Scholarships and Financial Assistance

An education at The Summit Academy is an investment for a lifetime. 

The Summit Academy is committed to serving families and a key component of this includes the effort to keep our exceptional education priced below the average private high school tuition rates. In addition, we have need-based programs, multi-student discounts, as well as a non-need-based program which awards the John Paul Asbell Scholarship. Below set in place procedures that will help us provide further tuition assistance for some families in the 2025-2026 school year.

The John Paul Asbell Scholarship

The Summit Academy offers the following merit-based scholarships:

$2,500 Scholarship awarded to one incoming student, regardless of need.
$2,500 Scholarship awarded to one returning student, regardless of need.

Award winners should demonstrate a record of achievement, merit, and personal character as well as a developing sense of academic inquiry. The award winners are determined by the Scholarship Committee to exemplify the character and cultural virtues of The Summit Academy. While other factors may come into play in the decision-making process, regardless, the winner must show a keen mind, a charitable heart, an eagerness to learn, a humble attitude, and a desire for wisdom.

In order to apply for the scholarship, the applicant must have the following completed by April 25, 2025.

1. Write an essay based on one of the following prompts:

New Students (choose one):

• What does it mean to be “free”?
• Who is the happiest person you know and why?

Returning Students (choose one):

• George Washington Carver famously wrote that “education is the key that unlocks the golden door of freedom.” What then is a good education and how does it accomplish the end of “unlocking the golden door of freedom”?
• Catholic philosopher Simon Weil wrote that education consists of developing the mind by increasing our powers of attention. Given this reflection, what is the ultimate reason that the Catholic Church has an interest in education?

2. Schedule and complete a scholarship interview with the headmaster. Interviews may be scheduled after essays have been submitted.

For easy submission and to schedule an interview, please email mbuhle@thesummitva.org and include “John Paul Asbell Scholarship” in the subject.

Please note that while The John Paul Asbell Scholarship is not a need-based scholarship, applicants and award winners may also apply for Tuition Assistance. Additional information on Tuition Assistance is available on our Tuition page.

Multi-Student Discount

The Summit Academy has a separate standard policy for reduced tuition for families that have multiple students enrolled. There is a $2,000 discount for each successive high school student that is enrolled and a $1,000 discount for each successive middle school student that is enrolled. Families that are eligible for the multiple-student reduced tuition may still apply for tuition assistance by submitting all relevant information through FACTS. 

Need-Based Assistance

The Summit Academy has established a tuition assistance committee that will utilize information from FACTS to help determine the need and the amount of the award. The committee does not have a specific formula to determine the award amount but will seek to take into account each family’s individual circumstances.

Families may receive more than one form of Tuition Assistance.

Key Dates

• Tuition Assistance Application Deadline: February 15, 2025* (Apply through FACTS at this link; tuition assistance requires submission of 2023 tax returns)

• Admission Decision Letters Sent: March 1, 2025

• Tuition Assistance Notifications Posted via FACTS: March 1, 2025
  

• Enrollment Agreement and Tuition Deposit for New Families Deadline: March 31, 2025

• John Paul Asbell Scholarship Application Deadline: April 25, 2025

Tuition Assistance FAQs

How do I apply? Families should first apply for admission to The Summit by filling out the application here. For need-based assistance, we employ “FACTS Grant and Aid Management” service which is a reputable third-party service used in many private schools. The FACTS application process helps to ensure that financial need is determined objectively and appropriately. To begin please visit the FACTS Tuition Assistance which can be accessed here:

Is there a specific income level that makes a family ineligible for an award? No – FACTS takes a holistic account into consideration when assessing need.

Is there a deadline to apply? Yes. In 2025-2026 we have a set amount of funds that are designated for tuition assistance in the school year. Please consider the following:

• The Tuition Assistance Fund operates from a set amount of finances that have been specifically designated for such purposes.

• The Fund is managed by a separate oversight committee that will determine awards and amounts. Priority will be given to all Tuition Assistance applications that have been submitted by February 15 and funds may not be available for applications that are submitted late.

• All students that have applied for Tuition Assistance by February 15 will receive a response by March 1. For this reason, families that are interested in applying for tuition assistance should not delay in submitting an application to the school. Applications for Tuition Assistance in 2025-2026 should be submitted no later than February 15.

How can I contribute to The Summit Tuition Assistance Fund? The newly established Tuition Assistance Fund has been created to help as many students as possible afford a quality education that will form young people as strong, capable thinkers who will, in turn, invest those energies and talents towards the good of their communities.

The Summit Academy is a 501c3 and all financial contributions are tax deductible.

Contribute to The Summit Tuition Assistance Fund by clicking here: