Day School Affordability Initiative (DSA 2.0)

Day School Affordability Initiative (DSA 2. 0) is sponsored by Samis Foundation. This initiative provides funding to Seattle-area Jewish day schools to make tuition more affordable for families.

It offers financial relief for families whose income may be too high for traditional scholarships but for whom day school tuition is still a barrier.

Jewish Day School Tuition Help – Seattle Grants & Estimator “... so Jews became the people whose passion was education, whose citadels were schools, and whose heroes were teachers. ” — RABBI LORD JONATHAN SACKS ZT"L THINK YOU’RE NOT ELIGIBLE FOR HELP PAYING FOR JEWISH DAY SCHOOL?

In 2022 the Samis Foundation established the Day School Affordability Initiative to make K-12 tuition for eligible Seattle-area Jewish day schools more affordable. The initiative provides financial relief for families whose income is too high to qualify for traditional scholarships, but for whom day school tuition is still a real barrier given the many competing priorities they face.

The program ensures that for families who earn less than $350,000, tuition will not exceed $18,000/year per child (subject to an AGI floor) or 15% of their Adjusted Gross Income (AGI) for all children in Jewish day schools for the 2026-27 school year, whichever is lower.

Samis created this initiative to make Jewish day schools in the Seattle area more accessible to families who are juggling important financial priorities, and hope to give their children the unmatched, lifelong benefits that only Jewish day schools can provide. Use the eligibility estimator " * " indicates required fields This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.

This estimator is for the 2026-2027 academic year. Families applying for 2025-2026 should go here . The eligibility estimator is quick, easy and totally anonymous.

This website does not collect or save individually identifiable financial information. What is your Adjusted Gross Income (AGI)? * (This is the number on line 11 of your 1040 tax return for 2024.)

Based on your AGI, you may also qualify for Traditional Tuition Assistance (TTA) in addition to DSA. This means your actual tuition will likely be lower than what your DSA result shows. You’re welcome to keep going, but we recommend reaching out so we can confirm your full scholarship amount.

Congratulations on taking the first step to an unmatched Jewish day school education. At this time, eligibility for DSA is limited to families with an Adjusted Gross Income (AGI) under $350,000. We truly appreciate your engagement and understand that every family's financial situation is unique.

While you may not qualify for DSA, we encourage you to reach out directly to your school’s tuition office to explore other potential support options. How many of your children received a DSA grant in the 2025-2026 school year, and will also be enrolled this year? * Please enter a number greater than or equal to 0 .

How many additional children will you have applying for DSA in the 2026-2027 school year? * Please enter a number greater than or equal to 0 . How many children IN TOTAL will you have enrolling in Seattle-area Jewish day schools (PreK age 3 - 12th grade) in 2026-2027?

Please enter a number greater than or equal to 0 . How many children will you have in other tuition paying schools in 2026-2027 (PreK age 3 - college)? Please enter a number greater than or equal to 0 .

This field is hidden when viewing the form DSA 2. 0 – Frequently Asked Questions for Parents DSA 2. 0 is the updated version of the Samis Foundation’s Day School Affordability (DSA) Program.

Samis launched the DSA pilot program in 2022. DSA provides funding to Seattle-area Jewish day schools to help make tuition more affordable for families who choose Jewish day school for their children. The DSA 2.

0 program will include a transition period for students who are currently on DSA for the 2025-26 school year. These students are referred to as transitional students . How does the initiative work?

Grants are coordinated by each participating school. Once eligibility is confirmed, tuition is reduced and the Samis Foundation pays the difference directly to the school. Most families with an income up to $350,000 will qualify.

The initiative supports families whose income is too high for traditional scholarships but who still face a barrier to full tuition. DSA grants are available for students Kindergarten through 12th grade attending a Samis supported Jewish day school. What is adjusted gross income (AGI)?

AGI refers to Adjusted Gross Income, which is the amount listed on Line 11 of your IRS Form 1040. For the most accurate estimate, please use the tax return from 2 years prior to the year you are applying. For example, if you are applying for the 2026-2027, use the AGI on your 2024 tax return.

Is $350,000 still the AGI cap for a DSA student? Will 15% AGI still be used in the calculations? What will flat rate tuition be for 2026-27?

Will the flat rate increase over time? The flat-rate tuition is set at $18,000 per student for the 2026–27 school year. Starting in 2027–28, it will adjust each year in line with the tuition increases across the participating Jewish day schools (historically about 5% per year).

