Continuous Enrollment

“Set It and Forget It.” From Re-Enrollment to Continuous Enrollment

Our enrollment team works diligently to make the annual re-enrollment process as painless as possible, but we want to make things even easier for TC Christian families! Why should you have to repeat a process for something to which you’re likely already committed, namely a quality Christian education for your children. At the same time, in order to budget and plan for the next school year, including hiring and retaining the very best teachers and staff, our leadership team needs to know who is committed. That’s why we launched Continuous Enrollment.

• Let’s back-up. What was Re-Enrollment?

   

  For planning and budgeting purposes, we need to know how many students to plan for on the first day of school. In past years, our admissions staff would send a re-enrollment agreement to each family. Parent(s) were expected to sign and return this by the end of April if they were planning to re-enroll their child(ren) for the next school year.  Until TCCS families “signed on the dotted line” that they were coming back each year, we could not make solid plans for staffing, programs, class offerings, materials, curriculum, and facility usage.

   

• Why change from Re-Enrollment to Continuous Enrollment?

   

  Re-enrollment is an “opt-in” program. Annually, we asked every family, “Are you coming back?” In a sense, we were requiring the vast majority of families to go through this process time and again when, in actuality, only a few families had decided not to return. On average we have over 90% of our student body returning for the next school year. So everyone had to go through re-enrollment paperwork for the sake of a small group.

  Continuous Enrollment flips that script. Rather than an ‘opt-IN’ process each year, our annual re-enrollment period is now an ‘opt-OUT’.  It assumes you’re in and your child’s place at TC Christian is secured.  If you choose to ‘Opt-OUT’, simply let us know you are not planning to return next year. For the majority of families, if you’re coming back and you’ve signed your “Continuous Enrollment agreement,” you won’t have to do a thing!

   

• So how does it work now?

   

  Every February, you will receive a reminder from the school informing you that unless you tell us otherwise, your spot in the school is already confirmed.  Any family thinking about opting out is asked to notify us by the deadline indicated in the reminder (typically sometime in March). This helps us with planning for the coming school year.  If previous years are any indication, the vast majority of TCCS families will have the convenience of giving this message a cursory look and letting it go!

   

• Does Continuous Enrollment affect my tuition payments?

   

  No. Continuous Enrollment simply expedites the flow of students from one year to the next.

  Just as we do each year, tuition rates will be set and shared in February. If you are already enrolled and on a payment plan, your plan will simply roll over to the next year with any necessary updates included (e.g. grade advancement, tuition rate adjustment, Variable Tuition awards). To make a change to your payment plan at any time, or to set one up, simply notify the Business office as soon as you can.

   

• Does Continuous Enrollment affect my Variable Tuition award?

   

  No, your Variable Tuition (VT) award is not impacted by Continuous Enrollment. However, since VT is needs-based and allocated on an annual basis, each year you will need to submit FACTS documents to support your VT request.

  If you qualify for Variable Tuition and decline your award, you may ‘un-enroll’ without penalty, providing you do so within 14 days from the announcement of your Variable Tuition award.

   

• How do we notify the school if we are not planning to return the following year?

   

  We have created an easy one-page opt-out form for your use. To notify the school that your child will not be returning in the fall, simply request this form by emailing Faith Erickson (ferickson@tcchristian.org) in the Enrollment office and submit it by the opt-out deadline indicated in the reminder.

   

• What if my child needs to repeat a grade?

   

  Especially in preschool and kindergarten, students may need an additional year at a grade level. These discussions will occur between you and the teacher. If a child will remain in the same grade-level for another academic year, it is just a matter of a change on the school’s side and will require no changes to your enrollment.

   

• Is there a penalty if I break the agreement?

   

  Again, TC Christian makes decisions related to hiring staff, classes, and purchasing additional curriculum and materials based on anticipated enrollment. Your future plans influence our current decisions.

  For that reason, if you notify TC Christian of your decision to opt out of your agreement for the following school year by the deadline described in the reminder, there is no penalty. However, if you notify us of your child’s withdrawal after the opt-out date, TC Christian will charge your FACTS Tuition account one month of the upcoming year’s tuition.

   

• What about unique circumstances? What if God has other plans for my family?

   

  We understand that life takes other turns than what we had imagined, so we’ve built flexibility into this agreement.

  If the deadline passes, and you then find you must leave due to major life changes and unforeseen circumstances, our Board of Trustees will review your unique situation on a case-by-case basis to consider releasing you from the agreement. The Board reserves the right to examine the merits of each individual case, but in general, for unique circumstances such as those listed below, families un-enrolling after the deadline will be exempt from the withdrawal penalty:

  • Moving/Relocation 25+ miles from TC Christian.
  • Educational needs for the student that can no longer be met at TC Christian as determined by the TCCS Student Support Services teams.
  • Un-enrollment at the request of TC Christian.
  • Other circumstances as approved by the Board of Trustees
• So how is Continuous Enrollment different from Re-Enrollment?

   

  Continuous Enrollment is a simple one-time process. Once you sign your Continuous Enrollment agreement, you’ll never have to deal with re-enrollment again. Again, our motto is “Set it and Forget it”— sign one Continuous Enrollment agreement and you are done for the rest of your child’s schooling at TC Christian.

  You will be part of the TCCS community until you tell us otherwise, and your child’s spot in their class will be secure until graduation. In the event that things do change, you’ll have until the deadline described in the reminder every year to simply notify the school and face absolutely no penalty.

   

• What do I get out of this?

   

  • Simplicity. Continuous Enrollment eliminates the annual re-enrollment process and paperwork involved.
  • Guaranteed placement. With increasing enrollment, we will quickly be at or near capacity in many of our grades. Placement in next year’s class is an increasingly sought after spot. By enrolling now, you will be securing your child’s spot in his/her class until graduation.
• What is the process for updating my information after I am continuously enrolled?

   

  Parents may log into and update their information in FACTS/ParentWeb at any time during the year. We will also send you an email in June reminding you to review and update your information online.

  Several policies/forms are covered in the Continuous Enrollment agreement.

  Occasionally, at certain grade levels, you may be asked to submit additional permission forms (for example, student driver authorization). These forms will be included in the online verification communication in June.

   

• Who do I speak to if I have questions or concerns?

   

  For questions about Continuous Enrollment, please contact:

  Faith Erickson	Finance Office	ferickson@tcchristian.org	231.929.1747 ext 143
  Craig O’Connor	Admissions Office	coconnor@tcchristian.org	231.929.1747 ext 128