Admissions Deadline Reminder

Thank you to everyone who took time to visit Bhaktivedanta Academy for our prospective family open house. It was a pleasure to get an opportunity to meet many of you and your children and to talk about our educational program.

As mentioned on Monday night, we are asking all interested families to submit an admissions application by Friday, March 18th. Click here to apply online.

If you have not done so already, we highly recommend that you schedule an observation in the class you are considering applying for. You may schedule a visit by calling 386-462-2886 or emailing office@bhaktivedantaacademy.org.

We appreciate you interest in providing a holistic spiritually-based educational experience for your child and look forward to getting to know each other further. Feel free to contact us at any time if we can be of assistance.

Grandparent’s Day Invitation

Bhaktivedanta Academy's Annual Grandparent’s Day will be held on Friday, March 11th. We have special activities planned and welcome the opportunity for students to share the work they have been doing in their class with their grandparents.

The schedule is as follows:

• Bhakti Bhavan - 8:30 am to 9:30 am
• Audarya Bhavan - 9:30 am to 10:30 am
• Madhurya Bhavan - 10:30 am to 11:30 am

We look forward to seeing everyone here!

2011-2012 Enrollment FAQ

When does enrollment begin?
Re-enrollment for the 2011-12 school year began on February 18th. Families of new students are invited to apply online starting March 4th.

How do I re-enroll my child?
We are transitioning to a fully electronic enrollment process this year, so have contracted with Tuition Aid and Data Services (TADS) to handle all enrollment form processing and financial aid assessment.

You should have received an email from Tuition Aid and Data Services (TADS) with re-enrollment instructions. The message contained a link specific to your family, so please use it in order for your re-enrollment to be properly processed. If you did not receive an email from TADS (support@tads.com), please let the school office know as soon as possible, so we can resend it.

What/Who is TADS?
TADS stands for Tuition Aid and Data Services. TADS is a Minneapolis based company that provides enrollment and financial aid processing services to private schools throughout the United States.

Do I pay the application and/or enrollment fee(s) at the school office?
No. All fees should be paid directly to TADS. At the end of the application and enrollment screens you will have an option to pay fees either by check or credit card. If you choose to pay by paper check you will need to print the payment coupon and include it with your check.

What are the deadlines for enrollment?
Families of returning students are encouraged to re-enroll by Friday, March 4th to ensure their child’s place is held for the next school year. Families of new students will be invited to apply beginning Friday, March 4th.

Has tuition increased?
No. Tuition and fees are unchanged for returning students except for an increase in the cost of uniforms. Click here to view the tuition and fee schedule for the 2011-12 school year.

What financial aid is available?
As in prior years, Bhaktivedanta Academy strives to make a spiritual-based education accessible to all students by participating in a combination of private and public financial assistance programs:

In-School Tuition Grants
This is a private program administered by the school which offers a limited amount of in-school financial aid to help offset the cost of tuition. Approximately $15,000 in aid has been budgeted for this up coming school year.

To help objectively assess what a family is able to contribute to their child(s) education expenses, we use Tuition Aid and Data Services, as a trusted third party. They will collect and verify information submitted by applicants and provide the school with a report detailing what they have determined a family can contribute toward educational expenses.

The TADS analysis of a family's finances 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 TADS figures as the baseline for our own additional review, taking into consideration our total financial aid budget, other information we may have collected, our schoolʼs policies and priorities, and the needs of our entire applicant pool.

If interested in being considered for in-school financial aid, we encourage you to review the financial aid worksheet and apply online:

Step Up For Students - Florida Tax Credit Scholarship
Florida Tax Credit Scholarships are available for Kindergarten through 6th Grade students. It can pay up to $4,400* in annual tuition costs per child for families that meet income eligibility guidelines. Click here to get more information and to apply.

*Recently passed legislation sets this amount based on a percentage of the Stateʼs per-pupil funding for public school students, so it will vary from year to year.

Voluntary Pre-K (VPK)
VPK is a program for all four-year-olds born on or before September 1 who reside in the state of Florida. This program will pay up to $2,500 of annual tuition and fees.

School Readiness
This program is for children birth-to-kindergarten who are from low-income households. The program works on a sliding scale and helps to pay part of the annual tuition.

Please visit https://spe.schoolreadiness.org/pe/ for additional information on the VPK or School Readiness programs.

How much will the Tax Credit Scholarship pay for the next school year?
Legislation passed last year sets the scholarship based on a percentage of the Stateʼs per-pupil funding for public school students. The administrators of the program project the scholarship to pay approximately $4,400 but the actual amount will not be know until late May.

Is in-school financial aid only for families that don’t participate in the Tax Credit Scholarship or VPK programs?
No. All families interested in being considered for in-school financial aid are encouraged to apply.

Is in-school financial aid on a first-come, first-serve basis?
No, but don’t delay submitting your application. Aid applications are due by March, 4th and will be evaluated as a group. Families who meet the application deadline will receive the greatest amount of aid, with a small reserve held for new enrollments that come in after the application deadline.

What are the deadlines for financial aid?

In-School Tuition Grants - Families of returning students should submit financial aid applications by Friday, March 4th to be considered for in-school aid for the 2011-2012 school year.

Florida Tax Credit Scholarship - Renewing families will be able to apply in early March and continue until April 30th. After April 30th, applications will be accepted for new students. Note: If you fail to renew by April 30th, your child’s scholarship cannot be guaranteed since they will enter the general pool and will only be considered on a first come, first served basis.

VPK - Applications for eligible children be accepted beginning on April 1st. Further information can be found at www.elcalachua.org.

Can you tell me how much financial aid I will receive directly from the school?
Not yet.  Each grant award decision is based on the report we receive from Tuition Aid and Data Services (TADS).  Families can expect to receive tuition grant decisions by April, 4th.

What do I do if I have additional questions?
Check the school website at www.bhaktivedantaacademy.org, visit the school office between 8:00 a.m. and 2:00 p.m., call 386-462-2886, or send an email to office@bhaktivedantaacademy.org.

Morning Drop-off Circle Reopened

Now that it appears that the harsh winter season has finally passed, the morning drop-off circle is being reopened. Starting tomorrow, Monday, all parents are encouraged to utilize the drop-off circle again.

As before, between 7:50 a.m. and 8:10 a.m., a staff member will greet and escort your child from your car. Please don't allow them to exit your vehicle until a staff person is available to walk with them.

The drop-off circle closes at 8:10 a.m. If you arrive after students have entered their classrooms, park your vehicle in the parking lot and bring your child directly to the office to sign-in. A staff member will escort your child to his/her classroom.

During inclement weather or days in which the outside temperature is below 45 degrees, the drive-through will be closed. In these circumstances you should park in the lot and escort your child to his/her classroom. If you are late, check-in at the office as usual.

Thank you!

Re-Enrollment Reminder

Our re-enrollment period for the 2011-2012 school year began February 18th and runs through Friday, March 4th.

An email with re-enrollment information was sent to all families last week. Additionally, you should have received an email from Tuition Aid and Data Services (TADS) with re-enrollment instructions. The message contained a link specific to your family, so please use it in order for your re-enrollment to be properly processed. If you did not receive either email, please let the school office know as soon as possible, so we can resend it.

Please Note: As the parent of a child currently enrolled, you have priority status. General enrollment will begin on March 4th. Please complete your re-enrollment and in-school financial aid applications (if needed) by this date.

Thank you!