How long will the DSA program last? As long as your student remains enrolled in a participating Jewish day school and your family qualifies under DSA eligibility rules. How is DSA different from a traditional scholarship?

Traditional scholarships are called Traditional Tuition Assistance or TTA. They are generally for families with incomes below $200,000. If you are unsure which program is best for you, contact your school.

Does a DSA grant disqualify a student receiving other scholarships? It depends on the scholarship. Please check with your school admissions or business office.

For Samis support, students are able to receive DSA or TTA grants, not both. Which schools are eligible? Schools eligible for Samis DSA grants include: Jewish Day School (JDS), Bellevue MMSC Day School, Central District Seattle Hebrew Academy (SHA), Capitol Hill Seattle Jewish Community School (SJCS), Green Lake Northwest Yeshiva High School (NYHS), Mercer Island Learn more about eligible Jewish Day schools in Greater Seattle .

Transitional vs. New Students What is the difference between a transitional student and a new student? A transitional student is any child who received DSA in the 2025–26 school year. These students keep certain benefits from the pilot program – like the broader sibling consideration through the 2028-29 school year – and the AGI floor for flat rate tuition will be phased in gradually through 2029-30.

A student new to DSA is any child receiving DSA for the first time in 2026–27. All new day school students, including transitional students’ siblings, are considered students new to DSA . If one of my children is on DSA in 2025–26 but another won’t start until 2026–27, will the younger child also be considered a “transitional student”?

No. Only children on DSA in 2025–26 are transitional students . Any siblings enrolling later are considered a student new to DSA . What if I have some children who are ‘transitional students’ and other children who are ‘new to DSA’?

If your family has both transitional students (on DSA in 2025–26) and students new to DSA in 2026–27, your tuition will be calculated using both sets of rules. Your family’s total tuition will combine both calculations. If my child is on DSA in 2025–26 but we switch to traditional tuition assistance (TTA) later, will they still be considered transitional?

Yes. Once a child is on DSA in 2025–26, they remain a transitional student and keep those rules in future years, even if the family qualifies for TTA for some period of time. How tuition is calculated under DSA 2.

0 How is tuition calculated? - An overview The overall principle of DSA 2. 0 is affordability.

Families earning up to $350,000 will never pay more than 15% of their household income (shown on your tax return as “Adjusted Gross Income,” or AGI) for all their children in Seattle area Jewish day schools. The DSA 2.

0 formula is generally the same for all families earning up to $350K: You will pay no more than 15% of your Adjusted Gross Income (AGI), or A flat rate of $18,000 per child, subject to a new minimum floor of 6% AGI for transitional students (students on DSA in 2025-26) and 8% of AGI for students new to DSA in 2026-27.

The only variation is whether your child is a “ transitiona l student” (already on DSA in 2025–26) or a student new to DSA in 2026–27. Transitional students keep certain pilot-program benefits for a few years. For details on these differences, see: “How is tuition calculated differently under the DSA pilot vs. DSA 2.

0? ” and “How is tuition calculated differently for transitional students and students new to DSA in 2026-27? ” You can also use the online tuition estimator to see what this means for your family.

How is tuition calculated differently under the DSA pilot vs. DSA 2. 0? Siblings: Under the DSA pilot, siblings attending any tuition-paying school, early childhood age 3 years through college, were considered in the 15% AGI calculation.

Under DSA 2. 0, only siblings attending Seattle-area Jewish day schools (early childhood age 3 years through 12th grade) are considered in the 15% AGI calculation. To give families time to adjust, transitional students (i.e. students who were on DSA in 2025-26) will continue to benefit from the broader sibling consideration through the 2028-29 school year.

For students new to DSA in 2026-27, only siblings attending Seattle-area Jewish day schools (early childhood age 3 years through 12th grade) are considered in the 15% AGI calculation. Flat Rate AGI Floor: Under the DSA pilot, there was no AGI floor for families opting for the flat rate tuition. Under DSA 2.

0, a floor of 8% of AGI has been established. To give families with transitional students time to adjust, the AGI floor will be 6% for the 2026-27 school year and increase by 0. 5% per year until it hits 8% for the 2030-31 school year.

For students new to DSA , the 8% AGI floor takes effect in 2026-27. What does the tuition cap mean? Families pay the lower of $18,000 per student (factoring in the 6% or 8% AGI floor) or 15% of their AGI per year for all tuition-paying children.

