Financing College

Attending college is not inexpensive. We recognize that Academy parents have paid school tuition fully knowing that they will be making a financial commitment to four years of college tuition, too.

With the experience of sending our seniors off to college year after year, we have come to understand that there are several ways that the Academy actually helps parents save money when it comes time to pay college tuition. How?

Merit Scholarships

Colleges recognize the depth of the academic and extracurricular experience at Staten Island Academy. Over seventy colleges visit our Upper School every year seeking to recruit our students. Many private colleges are generous with merit-based scholarships, which are based on academic achievement, community service, or extracurricular leadership -- all required elements of the Academy program. Merit scholarships are awarded without any determination of financial need on the part of the family. Because of the Academy’s reputation as a rigorous school, many of our students are awarded thousands of dollars in merit scholarships every year. These scholarships have significantly reduced the cost of college for these students.

Advanced Placement

Advanced Placement (AP) courses are not just part of our curriculum to ready our students academically for the challenges of college study. Students who earn qualifying marks on Advanced Placement examinations (often 3, 4, or 5) may use their Academy courses for credit toward their college degree. Others may elect to use those credits to replace core studies. The value of AP classes will differ college-to-college and student-to-student, but the AP curriculum is designed to offer students an academic (and potentially financial) leg-up.