Affording Mirman
Parents choose Mirman because they want the best possible education for their highly gifted child. Considering an independent school education is a significant financial decision, but one that has a major impact on your student. Tuition is essential to our ability to offer all of the things that make Mirman special: engaging, differentiated academic programs; passionate and innovative faculty; robust arts and athletics programs; and gorgeous facilities.
Mirman values and constantly works toward a wide diversity of thought, beliefs, and backgrounds on our campus. Our families represent a wide range of races, ethnicities, religions, family structures, and walks of life. Mirman has a commitment to economic diversity, which is supported by an extensive need-based tuition assistance program.
We understand that giftedness is not confined to children of a particular socioeconomic status, so a significant portion of our budget is dedicated to tuition assistance each year. A national leader in its category according to the National Association of Independent Schools, Mirman's tuition assistance program reaches one in six students. However, we truly believe that every Mirman student is positively impacted by this program.
2018-2019 Tuition & Fees
Lower School Tuition: $31,492*
Upper School Tuition: $34,872*
Bus Service (optional): $3,300
PSL Fee: $100 (per family)
New Student Fee: $2,000
Laptop Insurance: $200 (one to one laptop program)
Additional Costs not included above:
- Uniforms
- Lunch is offered every school day by a third party vendor and is not included in the above tuition and fees
- Overnight trips
* Mirman tuition includes the cost to attend the school, books, a personal laptop for each student, class supplies, early morning care (beginning at 7:15 daily), athletics teams, and non-overnight field trips
2018-2019 Payment Plans
Annual: pay in one installment due on July 15, 2018
Semi-Annual: pay in two installments, due on July 15, 2018 and November 15,2018. A per student processing fee applies of $400 for Lower School and $460 for Upper School.
Monthly: pay in eight monthly installments, beginning June 15, 2018 through January 15, 2018. A per student processing fee applies of $672 for Lower School and $700 for Upper School.
**Payment is currently made by check, and a late fee of $20 is applied for all late payments.
Tuition Assistance Process
Mirman provides approximately 13% of its tuition revenue budget to support families who have applied for Tuition Assistance.
Mirman assesses financial need by asking parents to complete a Tuition Assistance Application, to provide current federal and state tax returns, and to enter their financial information on the School and Student Services for Financial Aid website. Mirman School reviews all applications and awards grants based on the information provided. In some cases, additional information will be requested by the tuition assistance committee.
Step 1
Mirman uses the National Association of Independent Schools’s School and Student Services (SSS) portal to collect financial documents and calculate each family’s contribution to their child’s education. The first step in the financial aid process is entering the SSS application information online. By visiting sssbynais.org, creating an account, and entering the Mirman school code (1501), you can begin the application process by entering your family’s financial information. In some cases, families may be eligible for a fee waiver to apply for Tuition Assistance through SSS. Please see https://www.solutionsbysss.com/fee-waivers/ for additional information.
Step 2
Once you have completed the SSS application process, the next step is to upload or mail four financial documents to School and Student Services. Following the instruction on the SSS site, you will need to submit:
1) The Mirman School Tuition Assistance Application — available for download by clicking here
2) Your current year Federal Tax Return
3) Your current year State of California tax return
4) Your W-2
5) Any Business Tax Returns
4) IRS form 4506T (signed, but not dated) — available for download here
All financial documents should be submitted to School and Student Services, where they will be maintained on a secure server and made available to Mirman as necessary. Please do not drop off or mail any documents directly to Mirman.
The Tuition Assistance Application must be received by School and Student Services (SSS) no later than January 31. In many cases a current year tax return will not be available by that date. We ask that you submit your W-2 and all income and expenses for the year as well as your prior year's tax return. Please submit the current year return when it is filed. Preliminary Tuition Assistance awards may be given without the current year return, but will not be finalized until the return is submitted to SSS.
We're Here to Help!
Mirman understands that, when added to the whirlwind of preparing for a new school year, applying for tuition assistance and submitting financial information can seem daunting. Our Admission Office is happy to walk you through the steps of the process and answer any questions you might have. Additionally, our Business Office is available to help you with any questions regarding the necessary documents.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who is eligible to apply?
We understand that every families’ financial needs are unique and encourage you to contact us at [email protected] with any specific questions. In general, we encourage the following families that have a financial need to apply:
- Families that are new to Mirman
- Returning tuition assistance families, or
- A current Mirman family who has a change in financial circumstances
- A current Mirman family who has a new sibling attending
What happens if I am denied tuition assistance?
Any family who is denied tuition assistance has a right to appeal to the tuition assistance committee. Our committee handles these requests on a case by case basis.
If a family enters Mirman school without receiving tuition assistance it is our policy to not provide tuition assistance in the future unless there is a change in financial circumstances.
If I receive a tuition assistance award, can I expect to receive it for future years?
In general, if a family receives a tuition assistance award, they can expect to receive a similar award for their student’s time at Mirman as long as there are no additional changes to a family’s financial position.
In some cases, a one year award may be given due to a significant limited circumstance (i.e. job loss). A one year award will be clearly denoted in your tuition assistance notification.
What is covered by Tuition Assistance?
Currently our Tuition assistance covers tuition, overnight trips and new student fees. Tuition assistance does not include, bus, our lunch program, uniforms, PSL Fee, laptop insurance and other incidental costs.
Do I have to reapply for Tuition Assistance every year?
Yes, every family is required to submit their current financial data in the SSS form by the required deadline.
Who needs to complete the SSS form?
All parents or guardians who have a legal right to make decisions on a child’s education need to complete the SSS form.
How is Tuition Assistance determined?
Mirman School has a Tuition Assistance Committee that reviews each SSS application. We primarily rely on the recommendation from SSS to inform our decisions to award or deny a grant. A budget is approved by the Board of Trustees on the amount of Tuition Assistance grants each year. The Committee approves grants up to that amount. Current families on Tuition Assistance are given priority and the remaining funds available are distributed based on the financial needs of the new applicants received. Unfortunately we are unable to provide 100% of the requested assistance.
Is my Tuition Assistance information confidential?
Yes, all information provided to SSS is highly secured. Those on the Mirman Tuition Assistance Committee are the only individuals reviewing the files, and we keep all information confidential.
Non-Discrimination Policy
Mirman School does not discriminate on the basis of sex, race, color, religion, national origin, or any other protected category in the creation or implementation of its admission policies, educational policies, scholarship and loan programs, athletic programs, or any other school-administered program, service or privilege.
