Tuition Relief
Saturday, 10 October 2009 09:22
The Tuition Relief Program is a great way to reduce the cost of your tuition! By purchasing gift cards for your everyday shopping, and encouraging others to do the same on your behalf, you can earn up to the entire cost of your tuition! A percentage of each gift card purchase is credited to you for your tuition for the next school year.
Gift cards are purchased and redeemed for the full face value of the card. The tuition credit is paid for by the retailers who desire your business!
You can drop your order off in the office any day throughout the week, but make sure it is there no later than 9:00 a.m. on Thursdays. Pick up your order the following Friday from 8:30 - 9:00 a.m. at Entrance D. You can also purchase extra gift cards at this time from our limited inventory. Please check the Friday Folder Tuition Relief Announcements regarding changes in order/pick up times due to the holidays and school closings.
Extra Gift Card Purchases
Check with the school office or the school website for times and day on which gift cards will be sold at the school.
Orders for gift cards take place every other Thursday, to be received the following Friday. Order dates for 2009-10 school year begin: Oct. 1, 14, 29, and Nov. 12
Program Guidelines & Rules
IN ORDER TO PARTICIPATE IN THE TUITION RELIEF PROGRAM, YOU MUST PROVIDE YOUR SOCIAL SECURITY NUMBER. YOU WILL BE ISSUED A FORM 1099 FOR ALL EARNINGS OVER $600 PER TAX YEAR.
1. The Tuition Relief Program runs weekly regarding placing orders and/or purchasing cash and carry gift certificates. Current days, times and locations are on the back of the Tuition Relief Form. When placing an order, make sure your order is on time; late orders may have to wait until the following week.
2. All orders must be accompanied by a check. Cash and carry purchases must be paid by check only. Please no third party checks. Checks must be made payable to Hillcrest Christian Academy.
3. Periodically, HCA will provide you with an "Earnings to Date" Statement. Your total earnings is the amount to be applied to your next year's tuition statement.
4. For families with an eighth grade student only, credit will be given during the current school year.
5. We encourage family and friends to help with your tuition reduction by ordering or purchasing cash and carry scrip. The name of the family receiving the credit must be on the order form. Scrip purchases made on your behalf are not returnable.
6. When you pick up ordered scrip or purchase cash and carry, we ask that you recount your order and verify its accuracy. Your initials on the Tuition Relief Form indicate you have received your order in its entirety. In the unlikely event you should find a discrepancy in your scrip order, please contact the Tuition Relief Team within 24 hours.
7. Gift cards are the same as cash, and should be handled accordingly. HCA will not be responsible for certificates that are lost, stolen or misplaced while in your possession. Cards may have an expiration date varying from six months to two years, and some stores limit the amount of change that may be returned from a gift card purchase. See individual cards for details.
8. If your child(ren) no longer will attend HCA for whatever reason, the monies held within your family account will be credited to the HCA General Fund. There will be no cash refunds made.
9. Parents looking to the future and planning to enroll their young children at HCA may begin to participate the year prior to enrollment. Please contact the office at 412-854-4040 for more information.
A NOTE ABOUT TAXES AND TUITION RELIEF
It is the desire of the South Hills Assembly of God to be beyond reproach in matters of finance. We believe it pleases God to be fully obedient and compliant with the law in all things, and we look to Romans 13:1-7 for our scriptural mandate to do so. Legal counsel and consultation with the IRS led us to issue 1099’s on your Tuition Relief earnings. Even though your tuition relief earnings are taxable as income, the program is an amazingly beneficial one!For instance, if you have an elementary-grade child and earn $4,090 through Tuition Relief, you are now responsible for taxes on that amount ($613.50 in the 15% tax bracket), yet you have paid nothing towards tuition from your wages! You have just added $3,476.50 to your discretionary income! Many families have worked this program to great advantage, and we hope you will take the opportunity offered you to benefit from an HCA education at a lower cost to you.
