Tuition Assistance Programs

Harmony Montessori School is committed to acceptance of all people from all walks of life. At Harmony Montessori we support inclusion in the classroom, diversity of children, a respect for different cultures and non-traditional family make-ups. Our goal is to provide all children with a rich education experience that will instill a lifelong love of learning. In an effort to make our program accessible to our community please see the list of tuition assistance programs below. For questions about these programs or for more information please contact us.

Preschool Promise                                                                  

Harmony Montessori is a qualified Preschool Promise School and we reserve 18 enrollment spaces for Preschool Promise families each year. It is a program which fully covers the cost for families to access quality education for children ages 3-4. For our program at Harmony, it covers the cost of our regular school day tuition for the school year and includes snacks and lunches. Please see the flyer below to see if you meet the income eligibility requirements. To apply, go to Early Learning Multnomah to create a new account and fill out an application. Applications are available in Spanish and additional languages. Be sure to upload all the necessary documentation requested and you can select your first choice of school. Please contact our Enrollment Coordinator if you would like further information or assistance in applying for this program.

Preschool for All                                                                  

Harmony Montessori is proud to serve as a pilot program for Preschool for All and have been awarded 47 enrollment spaces for the 2023-24 school year. This the second year of the program and Preschool for All plans on growing over time, increasing the number of providers and families, until it will be available to all interested families in Multnomah County.

The application portal will be open in May 2023 for the 2023-24 School Year.  You can sign up for alerts on their website.

Eligibility:
There are just two eligibility requirements to participate. Children must:

• Be 3 or 4 years old by September 1, 2023 and
• Have a parent or legal guardian living in Multnomah County.

If you need help applying, Preschool for All Family Navigators can help you with the application process, including answering questions and helping you submit an application. Learn how to reach a Family Navigator.

Completing the application does not guarantee your child a preschool space. We encourage you to also apply for other options such as Head Start, Preschool Promise, and other programs in your area. 211 Info is a resource to help you find child care and other services for your family.

For general questions, please visit the Preschool for All website to learn more.

Employment Related Day Care (ERDC)

What is Employment Related Day Care (ERDC)?

Low income working families may be eligible for financial help with child care costs. ERDC is a subsidy program. This means eligible families still pay part of the child care cost. This amount depends on the family’s income, size, and the a​mount the child care provider charges.

Who can qualify?

ODHS has a maximum amount they will pay a child care provider. If the cost of care is higher than the maximum rates, the parent is responsible for the additional costs, plus the copayment. The family pays the copayment directly to the provider. If the copayment is higher than the amount ODHS will pay, the family is not eligible f​or assistance.

Each family has one copayment determined by family size and income. The copay estimate tool will help you determine how much you might pay.

The following are basic guidelines that can help families determine if they might be eligible for ERDC.

To receive ERDC benefits you:

• Must be an Oregon resident
• Be employed. Caretakers/parents must be employed
• Both parents must be working in a two-parent family. Exceptions may exist if one parent cannot care for the children due to a medical/mental health condition or in cases where supervised contact is required by Child Welfare
• Income must be below 185% of the Federal Poverty Level (See ERDC Income Limit chart below)
• Must have a qualifying child or children. Qualifying children are:
  • Under 13 years of age who need care
  • Age 13-17 who receive care if required by special circumstances
  • U.S. Citizens or qualifying non-citizens
• Must need child care to remain employed. For a two-parent family this means both parents must have all or part of their work hours overlap.
• Must use a child care provider that meets ODHS requirements. See the ERDC Listing Form and instructions for a list of requirements.

ERDC Income Limit Chart (200% of Federal Poverty Limit effective 3/1/2022)​*

ERDC Ongoing and Exit Income Limit​​

How to apply

To become eligible for child care assistance you must complete an ERDC application form. This process can be completed without coming into the office. The application can be mailed to a local office and an interview conducted over the phone.

Also see: What happens after ERDC is approved

Financial Aid

Harmony Montessori values a diverse community and does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national or ethnic origin, sex or religious affiliation. The mission of the Financial Aid program is to maintain the cultural and economic diversity of the student body.

The Process

We partner with School and Student Services (SSS) sponsored by NAIS in our Financial Aid process.  To begin your financial aid application, you will complete SSS’s Parents’ Financial Statement (PFS).  Completing the PFS online will save you time and money, and help us make our financial aid decisions more quickly.   There is a small service fee that NAIS charges to evaluate each application.  If you are unable to cover this fee you may apply for a waiver when you apply.  To apply visit their website at sssbynais.org/parents/apply/. The PFS is a comprehensive application that will take about 30 minutes to complete.  You’ll need your most recent tax return before beginning the PFS.

How to Complete the Parents’ Financial Statement Online (PFS)

1. Visit the webpage for School and Student Service here. 
2. Under the “Welcome to the Family Portal” box click on “New Users:Create an Account” link.
3. Create your PFS Online account with your e-mail address and a password.
4. Begin a PFS for the upcoming academic school year.  Download the PFS Online Workbook and refer to the on-screen help for guidance along the way.  You can log out of the PFS Online at anytime, then return later to complete it.
5. Key information that you will need to know about our school as you complete the PFS:    School’s full name:  Harmony Montessori School       School’s SSS code: 208872
6. After you have pressed submit, you’ll be brought to a payment screen.  The fee of $41 is nonrefundable.  If you are unable to cover this fee, please contact Kim.  We have a limited number of waivers for our families with the greatest need.
7. About 24 hours after you’ve submitted your FPS, you’ll have access on the PFS Online to a section called “Manage Documents.”  You can upload the additional documents we require there.