Help open doors to independent schools.
EMA is proud to offer all member schools free access to our Fee Waiver Program, which provides more than $2 million in waived fees for numerous EMA products and services for students eligible for the program.
Member schools can distribute fee waivers directly and electronically to eligible families at no cost to the school. The goal: to break down barriers to independent school enrollment.
Going into this admissions season, 36% of A Better Chance applicant families indicated they expected someone in their household to be laid off or furloughed, and 22% indicated that financial pressures may make independent schools unfeasible. Because of EMA’s waivers, A Better Chance was able to assure parents their children would have the opportunity to sit for the SSAT despite the financial hardships they anticipated.
"In my experience working with students from socioeconomically challenged backgrounds, the entire prep school application process feels to them like they are entering a dark labyrinth. At each turn, they fear they will encounter yet another setback! These are fears admission counselors can allay if each member of the admission staff is briefed and knowledgeable of how efficiently and effectively to procure fee waivers for students who require them. Let’s all strive to be a thread for those who may be wandering blindly."
While we offer fee waivers to member schools at no cost, we ask that you grant them equitably. The following guidelines will help you determine eligibility.
Please remember that fee waiver eligibility isn’t predetermined by a family’s financial need for tuition assistance. We empower our member schools to use your best discretion when awarding waivers.