Sibling Discount FAQs

SIBLING DISCOUNT FAQ – JAN. 2012

1.                 What precisely is the discount?

The program provides a $600 discount for the second child enrolled by a family in grades K-12 and a $1,600 discount for each additional child enrolled in one of those grades. Note that the $600 second-child discount is offset by the incorporation of the $600 “family fee” into each child’s tuition. That is a revenue-neutral change intended to simplify parents’ tuition statements. (See response to question 4 below.)

2.                 What is the real impact of the sibling discount on a family’s tuition bill?

For a family with three children in the school, the net impact is a little better than a tuition freeze. Assuming no movement between divisions, they will see a drop of $100 on their bill from this year. A family with four children enrolled in the same circumstances will see a discount close to $1,000. 

3.                 What about parents with one or two children? Why aren’t they benefitting?

The sibling discount is one step in addressing the larger question of the financial burden of day school education. It is a step the board felt could be taken immediately in balancing the twin objectives of a quality education and providing financial relief to our parents. The school continues to look for more ways to alleviate the tuition burden upon every parent and is partnering with the larger community in that effort.

4.                 Wait, wasn’t there a family fee of $600?  Now that there isn’t, isn’t the second child discount merely a renaming of the family fee?

As explained in the registration packet, we have incorporated the “family fee” into tuition solely in order to make the tuition statement simpler. The $600 second-child discount is intended to avoid any harm to families caused by that change. It is revenue-neutral, since the $600 has always been paid with the first child and not any subsequent children. With this $600 second-child discount, that remains true.

5.                 Why are only children in K-12 considered for purposes of the discount – why not preschoolers?

Our preschool tuition is determined based on a very different scale, and the actual tuition charged varies widely based on the individual child’s schedule. For example, a parent with a child enrolled three days per week may pay as little as $4,550 in tuition, depending on schedule. Providing a discount that could be worth more than 1/3 of that amount ($1,600) seemed unnecessary.

6.                 Why are only MJBHA students considered? I have children in other schools as well.

Families may enroll children in other schools for a variety of reasons. In some cases, they may be in public schools (that do not charge any tuition), and in others, they may be in other day schools, Sulam or other institutions. While we would love to solve the tuition crisis across the community, our objective in setting the sibling discount is to make the MJBHA more affordable for parents. We therefore are only focusing on MJBHA tuition and relief.

7.                 How will the school be able to absorb such a loss in revenue, and how much will it cost?

Evaluating costs of a new program is difficult and depends on a number of factors. The school has made a concerted effort to hold costs in check over the last few years, which has allowed us to find room in the budget to provide for this relief without impairing the educational quality of our offering or our implementation of our strategic plan.

8.                 Shouldn’t the school be spending more to improve the quality of its product offering?

The Administration and Board are determined to continue to improve the quality of the excellent education we are offering. Our strategic plan explicitly demands that we do that, and the Board would not have approved this discount if we thought that it placed that goal in jeopardy. 

9.                 How does this discount impact parents who receive financial aid?

The financial aid committee considers a family’s total tuition obligation in determining how much financial aid to award. As such, the committee will consider the impact of the sibling discount on that total tuition obligation as part of its deliberation. The amount of financial aid awarded reflects the family’s ability to pay. 

10.             How are “blended” families or other special family arrangements (e.g., multiple payors) treated for purposes of the discount?

For details regarding the applicability of the discount to your personal circumstances, please contact Faina Stepensky in the Business Office.

11.             Will this discount continue in future years?

The Board reviews and approves tuition and related fees each year. Thus, there is no such thing as a “multi-year” program; however, there is no plan to terminate the sibling discount after one year. We hope and expect this will prove to be a success and that we will be able to afford to continue it in the future.

12.             The sibling discount does not offer real enough relief to struggling families. 

We do not pretend that this is a total solution to the sustainability problem, but it is a meaningful step. We continue to devote substantial attention to investigating other ways we can bring relief to our families and also are partnering with national organizations to that end.

13.             How do I calculate the sibling discount on the registration form?

You do not need to do so. For ease of administration and to minimize the possibility of error, the Business Office will calculate the discount for you and have it reflected on your billing statement in July. Of course, once you receive your billing statement, if you believe there has been an oversight or error, please contact the Business Office.