Financial Aid

HMI's generous provision of financial aid made the life-transforming experience of the 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, Alumnae Parent; West Cornwall, CT

Thank you for your interest in the High Mountain Institute Semester for the 2012-13 school year, the Summer Term 2012, or the High Peaks Adventure 2012.

The High Mountain Institute (HMI) recognizes that the cost of excellent programs is significant. HMI is committed to making the Semester and Summer Term all of 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, the High Mountain Institute offers need-based financial aid for students whose families cannot afford the full cost of the HMI Semester, Summer Term, or High Peaks Adventure experience. Second, students who receive financial aid from one of our Member Schools will continue to receive aid from that school while at the HMI Semester. Finally, we have two Lake County Scholarships for the HMI Semester, which are merit based awards granted to the two strongest applicants from the Lake County High School in Leadville, regardless of need.

Calculating Financial Aid

Like most independent schools, the High Mountain Institute uses School and Student Services (SSS) to process financial aid applications. SSS is a service of the National Association of Independent Schools. Based on the financial information each family provides, SSS gives an estimated amount each family can contribute to educational expenses. This helps us make fair and objective financial aid decisions.

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 High Mountain Institute 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, each parent 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 High Mountain Institute 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 HMI 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.

High Mountain Institute Policies

Financial Aid Policies vary widely between our different sending schools. The following list details the policies that govern financial aid for the HMI Semester, Summer Term, and High Peaks Adventure:

  • Admission to the HMI Semester, Summer Term, or High Peaks Adventure is granted before considering financial need.

  • All financial aid awards, with the exception of the Lake County Scholarships, are based 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 High Mountain Institute.

  • 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, Director of Summer Term & Adjunct Programs, and Business Manager will have access to any financial aid information.

How to Apply

Starting on November 1, 2011, go to sss.nais.org/parents.

  1. Click on the "Apply Now" button.

  2. You will set up a PFS Online account using your e-mail address and a password. Returning parents: If you completed an online PFS application last year, use your e-mail address and existing password. If you have forgotten it, click on "Forgot my password."

  3. Select the High Mountain Institute as the school to which you are applying. Please note, if you have an existing application for your home school, please do not submit another PFS - simply add the High Mountain Institute to your existing and current PFS.

  4. Submit and pay for the PFS ($35). This fee is nonrefundable.

  5. Submit the supporting documentation (2011 1040 with all schedules, attachments and W2s). We must receive these documents by March 15, 2012. If you must submit the documents after this date, HMI will not be able to review the financial aid application in the first round and we will review late applications on a first come-first served basis if there are still financial aid funds available.

    To submit these documents online, go to the Manage Documents tab in the PFS Online. There you can upload documents from your computer. Save each document separately in one of the following formats: Adobe Acrobat pdf, Microsoft Word, .jpg, or .tif. On the Manage Documents page, click on "Browse," locate the document, then click on "Upload."

    To submit these documents by mail, send one copy (not the original) of each document with a Required Documents Cover Sheet to:

    For regular mail:
    SSS By NAIS
    P.O. Box 449
    Randolph, MA 02368-0449

    For overnight mail:
    SSS By NAIS
    Processing Center
    437 Turnpike Street
    Canton, MA 02021

  6. Additional Information We Require for Summer Applicants: If you are applying for financial aid for the Summer Term or the High Peaks Adventure program, please remember to include an estimate of how much you think your family can put toward tuition for these summer programs. You can include this in the notes field. The PFS clearly asks the question for the academic school year, and we need to know it for the summer as well.

If you do not have access to the internet and would prefer to apply by mail, contact Sheri Cerise, the Assistant to the Head of School, to request an application. She can be reached at 719-486-8200 ext 106 or scerise@hminet.org. Once you complete the application, mail it to the above SSS address. Please note that when you apply online, your information is delivered to HMI more quickly and accurately, allowing us to make a faster financial aid decision. You also save $12.

Timetable for Applying for Financial Aid

February 15, 2012

  • No later than this date, all applicants must complete the Parents' Financial Statement (PFS) with SSS either online or by mail. Online applications are less expensive and SSS processes the application and delivers the materials to the High Mountain Institute more quickly. Go to http://sss.nais.org to apply.

  • The complete application for admission to the HMI Semester and/or the Summer Term is due on this date. Visit our website, www.hminet.org, for application materials. Mail the application for admissions directly to the High Mountain Institute:

    Via the Postal Service:
    High Mountain Institute Applications
    PO Box 970
    Leadville, CO 80461

    Or via Fed Ex or UPS
    High Mountain Institute Applications
    531 County Road 5A
    Leadville CO 80461

  • Although applications for the High Peaks Adventure are accepted on a rolling basis, applicants who would like to be considered for financial aid, must submit their applications by February 15, 2012. Applications received after February 15 will be considered on a funds available basis only.

March 15, 2012

  • No later than this date, all required tax returns (2010 1040 with all schedules and attachments and W2s) must be sent to SSS.

Early April, 2012

  • Financial Aid decisions are mailed to families of admitted students for the HMI Semester, Summer Term, and High Peaks Adventure.

April 15, 2012

  • Signed Enrollment Agreement and deposit must be submitted by this date to hold a space in the HMI Semester or Summer Term.

After April 15, 2012

  • Financial Aid awards may be granted to new/late applicants on a funds-available basis.