarized.
- If you receive any Social Security payments, you must include the SSA-1099 form; or, if you are on disability, the SSI form.
- All debts to your child’s school must be cleared.
- Scholarships are partial, not full.
- Keep copies of all paperwork you submit to CSF.
- Sign your 1040 tax form.
- Report any email, telephone, or address changes.
- Please note that your child’s scholarship percentage may change year to year, depending on the previous year’s income and changes in tuition amounts.
- For requalifying families: You are responsible for making sure that information and paperwork required during requalification are entered/sent and received by the deadline.
