Starkville Academy: Tuition, Affordability, and Educational Experience

Starkville Academy is an independent college preparatory school located in Starkville, Mississippi, educating students from Pre-kindergarten through grade twelve. Since 1970, the academy has aimed to provide a quality education in a safe, Christian environment, challenging students to excel academically, physically, socially, spiritually, and culturally. This article delves into the various aspects of Starkville Academy, including tuition fees, the Flexible Tuition Program, the re-enrollment process, and the overall educational experience.

Tuition and Affordability

The annual tuition for Starkville Academy is $5,935, which includes a building fee, book/instructional fee, and art fee. Starkville Academy strives to offer a balanced, affordable, high-quality education in a Christian environment that meets the needs of both students and parents.

Flexible Tuition Program

Recognizing that tuition costs can be a significant burden for some families, Starkville Academy offers a Flexible Tuition Program. This program allows families to apply for reduced tuition based on their demonstrated financial need. The school encourages families who believe they may qualify to apply.

How the Program Works

Starkville Academy uses information from School and Student Services (SSS), a service of the National Association of Independent Schools, as a starting point to calculate the flexible tuition level. SSS assesses a family’s ability to pay for independent education, ensuring that requests for assistance are evaluated objectively and professionally. Over 2,100 schools and organizations across the country use SSS.

The Flexible Tuition Committee at Starkville Academy considers many factors that affect a family’s ability to pay, while also considering the resources available for the program in any given year. The committee operates separately from the Admissions Office to ensure that a family’s financial need does not affect a student’s acceptance.

It's important to note that Starkville Academy may not have the resources to offer flexible tuition to every student who qualifies. A student may be admitted to the school but waitlisted for flexible tuition. In such cases, the school will notify qualifying families if funds become available during the school year.

Determining Flexible Tuition

SSS uses a comprehensive approach to determine the level of tuition a family can afford. This involves analyzing various factors, including:

Income: This includes pre-tax earnings from wages, business investments, and other sources. All tax schedules must be submitted to accurately assess income. If parents reside in separate households, the income and expenses of both households are considered.
Assets: Major assets, savings, and investments are considered, with the formula computing an income supplement that is added to the gross income. Net assets of $50,000 or less typically have little impact on the computation. Home equity is based on the price paid for the home and the years it has been owned, which generally undervalues the equity. The income assumed to be generated by assets also considers parent age, leaving retirement savings intact. However, if the student has assets, the formula includes them in calculating the amount the parents can pay.
Family Size: Living allowance estimates are based on the number of people in a student’s household. Income is adjusted by expenditures for housing, food, and medical needs to obtain the available discretionary income.
Unusual Expenses: The formula considers certain "unusual expenses," such as care of an aging grandparent, parent educational loan payments, legal fees, closing costs, and other expenses listed in the application instructions for the Flexible Tuition Program.
Other Discretionary Income: The formula expects a family to allocate only a portion of discretionary income to tuition payments.
Number of Independent School or College Tuitions Currently Being Supported: The ability to pay is divided by the number of family members at any elementary school, high school, or college that charges tuition to determine the flexible tuition rate for each student.
Divorced, Separated, or Never Married Parents: Both custodial and non-custodial parents (regardless of legal settlements) who are divorced, separated, or have never married are required to submit the Parent Financial Statement (PFS). In exceptional cases where one parent cannot comply, the custodial parent should submit a written explanation. Lack of information from either parent may significantly affect the flexible tuition amount.

