Financial Aid
We strive to make our programs accessible to children from every walk of life. Chewonki is a 501c3 non-profit organization and each year we provide more than $400,000 in need-based financial aid to participants on a first-come first-serve basis. (We encourage you to apply early!) These funds come from a combination of our revenue, fundraising, and endowments generously contributed by camp alumni.
Parents are asked to submit financial information to School and Student Services (SSS), a nationally recognized third-party service, who provide us with a fair and independent assessment of what a family can afford to contribute to summer camp tuition based on family income.
Financial aid awards range from a few hundred dollars up to the complete cost of the program. The individual amount awarded is determined by need, the SSS assessment, and our available financial aid funds.
How it works:
- Complete an online enrollment application for Camp Chewonki and indicate on the camp application that you intend to apply for financial aid.
- Once the admissions office has approved your child(ren) for enrollment, you will be notified and sent a link to School and Student Services (SSS).
- You need to complete and submit a Parents’ Financial Statement (PFS) along with required tax documents and a $60 processing fee. You will give SSS permission to analyze your financial information. In rare instances, for those families with the greatest need, SSS will automatically apply an application fee waiver. The SSS fee waiver (if applicable) will appear at the moment you need to provide your credit card information.
- SSS reviews your family income, assets, expenses, and liabilities to determine an objective estimate of the amount your family can likely contribute to summer program expenses.
- The same PFS can be used for all the children in your family and for any number of summer programs or independent schools, for the single $60 fee.
- SSS creates a private report called the Estimate of Family Contribution (EFC). This report provides us with a summary of your financial details but does not determine the size of your financial aid award.
- Our financial aid committee reviews your application and the EFC, and determines an award based on the combination of our financial aid budget, your demonstrated need, and any extenuating circumstances outlined in your application.
- Families are notified of their aid award status on a rolling basis.
Important Reminders:
- We will send you the financial aid application link when your child is approved for enrollment.
- We will begin processing applications in late November. Families are notified of their aid award status on a rolling basis.
- Requests for financial aid usually exceed the amount of funds available, therefore we cannot guarantee financial aid to all who apply. This is especially relevant in today’s economy.
Helpful Tips:
- Fill out the PFS form as completely and accurately as possible.
- You will need to upload your most recently filed tax return and W-2s. Parents who live in separate households are both required to separately complete the PFS form. (Please note it is assumed that a child is supported by both parents, and financial information must be provided accordingly. If this is not possible, please contact us.)
- You can begin the PFS at any time once you’ve received notice from us that your child is enrolled. You don’t have to complete the PFS in one sitting; you can save your work and come back to the application multiple times prior to completing and submitting to SSS.
