Information for Meetings
Monthly Meetings are encouraged to match or exceed the grant level announced by the Yearly Meeting.
PYM requires that Meetings give assurance that families requesting PYM funds meet the criteria of the Jonathan E. Rhoads Endowment Fund for Friends Children in Friends Schools. The criteria can be found in the following “Common Practices of Philadelphia Area Monthly Meetings” below.
The PYM Education office will be happy to consult with any Meetings that have concerns or questions about their families’ participation in this program, or about these policy guidelines.
Quarterly Meetings – The PYM Education office will communicate and coordinate with each Quarterly Meeting after compiling the information received from the Monthly Meetings (via the schools). It is expected that the decision-making processes of each Quarterly Meeting will be coordinated with the various Monthly Meetings that comprise that Quarter.
Common Practices of Philadelphia Area Monthly Meetings Handling Tuition Assistance for Friends Children Attending Friends Schools
The Clerk of Tuition Aid Committee has:
- At least one year of experience on the committee.
- Knowledge of the source of income for the funds being distributed as well as knowledge of any restrictions on those funds.
- Clear and direct communication with the tuition aid officer of the schools to which members’ children apply.
Duties of the Tuition Aid Committee should include:
- Clearness that decisions regarding admissions are the sole authority of each school.
- Seeing that there is a tuition aid philosophy and a uniform methodology for providing tuition aid that has Business Meeting approval. (Consider promoting transparency by including these documents on a web page or by other methods.)
- Striving to maintain the level of support through graduation.
- Awareness of PYM tuition aid eligibility standards and typical amount distributed.
- Timeliness in notifying families of awards.
- Maintaining confidentiality of applicants and/or recipients.
- Informing Meeting Business Meeting of the percentage of tuition supported by Meeting funds.
- A commitment to growing the funds which support tuition assistance.
Below is an example of the tuition aid philosophy, eligibility requirements, expectations and procedures of a fictitious Philadelphia Area Monthly Meeting.
Our Meeting honors the tradition of Friends education and recognizes that the ties that unite the expression of Friends testimonies in Meetings and schools are strengthened when Friends participate in both settings. In addition to the tuition aid provided by Philadelphia Yearly Meeting, our Tuition Aid Fund provides support for our Meeting children.
- The Tuition Aid Fund supports attendance at PYM Friends Schools with a preference for the school under our care. Attendance in grades K through 12 is supported.
- Students who receive tuition aid are expected to participate in the life of the Meeting (E.g. regularly attend Meeting for Worship and/or First Day School.)
Procedures:
- The Tuition Aid Committee will consist of three members of Meeting who have been approved by Business Meeting. It will be the duty of this committee to distribute tuition aid.
- Each November Finance Committee will inform the Tuition Aid Committee of the amount of distributable income. In addition, the Tuition Aid Committee will review the list of meeting children to assure that all parents are aware of the availability of assistance for students attending Friends Schools and will request the guidelines, application form, and timeline at friendseducationfund.org or by calling Philadelphia Yearly Meeting.
- Child is accepted for admission to a Friends school. (If the Meeting has an eligibility requirement, the family must apply to the school for aid)
- Prior to January 31 the member parent or guardian makes a request for tuition aid.
- Prior to February 15 the Tuition Aid Committee will determine the amount of support each student will receive according to grade level and number of eligible children. This number will be promptly shared with the applicant family and school.
- Prior to September 30 the Tuition Aid Clerk will contact the school Business Manager to ascertain that the children are in attendance. The Clerk will then ask Finance Committee to write a check to each school for the total amount of tuition aid.
- Changes in this policy can be made after approval by two successive sessions of Business Meeting.
RESTRICTIONS: Language from The Jonathan E. Rhoads Endowment Fund for Friends Education for Friends Children and PYM standard currently in use:
- At least one parent of a student receiving tuition aid from Philadelphia Yearly Meeting must have been a member of a PYM monthly meeting continuously for the previous one year before the effective semester commences.
- Schools that accept these tuition funds agree that the amounts shall be in addition to, and not in place of, other tuition aid and credits for Quaker children.
- Some form of Quaker history/beliefs must be taught at some point in the curriculum of the schools receiving these funds.
“A Friends school offers families a source of stability to help stand up to a society that bombards its children with an endless stream of highly questionable values. My wife and I will always be grateful for the financial assistance and support we received from both PYM and our own meeting to help our children attend and graduate from a Friends school.”
