Q: Will I receive a bill?
A: No. Tuition rates will remain the same the entire school year. Therefore, your payment amounts will remain the same (unless there are scheduling or enrollment changes). We ask that you refer to your Tuition Agreement for the amount that is expected. Please contact our Office Manager if you need another copy of your Agreement.
Q: When do I start paying?
A: If you pay monthly on the monthly schedule
Returning families will start paying September 1st. New families will start paying as soon as their child begins attending. If you are a new family and you start mid-month, you will pay a pro-rated amount for that month.
If you pay on the weekly schedule
Returning families will begin paying August 25, 2010. New families will begin paying the week their child begins attending.
Q: Why do I pay for days that EDN is not open (such as winter break, Martin Luther King Day, days in August, etc)?
&
Q: Why do I pay for a full month in December and August when EDN isn’t even open the entire month?
A: Actually, you don’t. The annual tuition factors in the days that EDN is closed. Our tuition does not include these days. We set an annual tuition based on our calendar. Then, we divide it into equal payment options. Preschool families can choose to pay 11 monthly payments or 48 payments (which include a weekly payment fee). HomeBase families can pay 10 payments on a monthly schedule of September through June. The “monthly” and “weekly” payments are really just ways to split the annual tuition into equal payments. The amounts do not reflect the number of days care is provided each month or week, rather the yearly tuition.
Q: Why is there an extra fee for families who pay weekly?
A: We understand that it can be difficult to make monthly payments, so we choose to offer the weekly payment option for our full day programs (full day preschool and summer camp). Of course, that does mean that we have many more checks to process, trips to the bank, receipts to make, etc. As a result, a small fee was added to pay for the additional labor.
* HomeBase families interested in weekly payments should contact the Office Manager or Executive Director.
Q: What if I prefer to have a different part-time schedule than the one listed above?
A: EDN will permit two families to work together to find a schedule that compliments one another. For example, if you prefer M, W, Th and another family prefers Tu & F, that arrangement can be worked out between the two families. Both families agree in writing to revert back to the above-listed schedules should one of them need to change. For example, imagine that you are paying the 3 day/week rate and your child is coming M,W,Th and another family is coming Tu and Friday. If the other family wants to change their schedule to one that doesn’t work for you, your schedule reverts back to M,W,F (and their schedule goes back to Tu, Th). The 2 and 3 days per week rates listed above are non-negotiable. So, while you may share a schedule, you are not sharing a 5 day/week tuition rate. The reason for this is that EDN still has 2 families for which we provide care (build relationships, process checks, conduct conferences, wash cot sheets, find homework or snow boots, etc).
Q: Why is there no 4 day/week option?
A: EDN has limited spaces. In order to keep our classrooms at consistent numbers from day to day, schedules need to compliment one another as much as possible. EDN does not offer a 1 day/week schedule; consequently, there is no 4 day option.
Q: Why do I pay a registration fee?
A: The registration fee is assessed in order to cover the administrative costs of preparing for your child’s enrollment.
Q: Why do I pay a deposit? Will it be returned to me?
A: A deposit is required to secure your child’s spot. It will be applied to your last EDN payment as long as you have given the necessary notice of withdrawal. Families leaving EDN must give 3 weeks notice for their deposit to be returned to them. Families who give less than a full three weeks notice will forfeit their deposits.
Q: Does EDN offer any scholarships or a sliding scale?
A: EDN does not offer sliding scale tuition rates; our tuition is set at rates intended to help cover the cost of the programs. EDN recognizes that it can be difficult to pay for high quality childcare. Families eligible for state subsidy are asked to please contact Childcare Network of Evanston (CNE) to apply. CNE also has scholarships for which preschool families can apply. EDN works continuously to try to find assistance for those who are not eligible for state subsidy or CNE scholarships. Each year, we try to secure funds through grant-writing and fundraising to help provide support to families who need assistance. We are not guaranteed these limited funds. We encourage families who are struggling to speak with us. If there are funds available, we will offer you an application upon request.
|
