Financial Aid
We understand and appreciate the financial commitment families undertake in deciding to send their children to Tampa Bay International School. Our school is committed to an educational setting that is socio-economically diverse. There are options available for families who require financial assistance to afford an independent school. TBIS has been approved by the State of Florida to accept Florida Tax Credit, Family Empowerment, McKay, and Hope scholarships. We have partnered with Step Up For Students and the Florida Department of Education to make these scholarships available to families with students in grades K and up. Please visit these links for detailed information on which scholarship is best for you and how/when you can apply. Should you need assistance completing the application, please reach out to us. We are happy to help you through this process.
We strongly encourage all families to apply for the State of Florida scholarships. Receipt of these awards not only reduces a family’s tuition obligation, it also enhances Tampa Bay International School’s ability to offer tuition assistance to other families, creating educational opportunities for more students in need.
Tampa Bay International School also has a limited amount of financial aid available to assist families. To help us objectively assess what a family is able to contribute to its student(s) education expenses, we use FACTS Tuition Management Company as a trusted third party. Much like the process to apply for State of Florida scholarships, based on the financial information you provide, FACTS gives TBIS an estimated amount your family can contribute to educational expenses. This helps us make fair and objective financial aid decisions. The FACTS analysis of a family’s “Estimated Family Contribution (EFC)” is a critical component of our financial aid decision. However, it is just a start. To make our final financial aid award decisions, we use the FACTS figures as the baseline for our own additional review, taking into consideration our total financial aid budget, our school’s policies and priorities, and the needs of our entire applicant pool. Due to circumstances like these, and others, our school may not meet the level of demonstrated need shown on the FACTS Family Report you receive.
It is for this reason that we ask families to exhaust all other sources of financial assistance (i.e. State of Florida scholarships listed above, extended family and community assistance, etc.) Please include all relevant information when completing your application with FACTS so that we can see the full picture, accurately assess your need, and render a decision.
A financial aid agreement with Tampa Bay International School is confidential. We make every effort to accommodate families and we keep financial information in the strictest of confidence. In turn, we ask that families refrain from discussing details of agreements with other families. Doing so is a breach of confidentiality. It is impossible to compare one situation to another. Many elements are considered in determining a family’s ability to pay tuition and each family’s financial situation is unique. Failure to respect this confidentiality may result in the loss of financial aid in the future.