Tuition Reduction Program
T.R.I.P. stands for Tuition Reduction Incentive Program. This is a program whereby you can purchase gift certificates at TCS and use them as cash when shopping at local stores. TCS purchases the gift certificates at a discount (from 2% to 24%) and sells them to you at face value. The discount (or credit) is then applied to your tuition account, the Barnabas account (to help students in need), or someone else's tuition account. You decide where you want your credits to go. Restaurants, department stores, grocery stores, gas stations, and even a major airline participate in the program. You can lower your tuition without spending any more than you are spending now. One of the greatest benefits of T.R.I.P. is that it acts as a household budgeting tool, causing you to carefully plan expenditures in order to maximize your tuition reduction. A few examples of current retailers: The Andersons 4%, Bob Evans 9%, JC Penney 7%, JC Penney 4%, Kroger 4%, Dillard’s 8%, Payless Shoes 12%, Red Lobster 8%, Speedway Gas 4%, Wendy’s 8%.
Who can participate?
Families currently enrolled in good standing at TCS can take part in the T.R.I.P. program. Also parents who hope to send their children to TCS in the future, friends, neighbors, relatives, teachers, alumni, church members or anyone who wants to support Christian education can participate.
How will I order T.R.I.P. certificates?
You can pick up an order form and/or registration form at the T.R.I.P. mailbox, in the high school lobby or download from this website (Click to download Registration Form, Order Form ). A registration form must be completed annually and on file in order to participate. You simply fill in the dollar amount and the number of certificates for each merchant you intend to patronize. Place the order form, along with your check or money order (no cash or C.O.D.) in an envelope and return it to the T.R.I.P. mailbox.
Can I order T.R.I.P. certificates during the summer?
Thanks to our dedicated volunteers, T.R.I.P. certificates are now available during the summer. Policies are the same, except orders are placed every other week.
How can I obtain the T.R.I.P. registration and order forms?
T.R.I.P. registration and order forms can be download though RenWeb or picked up the Development Office or from behind the mailbox in the main lobby.
Program Policies:
You must register prior to placing an order and will be asked to re-register each school year. If you are not registered your order will not process.
Only one order per registrant per week and only one check per order. If a friend or family member wants to help with your tuition reduction, combine their order with yours and make one check to cover the total order. Only checks from the registrant will be accepted. Make checks payable to TCS T.R.I.P. and remember this is not tax deductible!
The percentage earned on each participating family’s account will be held in the T.R.I.P. bank account until the months of December and June. Your tuition will be adjusted on these months and the credit you’ve earned will be applied. You will receive a statement informing you of your credit earned, prior to the December and June due dates. Any discrepancies must be brought to the attention of the T.R.I.P. coordinator within 30 days.
This program is to help TCS families with their tuition; therefore the money credited to your account will only be used for tuition reduction. In the event your child(ren) no longer attends TCS for any reason, the monies held under your account can be credited to your outstanding account balance or transferred to another family account of your choice. Otherwise, it will be applied to the Barnabas account to help families in need. Written notification of where funds are to be credited must be received within 60 days after the child(ren) has left school.
One percent (1%) of the dollar amount of all certificates ordered will be held in the T.R.I.P. overhead account to pay for the general operating expenses of the program. This is only applied to companies that give 5% or more.
Order Drop-off:
Orders must be in the T.R.I.P. mailbox, by Monday morning at 9 a.m. Orders that come in after 9 a.m. will be held until the following week. Since all certificate orders must be accompanied by a check or money order, we will not take orders over the telephone or fax machine. The T.R.I.P. mailbox is located in the main lobby. Teachers are not responsible for orders reaching the Development Office; students dropping off orders must put them in the T.R.I.P. mailbox. To keep traffic to a minimum in the Development Office, we are asking that you utilize this mailbox so that our volunteers may organize and process the orders with fewer interruptions.
Order Pick-up:
You may pick up your certificates the following Thursday after 10:30a.m. in the Development Office or anytime on Friday during school hours. All orders must be signed for when they are picked up. When you sign for your order, you are agreeing that everything is correct concerning your order. Once it has left our office, it is no longer our responsibility. Therefore lost or stolen certificates will not be replaced.
Please take extra care when adding your order, if your order and check do not balance, we will adjust the order to fit the amount of the check. Certificates cannot be returned or exchanged once they have been purchased.
If the entire school is closed on Monday, we will place the order on Tuesday and pick-up will be Friday. If only some students are out of school, the order will be placed as usual.