Financial Aid Guidelines

The Board of Trustees has adopted the policy of funding most of the school�s annual operating expenses with tuition dollars. This decision means that tuition controls, in large part, the quality of the education DBTI is able to offer. While recognizing that some sacrifice is appropriate for something as crucial as a Catholic education, the Board acknowledges that financial assistance will be necessary to build and maintain the sort of student body DBTI aspires to have.

In order for us to allocate our resources wisely and fairly, we have enlisted the help of Independent School Management's FAST (Financial Aid for School Tuition) program. ISM's FAST does not decide whether financial assistance will be given or how much to give; rather FAST provides a need-based financial aid analysis service. FAST provides the school with a report, which includes a recommendation of what a family should reasonably contribute toward tuition. All information from FAST is kept confidential. Applications are reviewed by the confidential Financial Aid Committee and the committee recommends to the President allocation of financial aid resources for the next year. Upon approval by the President, financial aid offers are sent to families.

While no financial aid procedure can be entirely equitable�there are simply too many individual factors and extenuating circumstances�the process that has been established has served DBTI well.

Financial Aid Instructions The financial aid process is outlined below. PROCEDURES FOR PARENTS: As a reminder, you must reapply each year. To start the process, please do the following:

1. Click here for the Parent User Guide on using FAST.
2. Click here for the Parent User Guide in Spanish on using FAST.
3. Click on the �FAST� button (located to the right).
4. The application process is self-guided. You may navigate in and out of the program allowing you to partially complete an application and go back to it at another time. Online e-mail and a 24/7 helpline is provided. Please do not call the school with questions.
5. The charge for the application is $34.00 and to be paid by credit card at the end of the session. If you do not have a credit card, please call DBTI for assistance.
6. After completing the online application you will be required to mail your 2009 tax returns for both state and federal taxes with all schedules and W-2�s to:

        FAST Processing
        ISM
        1316 North Union Street
        Wilmington DE 19806-2594
   

7. Important: You must include �Don Bosco Technical Institute� on the front of the envelope under your return address. This will ensure faster processing of your application.
8. The online submission deadline for all applications is March 5, 2010.
9. Your tax return and all supporting documents must follow the submission, and be postmarked by March 12, 2010. See Checklist for Documents Needed.
10. Financial Aid award letters will be mailed to families on March 26, 2010.

While no financial aid procedure can be entirely equitable � there are simply too many individual factors and extenuating circumstances � this new process that has been selected should serve our School community well. Among its many features will be the ability to further secure your financial data, and maintain the high degree of confidentiality that past recipients most appreciated.

Financial Aid Deadlines

The deadlines for applying for financial aid for the 2010-2011 school year are as follows:

Only complete applications will be considered. This includes tax returns and related forms.