HOW CAN I AFFORD TO SEND MY KIDS TO RIDGEFIELD?
The Real Question is...How Can You Afford Not To?
By the time your child graduates, they will have spent 15,000 hours in school. What happens in those hours lays the foundation for your child’s future. Who they hear. What they are taught. Their school experience today influences who they will become tomorrow.
Christian education is a long-term investment in your child’s academic and spiritual future. Every day is an opportunity for growth and development. By equipping their minds and shaping their hearts with a Biblical worldview, their future is wide-open and ready for the life God has for them!
Keep reading to see how we can help…
Arkansas Educational Freedom Accounts
We are now participating in the EFA program established in 2022 by the LEARNS Act. Eligible families for 2024-25 can use EFA funds toward the cost of tuition here at RCS, making the cost of private education even more accessible!
Helping fund your child's education
High-quality Christian education is costly and we understand the strain this cost puts on families. Ridgefield Christian School is committed to ensuring that any student who needs to be here doesn’t miss out because of financial constraint. RCS participates in both EFAs and the ACE Scholarship program. Additional financial aid is available based on family financial need.
Talk to our Admissions team today. Don’t assume that the cost of Christian education is out of reach!
Outside Funding Sources
Educational Freedom Accounts (EFAs)
RCS participates in the LEARNS Act Arkansas Educational Freedoms Account program. EFAs fund up to 90% of the state’s annual educational per-student allocation ($6,800 in 2024).
Not all families are eligible yet for using EFAs. The program becomes universal in 2025-26. Eligible participants for 2024-25: 1st time Kindergarten, military (active, reservists, veterans), first responders/law enforcement, enrolled previous year at an ‘F’ or ‘D’ rated public school, current or former foster care, diagnosed disability under IDEA, or received EFA funds in 2023.
Participating families enroll and set up their account through the state’s EFA Portal. Families are responsible for fees and any remaining balance.
ACE Scholarships
ACE provides donor-funded K-12 scholarships based on household/family income and availability of funds. Standard ACE awards are $2,000 for K-8 and $3,000 for high school, capped at 50% of private school tuition, yet may vary dependent upon unique circumstances. All families are encouraged to apply.
| ACE 2024-25 Financial Guidelines | |
|---|---|
| PERSONS IN Family/HOUSEHOLD | Maximum Household Income |
| 2 | $71,450 |
| 3 | $90,370 |
| 4 | $109,200 |
| 5 | $128,030 |
| 6 | $148,860 |
| 7 | $165,690 |
| 8 | $184,520 |
| 9 | $203,350 |
| 10 | $222,180 |
| For households with >10 persons, add $5,380 for each add'l person | |
Financial Aid
EFAs and ACE provide a substantial resource for funding a student’s enrollment at Ridgefield.
For families needing additional assistance beyond EFAs and ACE funds, RCS awards financial aid based on family financial need. To be eligible to apply for financial aid, you must meet the following requirements:
- Account balance must be in good standing
- New students must have been accepted. Returning students must be re-enrolled.
- You should be the parent or legal guardian and be assigned financial responsibility on the family account.
Financial aid is prioritized for full-time students. RCS does not award any athletic or academic merit scholarships.
RCS uses FACTS Grant and Aid Assessment to provide the school with parent financial information and analysis of each family’s need. A family financial application process is required to receive any tuition assistance at RCS. Aid is awarded as a percentage of tuition and is good for the school year of application.
Families applying for assistance submit their financial information and necessary supporting documentation to FACTS Grant & Aid Assessment along with the $40 application fee. The following documents are required by FACTS to complete the application:
- Copies of your Federal tax forms including all supporting tax schedules for the last 2 years
- Copies of your W-2 forms for both you and your spouse for the last 2 years
- Copies of supporting documentation for other sources of income
FACTS Grant & Aid Assessment conducts the financial need analysis based on family income and expenses along with the cost of all schooling (tuition and fees) and provides recommendations to the school. The school then makes the final decision based on those recommendations taking into account other extenuating circumstances. All financial and award information is kept confidential. The admissions office will notify applications of scholarship awards.
