BUS SERVICE

The bus route services the Stittsville/Kanata region, dropping students off at Ottawa Christian School and continuing on to Redeemer Christian High School. The bus route is adjusted yearly. Here is a link to our current morning and evening route.

Please complete the information below as well as The Transportation Usage Agreement here.

If you have both a child at OCS and Redeemer using the bus service, please note that payment needs to be made to the Ottawa Christian School.

TALENTS AND TIME (TNT) Volunteer Program

At OCS we want to encourage all members of the community to share in the volunteer needs of the school. We need your talents and time to help us complete some necessary tasks and keep costs down. In return, you will be a part of a rich community and have a sense of ownership in your school! The volunteer program is called TNT, Talents and Time, two essential ingredients to keep the school healthy and strong.

The TNT year runs from June 1st to May 31st (of the following calendar year). If you have not completed your hours by May 31st, any outstanding hours will be charged to the family at a rate of $20/hr. If a cheque for the outstanding hours is not submitted by June 15th the volunteer assessment cheque will be cashed. For those who authorize PAD for TNT, any outstanding TNT hours will be withdrawn by June 15th.

If you decide that you are not able to fulfill the volunteer requirement please select the `Opt out' option.

Payment Schedule

Tuition payments will be divided into 10 installments. New families are required to submit the first installment upfront as a deposit by cheque or money order payable to Ottawa Christian School. New families who choose to pay via PAD will start installments August 1 until April 1. Returning families who choose to pay via PAD will start installments July 1 until April 1.

PLEDGE AGREEMENT

The cost of providing Christ-centred education at Ottawa Christian School is funded by both parents of children enrolled in the school as well as the non-parent supporting community. Enrolment at OCS is not based on a fee-for-services-rendered basis because the value of Christian education is immeasurable in financial terms, and the viability of the school depends on much more than the financial contributions of parents - for example, the efforts of unpaid volunteers and significant assets such as the land and building provided by previous supporters. Nevertheless, to ensure adequate financial resources for the school's operation and equitable sharing of that obligation, the school uses an Incremental Family Rate methodology to determine tuition rates.

Families with unusual circumstances that would affect their ability to pay the tuition rate may apply for a tuition bursary. Ottawa Christian School uses the Financial Aid for School Tuition (FAST) secure online tool Independent School Management runs to process bursary applications. Based on the recommendations from FAST and funds available in the OCS Bursary Fund, the Tuition Bursary Committee will determine the bursary that will be awarded to the families who have applied. For information regarding applying for a tuition bursary please email registrationfinance@ocschool.org.

The Ottawa Christian School Association is recognized by the Canada Revenue Agency as a registered charity. As such, we may issue charitable donation receipts for financial gifts to the Association. CRA deems that families whose children attend OCS derive some benefit from that, and therefore, to determine the portion of a family's pledge which can be considered a gift, the school is required to deduct a “cost-per-pupil” multiplied by the number of students that family has enrolled in the school. Charitable donation receipts can be used to reduce the family's income tax, which in effect means that, for most families, the after-tax cost is significantly less than the pledge amount calculated. Note that once receipted, pledges cannot be refunded. This includes advance tuition paid by a family that withdraws from the school.

The revenue derived from tuition does not cover the total cost of providing a Christian, high-quality alternative education. Membership fees and donations, church offerings, gift card sales, the annual Cleanathon, and other events all help reduce the cost borne by parents. All families are encouraged to participate in fund-raising projects and the volunteer effort that is required to operate the school. Everyone is encouraged to promote the school at every opportunity, and to continue to support the school after their children have graduated, so that others may benefit in the same way.

Payment Policy

The total pledge amount is payable in 10 monthly installments. The first cheque is to be dated immediately (for new families), the other nine are payable on the 1st of each month (July - March) and must be submitted with the pledge form (or complete the pre-authorized debit form (PAD)). An annual lump sum payment for the full year's tuition can be provided on June 1. Other payment schedules are acceptable only if the amount paid at any given time exceeds that of the schedule defined above. Late, incomplete, or incorrect pledge forms, forms submitted without cheques or a pre-authorized debit form, cheques held at the payer's request or not honoured by the bank, or any other failure to abide by the payment schedule will be assessed an administration fee of $30 per month until the situation is resolved. The Finance Committee will consider individual financial circumstances and may waive such fees at its discretion.

Withdrawal Policy

Once a family has registered, they are obligated to provide notice, in writing, of their intention to withdraw at least 1-month in advance of the next payment date or pay the 1-month tuition in lieu of the 1-month written notice. (The 1-month notice is also required for cancellation of bus services.) New families will be charged a non-refundable fee of $250 against their initial deposit in the event of withdrawal two weeks prior to the 1st scheduled tuition payment. The same policy applies to families enrolling mid-year.

PRE-AUTHORIZED DEBIT (PAD)

The purpose of this service is to allow members to submit Pledge Form payment in the form of a pre-authorized chequing account withdrawal. This method of payment is being offered as an alternative to post-dated cheques. In order to be set up for PAD, the following information is required: