Financial Resources for 2024-25
Dear GMS Family,

We are reaching out with information about the North Carolina Opportunity Scholarship.

With recent changes from our state legislature (removal of both a household income cap and a student’s requirement to have previously attended public school), more of our families may be able to take advantage of this program to support your tuition. The program is designed to help families partially pay for a quality, non-public education of your choice for your kindergarten to 12th grade (K12) child. GMS has successfully participated in the program since 2014, and we currently have 17 students taking advantage of the Opportunity Scholarship. 

Opportunity Scholarships are awarded and administered by the North Carolina State Education Assistance Authority (NCSEAA). The application window for the 2024-25 is now open, and families must complete their application by March 1. The online application is relatively easy, and there is no fee for applying. For families who are given awards, scholarship amounts will range from $3,360 to $7,468. The NCSEAA will prioritize scholarship awards based on a tiered household income system. 

There is additional information below about the Opportunity Scholarship, as well details about our School's financial assistance program and leveraging 529 plans for elementary and secondary education.

We encourage you to learn more about the Opportunity Scholarship and whether this program may benefit your family. With reenrollment season upon us, Kevin and I will be in touch next week with reenrollment information for the 2024-25 school year. 

Sincerely,
Rhea Egbert
Director of Admission
NC Opportunity Scholarship
The Opportunity Scholarship was created by the General Assembly in 2013 to help parents pay tuition and fees at eligible nonpublic schools. Last fall, significant changes were made to expand access to more students. The biggest changes are:

  • There is no income cap for families to receive the scholarship.
  • Students are no longer required to have prior public school enrollment to be eligible.
How to Apply
The administering body of the program, the NCSEAA, has a dedicated webpage detailing the application process. Please note, the Opportunity Scholarship is not a first-come, first-served process. All applications received by March 1 are considered. To apply:

  1. Create a MyPortal Account, which includes creating and activating your User Account.
  2. Log in to your account and complete the online application by March 1. You will need your taxpayer ID and driver's license number, your child's Social Security Number, and your 2023 household income. Complete one application for every eligible child in your household.
  3. Check for notifications in early April and complete any additional tasks, which may include income and/or residency verification.
The Awarding Process
NCSEAA's website explains their tier-based awarding process, and we've provided an overview below:

  1. Students who received funding in 2023-24 will renew their funding before the new awards are given.
  2. Eligible applications are assigned an Award Tier based on household size and income.
  3. Scholarships are awarded in order of tier. If an entire tier's applications cannot be provided, remaining applicants within that tier will be entered into a lottery until funding is exhausted.
  4. Eligible students who are not awarded will be added to a waitlist and will be considered for a later award if possible (likely in May or June).
Additional Information

If you have any additional questions about applying for the Opportunity Scholarship, please don't hesitate to email me. For questions related to your specific application or award, you may contact the NCSEAA at 1-855-330-3955 or email them. For assistance with your NCSEAA MyPortal, call 1-855-763-5333 or send an email to their dedicated login support inbox.
GMS Financial Assistance
Completely separate from the NC Opportunity Scholarship, Greensboro Montessori School's Financial Assistance Program is a need-based program, which makes financial assistance available to families who cannot otherwise afford our tuition. Financial assistance is reviewed and granted on an annual basis and is available to students enrolling in kindergarten through ninth grade.

Greensboro Montessori School bases awards on a family’s ability to afford tuition only. Before- and after-school care expenses (the cost of All-Inclusive CASA and Early-Bird CASA), as well as other expenses outside tuition, are not included. If you are unsure whether your family would qualify for Financial Assistance, but you know that paying tuition is an uncomfortable stretch, please consider applying.
To Apply for GMS Financial Assistance
  1. Complete a Notice of Application for Financial Assistance by March 1.
  2. Complete the online application through FAST by March 15. "FAST" stands for Financial Aid for School Tuition. It is a service sponsored by Independent School Management and there is a $53 application fee payable directly to FAST.
  3. Submit completed tax forms to FAST by March 22.
Our School's Awarding Process
FAST will use the information families provide to make a recommendation to the School for how much a family can afford to contribute for education. Factors considered in the process include family income and expenses, assets and indebtedness, family size, age of parents, number of children attending tuition-charging schools, and financial assistance received from extended family and other sources. Greensboro Montessori School will consider the recommendation from FAST and make final determinations based on the resources available in the School’s general operating budget. Financial assistance must be applied for annually, and returning families receive priority as the School determines how to allocate assistance.
529 Plans
One final piece of information about ways to pay your GMS tuition: K12 families may help pay tuition expenses for K12 schools through 529 plans. 529 Plans are state-established programs that allow you to contribute to an account for paying a student's qualified education expenses at an eligible educational institution. Parents can use up to $10,000 of tax-free 529 funds per child, per year to pay for elementary and secondary school tuition. Please contact Amy Wagoner if you are interested in paying a portion of your tuition using funds distributed from a 529 account.
336-668-0119 | gms.org