The following scholarships are awarded for any remaining balance after EFA funds or ACE Scholarships have been applied.
Ministry Scholarship – Awarded to families whose primary income is from full-time Christian ministry or who are bi-vocational pastors with executive ministry responsibilities. Requires scholarship application and employment verification. 25% of remaining balance.
Alumni Scholarship – Awarded to students of RCS alumni. Requires scholarship application and alumni status verification. 10% of remaining balance.
Warrior Scholarship – Tuition scholarship award is based on family qualifying percentages and is awarded only after the ACE scholarship has been pursued and other qualifying scholarships have been awarded. Amount varies.
You must first complete the online admissions application. The first step in the process is to apply to RCS for the coming school year. If your are approved for enrollment at RCS, you will receive an email with instructions on accessing the financial aid application.
Complete the tuition assistance application. From FACTS Family Portal, click on the left side “Financial” menu choice. Then on right side of the main screen under Financial Link, click on “Apply for Grant & Aid” or go to the FACTS Grant & Aid page at online.factsmgt.com/aid. Sign in with an existing FACTS username and password, or, if you are new to FACTS, first Create an Account. Complete all sections of the financial application and pay the $35 application fee. This fee is charged by the online financial aid service and does not go to RCS.
If you have questions about tuition assistance or the process, or if you have already submitted your enrollment packet, but did not apply for assisstance at that time, please contact the Admission office for more information.
You need to first complete online re-enrollment for the upcoming school year to which you are applying for financial aid. No scholarship applications are accepted for families who are not enrolled. Once the packet is submitted, you will receive an email with instructions on accessing the tuition assistance application.
Complete the financial aid application. From FACTS Family Portal, click on the left side “Financial” menu choice. Then on right side of the main screen under Financial Link, click on “Apply for Grant & Aid” or go to the FACTS Grant & Aid page at online.factsmgt.com/aid. Sign in with an existing FACTS username and password, or, if you are new to FACTS, first Create an Account. Complete all sections of the financial application and pay the $35 application fee. This fee is charged by the online financial aid service and does not go to RCS.
If you have questions about tuition assistance or the process, or if you have already submitted your enrollment packet, but did not apply for assistance at that time, please contact the Admission office for more information.
Financial Aid FAQs
Yes, RCS now participates in the Arkansas Educational Freedom Accounts program. See information above for more details or go to the state EFA site to apply.
The two main sources of funding are Arkansas Educational Freedom Accounts and ACE Scholarships. EFAs are available on a limited basis for the 2024-25 school year, but become universal for all students in 2025-26.
There are a variety of scholarships available depending on family situations. See the Scholarships section for specifics. Most families who apply receive something.
Any family may apply for assistance and is encouraged to do so if finances are an obstacle to attending. We are committed to the principle that any family who needs to be at RCS can do so regardless of financial need.
No, only one application per family is required. The outside application process takes into account the cost of ALL educational expenses in the family, including those of students attending other schools, enrolled in college, childcare or daycare expenses, etc.
Award is allocated per child but based on a single family application.
We understand that life sometimes happens. There is a place in the application to provide personal, written narrative or explanations for the committee to consider. The aid processor does not review that information. It simply returns a recommended award amount based on an algorithm and the financial numbers provided in your tax forms. However, the final decision about the aid award belongs to the school and all other personal information provided to the committee in the application is taken into account. The personal, human factor is very important to RCS.
As a private school, RCS relies primarily on tuition supplemented by donations and grants in order to operate our program. Money for financial aid is not unlimited. However, our vision is that any student who needs to be enrolled at RCS be able do so without finances being the obstacle. As a group committed to biblical stewardship, we want to allocate our resources (financial aid dollars) as responsibly as possible. To ensure that our policies or programs that provide financial assistance of any form to families is fair, transparent, and effective, we use an outside, third-party application agency. This process helps us better assess and verify a family’s financial eligibility and need, which, in turn, lets us make the best decision we can as a school as to what aid to provide. This approach allows us to be the best stewards we can be of our financial resources while continuing to support families who need help.
