Financial Aid

Please note: Camp Chewonki has changed its financial aid application process for the upcoming summer. To improve this process, we are using School and Student Services (SSS). SSS has been processing financial aid applications for camps and independent schools for decades, and their service is secure and confidential. Your information is never shared with third parties.

How It Works:

1. Complete an online enrollment application for Camp Chewonki and indicate on the camp application that you intend to apply for financial aid.
2. Once the program director has approved your child(ren) for enrollment (this should take a week or two after you’ve submitted your camp application through CampMinder), you will be notified and sent a link to School and Student Services (SSS).
3. You complete and submit a Parents’ Financial Statement (PFS) along with required tax documents and a $51 processing fee. You give SSS permission to analyze your financial information.  SSS uses family size, income, asset, expense, and liability information to determine your financial situation; in rare instances, for those families with the greatest need, SSS will automatically apply a fee waiver.  The SSS fee waiver (if applicable) will appear at the moment you need to provide your credit card information.
4. SSS reviews your family income, assets, expenses, and liabilities to determine an objective estimate of the amount your family can likely contribute to summer program expenses.
5. The same PFS can be used for all the children in your family and for any number of summer programs or independent schools, for the single $51 fee.
6. SSS creates a private report called the Estimate of Family Contribution (EFC). This report provides Chewonki with a summary of your financial details but does not determine the size of your financial aid award.
7. Chewonki’s financial aid committee reviews your application and the EFC, and makes an award based on the combination of our financial aid budget, your demonstrated need, and any extenuating circumstances outlined in your application.
8. Families are notified of their aid award status on a rolling basis. You will be notified on or before March 15 if you have completed the SSS process on or before January 31.

Important Reminders:

• Chewonki will send you the financial aid application link when your child is approved for enrollment.
• The priority deadline for completing and filing your financial aid application with SSS is January 31.
  
  
• Financial aid applications received after January 31 will be considered, although our financial aid funds are limited and will be awarded on a first-come, first-served basis to those who apply on or before January 31. 
• Requests for financial aid usually exceed the amount of funds available, therefore we cannot guarantee financial aid to all who apply.
• In the case of full financial need, our maximum award requires a minimum contribution from the family of $300 per camp participant.

Helpful Tips:

• Fill out the PFS form as completely and accurately as possible. Indicate that you are applying for 2020-21 financial aid for Chewonki summer 2020 programs.
• You will need to upload your most recent tax return and W-2s. Parents who file separate tax returns are both required to separately complete the PFS form.  (Please note it is assumed that a child is supported by both parents, and financial information must be provided accordingly. If this is not possible, please contact us.)
• IMPORTANT: A completed Camp Registration/Agreement Form and a non-refundable $100 deposit are required to reserve each program space.
• You can begin the PFS at any time once you’ve received notice from Chewonki that your child/children is/are enrolled. You don’t have to complete the PFS in one sitting; you can save your work and come back to the application multiple times prior to completing and submitting to SSS.
• Please contact Leslie Hunter in the camp office at lhunter@chewonki.org or  207-882-7323, extension 104, with any questions.