Cheder Tuition Policy

5784-5785 / 2024-2025 School Year 
Chicago Metro Residents

“EVERY CHILD DESERVES TO RECEIVE A COMPLETE AND AUTHENTIC JEWISH EDUCATION NO MATTER THE FINANCIAL CIRCUMSTANCES OF THAT CHILD’S FAMILY.”

This is the goal toward which the Cheder strives. To achieve this objective requires a partnership among the Cheder and its parent body as well as extended family members, other institutions, and the entire Chicago Jewish community. The Cheder Tuition Policy set forth herein depends upon the existence of that partnership.

I. Schedule of Tuition and Fees

Tuition rates and fees (not including summer fee) for the school year 5784-85/2024-25 are as follows: 

Preschool   Mornings: $6,500/annual. Aftercare: $3,300/annual. 

Elementary  (Pre-1a through Eighth Grade) $14,500/annual.

Give-or-Get  (per child) $450/annual

Registration Fee $150/per family

Aftercare Application Fee $150/per child (applied to aftercare tuition)

Minimum Tuition $6,500/annual (See Section III (E) below)

II. Required Contributions

In addition to the standard tuition and fees, each family is expected to assist the Cheder in its fundraising efforts and otherwise contribute to the school’s well-being.

A. Cheder “Money”

Each year, each family must either purchase at least $600/month of Cheder “Money” or Jewel Gift Cards over the course of the school year for use at various merchants make or make a one-time donation of $250.

B. Give or Get

Each year, every family must either pay or raise (known as “Give or Get”) at least $450 per student in charitable contributions to the Cheder. The Give or Get requirement applies to all students in Nursery through 8th grades.

Each year the Tuition Committee may grant variances in a family’s Give or Get requirement. Specifically, in cases where there is a gross disparity between a family’s means and the minimum requirements, the Tuition Committee may choose to reduce the Give or Get requirement in whole or in part. Also, the Give or Get requirement may be waived during a family’s first year at Cheder if the family lacks sufficient assets or income.

Give or Get variances must be applied for and approved annually by the Tuition Committee, as variances from previous years will not be carried over. Variance applications can be obtained from the Cheder office and all variance application must be received no later than the end of June each year. Failure to submit a completed variance application in a timely manner will regrettably preclude the Cheder from considering a family for the Give or Get reduction.

Please keep in mind that a family’s Give or Get requirements may be met through charitable contributions raised by the family on behalf of the Cheder. Also, per arrangements made with the Cheder administration, portions of a family’s requirement may be met through the contribution of goods and/or services in lieu of actual monetary payments. A family’s overall ability to either raise funds or contribute goods and/or services will be factored into the decision to grant a Give or Get reduction.

III. The Cheder Tuition Assistance Program

In the spirit of the partnership set forth above, Cheder has established a Tuition Assistance Program to help offset the financial burden of educating Cheder students.

Each year Cheder has traditionally provided over $1.5 million of overall tuition assistance to those families that are unable to pay the full tuition fees. Nevertheless, despite its best efforts, Cheder understands that the Tuition Assistance Program will not fully offset the financial needs of each and every family. Although the Cheder administration conducts extensive annual fundraising activities, the Cheder has no choice but to require a minimum tuition requirement for educating Cheder students.

A. Tuition Assistance Eligibility

Only students in Kindergarten through 8th grades are eligible for tuition assistance from Cheder. Full tuition must be paid for students in Nursery.

B. Tuition Assistance Applicability

Tuition assistance is applicable only to tuition fees. Registration, book, and Summer Session fees as well as Required Contributions (see Section II) must be paid in full, subject only to the variances discussed in Section II.

C. FACTS

The Cheder is an affiliate of the Chicago Associated Talmud Torah. As such, Cheder is required to administer its tuition assistance process in conjunction with FACTS. FACTS is a private, non-profit organization that applies a standard formula for determining each family’s ability to pay for private school education. Although the FACTS process is required in order for tuition assistance to be rewarded, the recommendation made by FACTS is not determinative of the tuition assistance, as explained in Section III.D.

Each family that wishes to be considered for tuition assistance from Cheder must submit a properly completed FACTS application by the deadline specified on the FACTS application (factsmgt.com ). Families are encouraged to submit their applications no later than April 30th. Failure to submit a completed FACTS form in a timely manner will regrettably preclude the Cheder from considering a family for tuition assistance.

D. Consideration of FACTS Recommendations

Due to a limited amount of Tuition Assistance Program funds, the Tuition Committee will automatically apply a mandatory upward adjustment of 15% to each family’s FACTS recommendation.

The recommendation made by FACTS is subject to revision as set forth herein. In most cases, the Tuition Committee will use the FACTS recommendation without independent examination of a family’s financial situation. However, the Tuition Committee may impose discretionary adjustments to the FACTS recommendation for reasonable cause.

Reasonable cause for an upward adjustment includes any plausible grounds for believing the information requested by and/or provided to FACTS does not accurately depict a family’s true financial condition. The Tuition Committee will not consider downward adjustments to the FACTS recommendation except in exceptional circumstances and only when the FACTS itself has suggested that it is appropriate for the Tuition Committee to conduct a further review of the family’s financial condition.

E. Determining Tuition Assistance

Due to the Tuition Assistance Program’s limited funds, a cap on tuition assistance per student has been established. For Chicagoland residents, the minimum tuition per student is $6,500.

Actual tuition is determined by taking the greater of the following:

• the minimum tuition per student times the number of eligible students; and 
• the adjusted FACTS figure if said figure is greater than the result using the minimum tuition.