Are assets or home value counted? No. Eligibility is not affected by assets, such as the value of your home. Are other factors considered in AGI?

Possibly. Your AGI may be adjusted based on factors such as parsonage and excess retirement contributions. How is tuition calculated differently for transitional students and students new to DSA in 2026-27?

Siblings: Siblings are considered differently in the 15% AGI calculations for transitional students and students new to DSA . For transitional students (students on DSA in 2025-26), siblings attending any tuition-paying school, early childhood age 3 years through college as of 2025-26, count towards the 15% AGI tuition calculation.

Transitional students (i.e. students who were on DSA in 2025-26) will continue to benefit from the broader sibling consideration through 2028-29. For students new to DSA in 2026-27, only siblings attending Seattle Jewish day schools (early childhood age 3 years through 12th grade) count towards the tuition calculation. Flat Rate AGI Floor: The flat rate floor is different for transitional students and students new to DSA .

For transitional students (students who were on DSA in 2025-26), the flat rate floor will be 6% AGI for 2026-27. The floor will increase by 0. 5% per year until it hits 8% in the 2030-31 school year.

The flat rate floor for students new to DSA in 2026-27 will be 8% of AGI. How are siblings considered under DSA 2. 0?

The answer depends on whether the student is a transitional student (on DSA in 2025-26) or a new to DSA student . For transitional students , siblings in other tuition-paying schools as of 2025-26, early childhood age 3 through college, will continue to be considered in the tuition calculation through the 2028–29 school year.

After that, only Seattle-area Jewish day school siblings in early childhood age 3 through 12th grade will be considered. For new to DSA students , only siblings enrolled in Seattle-area Jewish day schools, early childhood age 3 through 12th grade, are considered in the 15% AGI tuition calculations. How is DSA calculated for families with students in grades or schools where the full tuition rates are not the same?

In general, DSA tuition is divided equally among K-12 children in Seattle-area Jewish day schools, no matter the grade or tuition level. Some exceptions may apply – check with your school’s business office for details on your children’s tuition under DSA. What if one of my children cannot be served by a Jewish day school and attends a specialized private school instead?

Samis partners closely with day schools, and both the schools and Samis are investing significant resources so that students with a wide range of abilities and needs can be served. This collaboration reflects our shared goal: ensuring every Jewish child has access to a high-quality Jewish day school education. That said, we understand that some children may choose to attend a specialized private school.

Regarding DSA 2. 0 policies: For transitional students , these siblings will continue to be counted in 15% AGI tuition calculations through 2028–29. For students new to DSA in 2026–27, siblings in specialized private schools will not be included in 15% AGI calculations.

Simply visit your school’s admissions portal—each participating school includes a direct link to the DSA application. You’ll upload your tax returns and W-2s and complete a brief one-page form confirming eligibility. It’s quick (usually under 10 minutes), and your school’s admissions team can help if you have any questions along the way.

Are current students eligible to apply? Yes. Both current and incoming students at participating schools are eligible to apply.

Grants may be renewed annually with no limit on years of eligibility. Will the DSA application process change under DSA 2. 0?

The application process will look the same as before. Families will use the same online system, submit tax returns and W-2s from two years prior, and answer a few questions. Most parents will find it takes less than 10 minutes to complete.

When will applications open? Families will be able to access the application portal for the 2026–27 school year on participating day school websites starting October 16, 2025. What if our current income is very different from what shows on our tax return?

DSA calculations are based on the tax return from two years prior. This is called “prior–prior” on the application form. For example, applicants for 2026-27 will submit 2024 tax returns.

If your current or anticipated income is very different from your tax return, you should contact your school’s business office. In cases where anticipated income is significantly lower, Traditional Tuition Assistance (TTA) may be a better option.

Making Jewish Day Schools in the greater-Seattle area more affordable than ever Recent studies of Jewish day school tuition and enrollment confirm what many parents have long felt: tuition at dual-curriculum Jewish day schools has grown too high, putting this transformative experience out of reach for too many families.

The Samis Foundation created the Day School Affordability Initiative to change that—so more children can grow up with the knowledge, confidence, and connection that come from a Jewish day school education, and more families can choose a future rooted in both academic excellence and Jewish life. “ The real guardians of a state are the teachers. ” — TALMUD YERUSHALMI, HAGIGAH 1:7