The Light House Education Center

Financial Policies

TUITION AND FEES

IT IS CRITICAL THAT EVERY PARENT READ AND UNDERSTAND THE FINANCIAL AND VOLUNTEER AGREEEMENT YOU ENTER INTO WITH THE LIGHT HOUSE EDUCATION CENTER WHEN YOU ENROLL YOUR CHILD FOR CLASSES. PLEASE CAREFULLY READ EACH WORD ON THIS PAGE.

When a student registers, it is with the intention to register for an entire school year of classes at TLH. Tuition is based on a yearly student cost. The Light House contracts teachers and staff in accordance with the number of students enrolled. Parents must honor staff contracts whether or not a student withdraws from TLH.

Tuition can be paid according to one of three payment plans:

1. Single Payment Plan: Pay total tuition for the entire year due August 1st.

2. Regular Plan: Pay tuition per semester in two separate payments. First semester payment is due August 1^st and second semester payment is due January 1^st.

3. Extended Payment Plan: Finance tuition in 9 equal payments to cover the entire year of tuition. The first payment, which is non-refundable, is due August 1 with subsequent payments due on September 1^st, October 1^st, November 1^st, December 1^st, January 1^st, February 1^st, March 1^st and April 1^st. A finance fee of $10.00 per payment will be added to each invoice if you choose the Extended Payment Plan.

If choosing the Regular Plan or Extended Payment Plan, and payment comes after the 10^th of the month, there will be a $25 late fee in addition to the payment due.

There are no penalties for dropping a class in September, but any time after October 1^st, dropping or adding a class will result in a $10.00 administrative fee per form. (Multiple changes can be made on one form per student.) A separate form must be used for other students. This fee does not apply to changes initiated by TLH.

If a family is more than ONE MONTH behind in tuition payments for a class, the students will be unable to attend classes until the family is current with tuition unless arrangements have been made with the TLH Board of Directors. (This must be enforced to ensure payments to teacher for payroll.)

TLH is a non-profit education center with the goal of keeping tuition affordable for all families. Therefore, most of the tuition collected is paid directly to the teachers of my choice. Therefore, it is imperative that parents agree to partner with TLH to participate in any fundraisers to equip TLH in their efforts to provide affordable education for the home schooling community. In doing so, families are required to volunteer 12 hours per semester. A buy out fee of $250 is available to families who choose not to participate in those volunteer hours. A referral bonus of 6 volunteer hours is available if a TLH family is fully responsible for introducing a family to The Light House and that family enrolls one or more children in The Light House.

I understand that if I find it necessary to withdraw my student after this financial agreement has been signed and past the Oct. 1 add/drop deadline, I am responsible for a breach of contract fee to The Light House Education Center of $150 for each class from which I am withdrawing my student, and I am also responsible to contact my student’s teacher(s) as soon as possible with an explanation of withdrawal and to negotiate the remaining balance of tuition I will owe my student’s teacher(s) for breach of contract with the teacher(s). I understand that after Jan. 1, the breach of contract fee to the school is reduced to $75 per class, and I am still responsible to meet with my student’s teacher(s) go negotiate the remaining balance of tuition due. I will also write a letter to the board stating the same. I also understand the non-refundable tuition payments I paid before my student started classes, as well as family and registration fees, will not be reimbursed.

WITHDRAWAL / CLASS DROP POLICY
If you find it necessary to withdraw your child prior to school starting but after the enrollment contract is signed and returned to TLH, please contact our office as soon as possible. If we can fill your child's vacancy in each course for which he or she was enrolled with another student prior to the first day of classes, a 100 percent tuition refund can be arranged.

After the first day of school and before the end of the first week of classes, a 50 percent refund can be arranged as long as the student is in good standing (i.e. has not withdrawn for academic or disciplinary reasons) and his/her vacancy in each course for which he or she is enrolled can be filled by another student.

Classes dropped after October 1 are subject to the policies set forth in Tuition and Fees above.

Registration fees, family fees and the first non-refundable tuition installment are non-refundable at all times.

ELECTIVE CLASSES
Many of our elective classes are contracted out. Once a student commits to an elective class that has been contracted out, the student must remain committed OR the tuition must be paid for the whole year.

**THERE IS NO DROP PERIOD OR REFUND FOR ELECTIVE CLASSES.

Below is a list of classes that have been contracted out thus far for the school year:

Martial arts fitness

All tuition and fees at TLH are based on an estimated cost of providing the educational services of the education center to all enrolled students.

REFUNDS

**THERE ARE NO TUITION REFUNDS AFTER OCTOBER 1st.**

Requests for refunds must be made directly to the TLH office and will be reviewed to determine if requirements have been met for a full or partial refund. Approved refunds are typically paid within 30 days of the approval date. In addition, please note the following:

All registration, family program fees, supply fees (paid to either the teacher or TLH) and graduation fees are not refundable under any circumstances.

All tuition payments for any course which is cancelled by TLH will be credited in full to the existing family tuition account, unless the student withdraws from TLH completely, at which time the aforementioned tuition refund policies apply.

If a teacher resigns after the school year begins and a qualified replacement according to TLH standards is hired, students will not be allowed to drop the class without paying the tuition for the remainder of the year and supply fees will not be refunded.

LATE TUITION FEES
Tuition payments received after their scheduled due dates are subject to a $25.00 late payment fee regardless of the total amount of the tuition payment.

RETURNED CHECK FEE
There will also be a $35.00 service fee for ANY check returned by the bank (NSF checks must be replaced with cash/cashier's check for the amount of the check and fee).

GRADUATION
Students graduating from TLH will have a fee assessed on their family tuition account to cover the cost of diplomas, academic awards, facilities rentals, and other items related directly to the graduation ceremony.

FINANCIAL AID
Despite the relatively low cost of education at TLH, at times families whose children attend the school find themselves in a financial predicament that requires assistance. While we are neither a local church nor lending institution, we remain committed to reviewing all requests for tuition assistance and helping those with genuine needs. All financial aid is measured and appropriated through scholarship funds within the following guidelines:

·         Scholarship funds will be available only to current students at TLH.

·         Scholarship funds will be administered by the TLH board of directors.

·         Scholarship funds will appear as a credit on the student’s account, and therefore are not available to be refunded or used for any other purpose.

·         Monies donated to TLH for scholarships cannot be directed to any one particular student or classification of student (e.g., academic scholar, etc.). Monies donated to TLH for scholarships cannot be used for any other purpose unless permission is granted in writing to the TLH board of directors by the contributor.

·         Students receiving scholarship funds must enter TLH on the same basis and in the same manner as all other students and must adhere to all TLH policies while enrolled.

·         Failure on the part of the student (or family) to adhere to TLH policies, or failure on the part of the student to maintain an overall Grade Point Average of 70% at TLH, may result in a revocation of scholarship funds, as determined by the TLH board.

·         Existing TLH families requesting scholarship funds or having been granted such assistance must be or remain current on their student tuition accounts (i.e., have no outstanding balance).

·         Regardless of the amount of scholarship funds provided, failure to meet the remaining financial obligations at TLH may result in a revocation of scholarships, as determined by the TLH board, as well as the inability to register for the following semester or graduate from TLH.

·         Scholarship funds cannot be granted to families who have not fully met financial obligations at any other school.

·         Scholarships are only available as funds are available—qualifying for scholarship funds does not guarantee receipt of said funds.

·         To apply for scholarship funds at TLH, please contact the school and speak to the director.