Advancement · School Operations

An offer families
can say yes to

An offer letter should feel personal and leave no question about money or dates. Enter the student, tuition, any aid, the deposit and its refund terms and the reply date. The tool works out what the family will pay, checks the reply window and the deposit terms, flags conditions with no date, and prints the letter with a reply form.

Add an offerWhat you get
$12one-time · every device you sign in on
Buy · $12

Included with Caveat Classroom and Whole-school licenses. Or get it in the School operations toolkit, $49 for 60 items.

Offers

The worked example is made up: a sixth grader with a need-based grant, a kindergarten offer with a one-week window and unclear deposit terms, and a ninth grade draft. Saved on this device only.

Loading the offer form. If nothing appears, turn on JavaScript.

What you get

Advancement · School Operations$12 · included with Classroom and Whole-school licenses

What you finish with
A record per offer: student, family greeting, grade, first day, letter and reply dates, tuition, aid and its kind, the deposit with refund terms and due date, a personal line, conditions, the contact and six checks; net tuition, aid share, deposit share and days to reply; a printed offer letter and reply form.
Who it is for
Admissions directors and officers, enrollment managers and business office staff at independent, charter and faith-based schools.
Format
Browser tool with a saved record per offer. Prints the offer letter, a reply form, the record, every offer in a table or a blank form; downloads a spreadsheet (.csv); exports and imports a file.
Access
$12 one-time, yours on every device you sign in on; the tool opens once you are signed in with it. Included with Caveat Classroom and Whole-school licenses. Also in the School operations toolkit ($49) and the Advancement Suite pass ($99), and 1 more bundle. Everything you type stays in this browser; nothing is sent to Caveat.
Where it lives
The School Operations space in Caveat Advancement.
Support
Questions about access, an order or a correction: team@caveatacademic.com.

How to use it

  1. Enter the student, grade and first day.
  2. Add tuition, aid and the deposit terms.
  3. Set a reply date two or more weeks out.
  4. Write one personal line.
  5. Print the letter and reply form.

Add an offer

Clear terms, warm tone

What a family needs to see in an offerItemSay exactlyWhy it mattersThe placeGrade, program, first dayNo guessing what was offeredNet costTuition, aid, what they payThe number families compareDepositAmount, due date, refund termsThe money at risk if plans changeReply dateTwo weeks or moreTime to compare offersConditionsWhat, and by whenNo surprises in AugustA personName, phone or emailQuestions get answeredWhat a family needs to see in an offerThe placeSay exactly: Grade, program, first dayWhy it matters: No guessing what was offeredNet costSay exactly: Tuition, aid, what they payWhy it matters: The number families compareDepositSay exactly: Amount, due date, refund termsWhy it matters: The money at risk if plans changeReply dateSay exactly: Two weeks or moreWhy it matters: Time to compare offersConditionsSay exactly: What, and by whenWhy it matters: No surprises in AugustA personSay exactly: Name, phone or emailWhy it matters: Questions get answered
Families weigh offers side by side; the clearer the net cost and the deadline, the easier it is to say yes.

Money families can read at a glance

Put tuition, aid and the family’s own figure in a small table, using the same numbers as the enrollment contract and the aid letter. Say whether the deposit is refundable and until when, and make it due no earlier than the reply date. If the offer depends on something, such as a final report card, say what and by when.

A fair window to decide

Many families apply to several schools and receive aid letters at different times. A reply window of at least two weeks, and a common reply date across your offers, lets them compare without pressure. Some school associations publish a shared reply date for their members; if yours does, use it. A personal sentence about the student shows the family you read the application.

Sources

  1. National Association of Independent Schools. Admission and enrollment management resources, including reply-date practices (nais.org).
  2. Enrollment Management Association. The State of the Independent School Admission Industry report (enrollment.org).
  3. Plain Language Action and Information Network. Federal Plain Language Guidelines (plainlanguage.gov).
  4. Federal Trade Commission. Plain-language disclosure of terms and fees, general consumer guidance (ftc.gov).

The worked example is made up, including the school, families and figures. Refund, contract and withdrawal terms are set by your school’s enrollment contract; this letter should match it, and it is not legal advice. Nothing you type is sent to Caveat. Support: team@caveatacademic.com.