Key Considerations

Confidentiality: Starkville Academy is committed to protecting the privacy of its families. All information received by the school is held in the strictest confidence.
Separate Process: An application for flexible tuition does not affect the admission process. The Flexible Tuition Committee operates separately from the Admissions Office.
Reapplication: Families must reapply for the Flexible Tuition Program each year to continue receiving assistance. Provided family circumstances remain the same and the school’s resources can continue to support the program to the same extent, the school intends to fund the student for the duration of their time at Starkville Academy.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is my family eligible for Flexible Tuition? There is a broad spectrum of families who qualify, from those who can afford only partial tuition to those who can afford almost full tuition. It is impossible for the school to determine the level of tuition for which a family may qualify unless the entire School & Student Services application is completed and all required documents are submitted to the school.
Does an application for Flexible Tuition affect a student’s chances of admission to the school? A family’s financial need does not affect a student’s acceptance by the school. Flexible Tuition is determined separately.
When will a family learn if they have been offered Flexible Tuition? Flexible Tuition Program notification will generally occur at various times through the spring semester of each school year. Applications for financial aid should begin by February 1 and be completed by March 1 of each year of enrollment. Responses to families will fall into one of three categories: an offer of Flexible Tuition; notification that the family does not qualify for Flexible Tuition; or notice that the family is waitlisted for Flexible Tuition. A waitlist designation means that a family will be considered for Flexible Tuition if additional funding becomes available.
Are Flexible Tuition decisions based on merit? No, all Flexible Tuition decisions are based solely on demonstrated need.
If a student’s family participates in Flexible Tuition, does the student stay in the program until graduation? Provided family circumstances remain the same and the school’s resources can continue to support the program to the same extent, the school intends to fund the student for the duration of the time here at SA. To continue in the program, the family must reapply each year.
In the case of parents/guardians who do not live together (e.g. divorced, separated, never married), do both households have to submit financial information? Yes, each parent/guardian household must submit all required documents to both SSS and to Starkville Academy to be considered for Flexible Tuition.

Re-Enrollment Process

The re-enrollment process for Starkville Academy is conducted online through the FACTS/RenWeb Family Portal. The process involves two main steps:

Step 1: Create a Parent Portal

Click on “Create New Family Portal Account".
Follow the directions to create an account. If you have an account from last year, it is still active. Login with District Code: “stk-ms” and your username and password. Make sure the button next to “Parent” is highlighted.

Step 2: Re-Enroll Each Child Via Parent Portal

Once you are logged into the FACTS/RenWeb Family Portal page, choose the “Apply/Enroll” option in the menu column on the left, and then click on the “Enrollment/Reenrollment” button.
Select the link that says “Click here to open Enrollment”.
Our Online Enrollment system will open with a link to the enrollment packet for each child in your family, and you must complete a packet for each child. If you are completing the online re-enrollment process for the first time, it should take approximately 15 minutes to complete. If you have already completed the online re-enrollment process, then you should simply need to review your information and update it as needed. Your information will be saved if you need to quit and come back later.

Primary vs. Secondary Enrollment Responsible Parent

The primary enrollment responsible parent provides the most information for each student, including medical information and payment method authorization. The school has to assign a primary or secondary status to each parent, so in most cases, the mother has been designated “primary” unless the father is the only parent who has created a parent portal in FACTS/RenWeb. If both parents are in the same household, provide all of the information for each parent, and both provide their digital signatures, then there is no need to complete a secondary enrollment packet.

For divorced families, the primary parent is designated based upon custodial status and/or financial responsibility. For parents who are living in separate households, we still want both parents to complete the online re-enrollment process for purposes of updated demographic/contact information.

Read also: Explore Haas Hall Academy

Important Dates and Fees

Priority Registration typically runs from 8:00 AM on Monday, Feb. 1, through 8:00 AM on Monday, Feb. 8.
The Registration Fee per family is $220 during this time and $420 after 12:00 PM on Feb. 8.
The Registration Fee must be paid by cash, check, or credit card.

Before final submission of your re-enrollment packet(s), you have the option to download and print your information by selecting to view the PDF file on the last page.

Educational Experience and Environment

Starkville Academy aims to integrate academic excellence with a passion to develop a strong foundation for young leaders who uniquely shape the world in which we live. The school emphasizes a family-like bond between students, parents, faculty, and staff, guiding students to make the right choices both inside and outside the classroom.

Academics and Extracurriculars

Starkville Academy has a student-teacher ratio of 15:1, which allows for more individualized attention and support for students. The school offers a variety of extracurricular activities, including:

4-H Club
Anchor Club
Better Together Encouragement Team
Computer Science National Honor Society
Crown Club
Debate Team/Mock Trial
Duke Tip Program
Elementary Book Club
Extreme Engineering Club (Gr.

Feedback and Ratings

Starkville Academy has received feedback and ratings, with a Niche grade of B. The average GPA is 3.71. Average standardized test scores include an SAT score of 1300 and an ACT score of 25.

School Overview

The mission of Starkville Academy is to provide quality educational programs in a safe, Christian environment that will challenge students to excel academically, physically, socially, spiritually, and culturally.

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