We encourage all families to consider an education from the Lycée Français de New York regardless of their financial situation, as we are committed to providing financial support to families with demonstrated financial need.
The Lycée sets aside dedicated funds each year for its financial assistance program, funded in part by its endowment and donors. In fact, over the last five years, the Lycée has grown its financial aid from $1.7 million in 2012 to just under $5.0 million in 2020, or 200%! It's only the beginning.
Lycée financial assistance is available to students of all nationalities. Financial aid from the French Government is also available for French applicants (scroll down to “French Government Financial Aid” for more information). Applications for the Lycée's Financial Aid must be filled out and submitted every year.
Please note that the process below pertains only to new applicants. For returning Lycée families who have applied for Financial Aid, please visit MyLycée on January 31st for information on how to apply.
Do you have questions about Financial Aid, the application process or the timeline? Watch this recorded webinar.
For Preschool: Non-French families new to the Lycée Français de New York apply for Financial Aid between October 14 and December 15.
For Grades 1-12: Apply for Lycée Financial Aid and Admissions at the same time.
(Current families applying for Financial Aid for the following year may visit MyLycée starting January 31st)
Our Financial Aid is assessed by SMART AID, an independent assessment service. In order to be considered for financial assistance from the school, each family must submit a complete SMART AID application and a letter explaining the need for financial assistance. To access the SMART AID electronic application for the current year, please click here. To access the SMART AID electronic application for the following school year, please apply during the designated timeframe. If you are French, you must also apply for French Government Financial Aid as soon as possible (within the French Government deadlines).
Once the application is submitted, SMART AID reviews it and will contact parents who have submitted incomplete or unclear applications.
The information is analyzed using formulas developed to calculate need, based on a moderate standard of living for the geographic area of the applicant.
SMART AID can take between 4 to 8 weeks to provide the Lycée with a comprehensive report for each applicant. We encourage you to submit your application as early as possible.
The school’s Financial Aid committee then carefully reviews each application, inviting families for an interview as needed, to determine eligibility of financial assistance.
The school will communicate awards in conjunction with Admissions and Financial Aid committee meetings.
Visit the French Government Website to access financial aid application information. Complete your application and request an in-person appointment with the Consulate (within the applicable deadline) for in-person submission of your completed application. The consulate will not accept applications and documents sent electronically.
Please note that French families should apply for French Government and Lycée Financial Aid at the same time, and both applications must be completed in full for consideration. The Lycée Financial Aid Committee will not evaluate your application until a formal response to your complete application - either an award or a rejection - is issued by the French Consulate. Scroll up to the “Lycée Financial Aid” section to view the steps to apply for Lycée Financial Aid.
Each family having applied will receive a letter from the French Government stating either the amount of aid to be provided by the French Government or the reason for rejection. Such letter must be provided to the Lycée in addition to the package submitted to SMART AID in order to become eligible for Lycée financial aid.
All applications for financial aid are handled in the strictest confidence by the Financial Aid Committee. The Lycée is committed to the privacy of our families; students receiving aid are not identified. In the same way, Families are asked to keep the terms of their awards confidential and to discuss such support only with the business office.
A family should apply for Financial Aid if, after evaluating all other resources (i.e. French government, U.N. or other non-Lycée grants, familial help, etc.), they determine they cannot afford the tuition without assistance. All applications should be submitted simultaneously to other sources of assistance, and respect the various deadlines.
The Admissions and Financial Aid applications are separate processes. Families applying for admission to the School are welcome to apply for financial aid.The Financial Aid program is need-based, and families are awarded Financial Aid accordingly.
Financial Aid is awarded on the basis of need after a family has explored all other options. Each case is analyzed by a third-party administrator (SMART AID), and assessed individually by the school’s Financial Aid Committee. The Lycée assumes that families applying have given prioritization to their child’s education in the allocation of their resources. All families are expected to contribute a minimum amount that is meaningful to them.
Typically, Financial Aid awards are based on a family’s most recent financial information (tax returns or W-2 forms). Please see the application form of our third-party administrator.
The School does not offer a discount for large families.However, the award calculation effected by our third-party administrator takes into account the number of children in the family.
The ability or willingness of extended family members to pay tuition may be considered when making an award. The existence of student assets is taken into consideration when reviewing need.
In most instances, the Lycée cannot subsidize a family's decision to make a significant lifestyle change. However, the School will consider individual cases based on a detailed explanation of circumstances, particularly if outside a family’s control.
Since it is our belief that families bear the primary responsibility for financing the education of their children, it is our policy to expect both parents to contribute financially. If a parent is not working for pay, additional income equal to tuition will be imputed into the calculation. This policy does not require the parent to work. It only attempts to adjust the level of need by accounting for the income that the parent could earn if he or she chose to work.
Exceptions to this policy may occur if a parent is caring for a child not yet of school age, a child with a disability, a seriously ill child, parent, or grandparent, or if a parent is disabled and cannot work. Each application is evaluated individually. Please inform the Financial Aid Office in writing of these circumstances at the time of your initial application, and also append the letter to your SMART AID Management application.
At the Lycee, we hold both parents responsible for their children’s education expenses. The custodial parent(s) is (are) required to submit complete applications for Financial Aid.This information is collected in an attempt to determine the ability, not the willingness, of each parent to financially support their child’s education.
Families always have the opportunity to ask for the committee to reconsider their situation, which may be acted upon should circumstances have changed, and, in that situation, may yield a different award.
Should a family’s situation be financially stable from one year to the next, the family can expect a comparable level of financial aid in that next year.
Given that the awarding of Financial Aid generally follows the May 1 financial contractual commitment, consideration will be given to the continuity of financial aid in the case of a positive evolution of the family’s financial circumstances.
With great demand on our Financial Aid budget, once a school year begins, our funds have been largely allocated. To the extent that there is budget available, the school will re-examine and consider an additional award. At the same time, we assume that families are working to address the circumstances that led to the emergency Financial Aid request.