High Mountain Institute | RMS Financial Aid

HMI’s generous provision of financial aid made the life-transforming experience of the Rocky Mountain Semester available to our two daughters. My wife and I watched with amazement as they emerged from their time in Leadville suffused with confidence, personal responsibility, and a thirst for adventure. - Rinker Buck, RMS Alumnae Parent; West Cornwall, CT

The High Mountain Institute recognizes that the cost of an excellent program such as the Rocky Mountain Semester is significant. HMI strives to make the Rocky Mountain Semester affordable for all accepted students, regardless of the financial circumstances of one’s family. In offering aid, we hope to attract students from a wide range of economic, ethnic, and geographic backgrounds. Our financial aid comes in three forms. First, HMI offers need-based financial aid for students whose families cannot afford the full cost of the RMS experience. Second, students who receive financial aid from one of our Member Schools will continue to receive aid while at the RMS. Finally, we have two Lake County Scholarships, which are merit based awards granted to the two strongest applicants from the Lake County High School here in Leadville, regardless of need.

If you would like to apply for fiancial aid on line you may do so at www.nais.org/financialaid/sss. You may also call Sheri Cerise at 719-486-8200 ext. 106 to request a financial aid packet. Completed applications for financial aid for either fall or spring semester are due on February 15. By March 15 please send a copy of your complete IRS 1040, including all attached schedules, to RMS, PO Box 970, Leadville, CO 80461. If the complete previous year form is not yet available, send the complete prior year form.

Calculating Financial Aid

Like most independent schools, the Rocky Mountain Semester financial aid committee starts with a standard calculation derived by the School and Student Service for Financial Aid (SSS) in Princeton, New Jersey. Their system examines gross income (both taxable and non-taxable), assets, liabilities, family size, and the number of students in tuition charging schools. After an allowance for necessities and required taxes, the remaining funds are considered to be one’s discretionary income. SSS then uses a sliding scale to determine how much of the discretionary income is available for education. The more one earns, the greater the expected contribution. The RMS financial aid committee calculates need by using the statement from SSS and last year’s tax return. Our determination is based on the same factors SSS uses, but may differ slightly from their calculation because we make allowances for the different cost of living in some communities and adjust for home equity inflation.

Policy for Divorced/Separated Parents

In cases of divorce or separation, both parents should complete the Parents’ Financial Statement (PFS). The family contribution is based on both parents’ ability to meet educational expenses; it is based on need, not on a willingness or unwillingness to pay. It is the position of the RMS that divorced or separated parents retain the obligation to contribute to the education of their children, regardless of whether there is a legal agreement to do so. Because RMS interests and policies were not represented in the divorce settlement, we do not abide by its guidelines or stipulations. Instead, we require both parents to contribute as much as our calculations show they can afford.

The financial aid committee will consider a financial aid application once we have received the appropriate paperwork from both parents. The primary exception to this is when the non-custodial parent has not been involved in the student’s life for some extended period of time. We may ask the family to provide more information about these kinds of circumstances.

If either parent remarries, the financial information of the stepparent must be included on the PFS. We will take into consideration individual relationships, financial agreements, and the obligations of the parent and stepparent to their other children when we process the information.

RMS Policies

Financial Aid Policies vary widely between our different sending schools. The following list details the policies that govern financial aid for the Rocky Mountain Semester:

Admission to the Rocky Mountain Semester is granted before considering financial aid applications.
All financial aid awards, with the exception of the Lake County Scholarships, are based entirely on need as determined by the financial aid committee.
Parents are expected to support the student to the extent they are able, as determined by SSS (School and Student Service for Financial Aid) and the Rocky Mountain Semester.
It is essential that applicants complete and file all application forms and required tax forms on time. Late applications may not receive full consideration.
All financial aid records are kept confidential. Only the Financial Aid Committee, Head of School, Executive Director, and business office will have access to financial aid information.