IV. Tuition Variances

A. Hardship

Each year the Tuition Committee may grant tuition variances to a family due to extreme hardship resulting from an inability to work due to severe illness. Be advised that, as a general rule, if there is an employed or employable adult in the household, insufficient income or other assets does not usually by itself result in a hardship tuition reduction.

Variances must be applied for and approved annually by the Tuition Committee, as variances from previous years will not be carried over. Variance applications can be obtained from the Cheder office and all variance application must be received no later than the end of June each year. Failure to submit a completed variance application in a timely manner will regrettably preclude the Cheder from considering a family for a hardship reduction.

Please note that a family may not apply or qualify for the hardship variance during its first year of attendance at Cheder.

B. Tuition Discounts

Families with parents who teach at the Cheder may in some cases qualify for certain discounts in accordance with the policies established by the Cheder administration from time to time.

V. Total Tuition and Fees Due and Give or Get

A. Determining Total Tuition and Fees Due and Give or Get

Determination of a family’s total Cheder tuition due is based on the numerous factors set forth in the Cheder Tuition Policy. If you are eligible for tuition assistance, use the worksheet below to determine the Total Tuition and Fees Due to Cheder for your family plus Give or Get. (The following calculation does not include Cheder “money”).

Cheder Tuition Assistance Program Worksheet (Chicagoland students)

Adjusted FACTS Figure

Line 1

Initial FACTS Recommendation

Enter the recommended FACTS amount (as adjusted, if applicable, by the Tuition Committee)

  

Line 2

Mandatory 15% FACTS Adjustment

Multiply Line 1 by 15%

  

Line 3

FACTS as Adjusted

Add Lines 1 and 2

  

Tuition Assuming Maximum Assistance

Line 4

Tuition per student assuming maximum assistance

Chicagoland residents: Multiply the # of students attending Kindergarten through 8th grades by $6,500

  

Line 5

Tots/Nursery Tuition

Multiply the # of students attending Tots/Nursery by $6,500

  

Line 6

Total Tuition Assuming Maximum Assistance

Add Lines 4 and 5

  

Applicable Tuition

Line 7

Applicable Tuition

Enter the greater of Lines 3 and 6

  

Variances

Line 8

Hardship

Enter in any hardship variances approved by the Tuition Committee

  

Total Tuition Due

Line 9

Total Tuition Due

Subtract Lines 8 from Line 7

  

Required Contributions*

Line 10

Give or Get*

Multiply the # of students attending by $450

  

Total Due

Line 11

Total Due*

Add Lines 9 and 10

  

* Excludes Cheder “money” (see Section II) and Summer Fees.

VI. Tuition Policy Administration

In order to allow the Cheder administration to perform its intended function of providing a “complete and authentic Jewish education” for Cheder students, the Cheder Tuition Committee has been established to administer the Cheder Tuition Policy.

A. The Tuition Committee Members

The Tuition Committee is comprised of three members. Current committee chair TBD.

B. The Role of the Tuition Committee

The Tuition Committee is the administrator of the Tuition Policy. As such, the Tuition Committee shall make all decisions pertaining to the Tuition Policy. Only those decisions provided in writing by the Tuition Committee shall be binding. This pertains to all discretionary adjustments (upwards and downwards) as well as all variances (Tuition and Give or Get).

Excluding the one-week period prior to the start of Cheder, members of the Tuition Committee will make themselves available to meet and discuss any Tuition Policy issue. However, please understand that no oral commitments from any individual member of the committee should be relied upon, as they are not binding.

C. The Role of Cheder Administration

Although members of the Cheder administration are available to discuss ideas for raising funds and/or exchanging goods and/or services of value to the Cheder, it is not the role of Cheder administrators to get involved in any issues pertaining to the Tuition Policy. Therefore, please do not solicit Cheder administrators to advocate on your behalf concerning Tuition Policy issues. Moreover, in the event you discuss tuition matters with a Cheder administrator, please do not expect any commitments made by the Cheder administrator to be honored by the Tuition Committee.

D. Advisory Services

Several parents are available to counsel families regarding budgeting for and/or financing the education of their children. Please contact Cheder and we will pass the appropriate names along.

VII. Payments

A. Tuition and Fees

Cheder will accept payment of Total Tuition Due combined with all applicable registration and book fees only via the FACTS Payment System. There are several options within the FACTS Payment System, log on to www.factsmgt.com for more information.

B. Outstanding Balances

Outstanding balances from the prior year must be received in full before the new school year.

C. Cheder “Money”

A deposit of $250 to secure the obligation to use Cheder money is required by the end of July each year. This deposit will be returned upon satisfaction of the requirement to use Cheder money. If the Cheder money requirement is not satisfied, the deposit will be retained by Cheder and applied in full satisfaction of the Cheder “Money” requirement.

D. Summer Session

Summer Session fees are included in the beginning of the year statement.

E. Give or Get

A deposit of the family’s Give or Get commitment ($450 per student minus any granted variances) is required and included within your FACTS statement.

Give or Get credits will be entered into the FACTS and automatically update the balance due.

VIII. Admissions

Admit slips for each student in a family will be provided only after receipt of the required payments as set forth herein, including any outstanding balances from the prior year. Parents should not send their children to Cheder without an admit slip. However unfortunate and regrettable, students who appear in class without an admit slip may be removed and prohibited from attending class until an admit slip is obtained.

Attendance throughout the year is conditional upon actual receipt of required funds. If payment funds are not received or commitments are not satisfied, the Tuition Committee will make reasonable effort to work with a family to reach a mutually satisfactory agreement in writing. If an agreement can not be reached or a prior agreement is not honored by the family, however unfortunate and regrettable, a student may be removed from the Cheder and prohibited from attending classes until the matter is resolved.