Dear Parents and Guardians,

Following up on previous communications from Headmaster Grainger and Mrs. LaBranche in the admissions office, we wish to provide supplementary information regarding tuition and billing for the 2019-2020 and 2020-2021 school years.

Cancellation of Trips in 2019-2020
Please note that all charges previously billed for cancelled trips are being credited to families on the April statements. These statements will be sent to families on Friday, May 8, 2020.

Summer Programs for 2020
For those families who had registered for Discovery Camp, First Through the Gates or the Cambridge course, which have now been cancelled for 2020, please note that all charges are being refunded directly to parents or credited to student accounts, depending on how payment was originally made. The Summer Academy will proceed exclusively as an online program, with an updated list of course offerings.

Travel History Course for 2020-2021
The School has processed the first two instalments for this course but will delay any further instalments until a final decision has been made as to whether the course will run in the upcoming academic year. Should the course be cancelled, all charges billed will be credited to student accounts. We ask that families respect the billing of these amounts as we require the financial commitment these deposits provide if we are able to proceed with the trip planning.

Tuition for 2020-2021
As previously announced, the School has rolled back the 2020-2021 tuition fees to the 2019-2020 fee levels. The revised fee schedules have been posted on the School's website for your review. To account for the tuition rollback, all families will receive a proportional credit for the preliminary instalment that was billed in February 2020. This credit will appear on the May 2020 statement and will be applied against the next instalment payment that will be included on that same statement. The School will continue to provide all families with a 30-day grace period for all tuition instalments that are applicable for the 2020-2021 school year. We have also reduced our interest charge rate until June 2021; waived the instalment fee for families choosing payment Option 2 or 3; and offered a financial incentive to families opting for full payment by June 28, 2020. Families who wish to change their billing schedule are asked to contact the finance office before the end of June 2020.

Financial Assistance
For the 2019-2020 academic year, please note that financial assistance that has been provided for the current school year will not be affected by the anticipated year-end refund.

For the 2020-2021 academic year, the School has decided to maintain financial assistance for the 2020-2021 school year at the previously committed amounts, despite the announced rollback of tuition to 2019-2020 levels. This will provide better support to our families during this difficult period.

However, please note that should the School implement Fee Schedules B or C during the 2020-2021 school year, financial assistance will be reduced proportionally. (Please see below for more information on Fee Schedules B and C.)

Tuition Refund Plan
We have confirmed with our carrier that the Tuition Refund Plan (TRP) will be active for the 2020-2021 school year. The TRP fees are fixed regardless of whether a student attends in person or online.

Alternate Fee Schedules for 2020-2021
While the School currently plans to fully open our campus in September 2020, we must also consider the possibility that this outcome may not be feasible. A renewed TCS Connect e-community online platform would continue as needed. Last week, the communication from the School outlined three possible scenarios for the fall: a closed campus, an open campus and an open campus with a hybrid model of delivery (click here to re-familiarize yourself with these details). To reflect these possible scenarios, the School has created two alternative fee tables that would apply as follows:

1) Fee Schedule B

• This fee table would apply should TCS not be able to permit students on campus in September or during any subsequent period during the school year.
• Modified fees would be calculated based on 80% of the day student fee table applicable to the student's grade level.
• At the end of each month, a credit would be applied to student accounts, on a per diem basis, for the difference between the regular fee schedule and the modified fee schedule.

2) Fee Schedule C

• This fee table would apply should TCS be able to permit students on campus in September but some families are unable to attend due to travel or visa restrictions or as a result of COVID-19 related quarantine or self-isolation regulations.
• Modified fees would be calculated based on 100% of the day student fee table applicable to the student's grade level.
• At the end of each month, a credit would be issued to student accounts, on a per diem basis, for the difference between the regular fee schedule and the modified fee schedule.

The School will post these alternate fee schedules in August, dependent on whether the campus is able to open or not.

Recognizing that many of our families are facing financial challenges as a result of the pandemic, we are particularly appreciative for your continued support in making required payments as per the current fee schedule. A committed enrollment is a key element in ensuring the School’s financial sustainability.

As previously committed, the 2019-2020 tuition refund will be fully calculated at the end of the academic year and, therefore, will be applied on the July statement of accounts that will be sent to families in early August. The credit will then be applied against other tuition instalments and/or charges to accounts, as applicable. Families who are not returning to TCS for the fall of 2020 will be contacted by the finance office in August to initiate the refund process for all credit balances.

We wish all TCS families good health and look forward to seeing you all on campus soon.
 

Regards,

Susan Wells
Executive Director of Finance