Start Your Season

updated October 2025

Review Annual Settings

• [ ] Deadlines :square-video: Deadlines & Reminder Tutorial Video

  • Enter up to 5 customizable Display Deadlines
  • Set a Reminder Date. This is the anchor date by which Clarity will send email reminders to any In Progress applications to your platform. The cadence of these reminders is 1 month, 2 weeks, 1 week, and 1 day prior to the date specified as the Reminder Date. Without this date, In Progress applications will not receive automatic reminders about the approaching deadline(s).
  • Turn off the Access Code so families can more easily select your school.

• [ ] Discount Categories

  • Update your budget entries (as applicable).

  • Discount Categories - To improve reporting tools on types of aid, schools may now set a “type” for their discount categories. If you haven’t set these up, we highly recommend doing so now.

    :square-video: Discount Category - Assign Types

  • Awarding Strategies - Review, set, and update awarding strategies.

    :square-video: Percentage Based Awarding & Discount Strategy Set-up

• [ ] Methodology settings - Each year your methodology settings copy forward with rollover to the new year. If you aren’t sure about these settings, please contact your CSM!

  • Allowances - any schools using the default allowance numbers will see their default allowances automatically increase to align with the new numbers for the 2026-2027 enrollment year, shown below. If you made changes to the default allowance amounts, we will not override your numbers at rollover. You may want to meet with your CSM or engage in internal discussions to determine if changes to your allowance numbers are needed.
    • Housing - $30,200
    • Food/Clothing - $15,000
    • Transportation - $12,500
    • Healthcare Insurance Premiums - $6,300
  • :loom: NEW this year - Set an expense cap for “Out of Pocket Medical Expenses”. All families will now be asked to report medical expenses outside of the healthcare allowances. Look for this setting in Other Core & Out of Pocket Expense Caps.
  • Other settings that schools periodically update: Imputed income for a Non-working Second Guardian, Pre-tax Retirement Contribution protections, Home Equity protections.

Review School Settings (gear wheel in top right corner)

• [ ] Documents List
  • Remember, you will not see the 2024 1040s and W2s in your Documents list. They are automatically included for everyone who indicates they file U.S. taxes.
  • If you request current year tax forms, check for the 2025 W2 and 2025 1040 docs are in your list. If not, you may add them from the drop down list. :square-video: Adding Current Year Tax Docs to Your Document List
  • :loom: NEW this year - Canadian Tax Documents - Previously, Clarity had one combined document request for parents to upload the “T-4 slip and Canadian Tax Return”. Beginning with the 2026-27 application year, we are splitting these documents into two document requests. If you request Canadian tax documents, be sure that both of the documents are in your list now. If not, add them from the drop down list:
    • Canada T1(s) and Notice of Assessment(s)
    • Canada T4 slip(s)
• [ ] Rules - Your document rules should rollover each year.
  • Rules to request current year tax documents will be marked “Needs Review”. You will need to select the correct current year tax document from the drop down list, and schedule a new date to request these docs. :square-video: Updating Rules for Current Year Tax Documents
  • Canadian Tax Request - if you have a rule set up to request Canadian tax documents, you will need to review this rule and be sure it is requesting both of the new tax documents. :square-video: Creating a Rule for the New Canadian Tax Documents
  • Contact your CSM for support on creating new documents or methodology rules.
• [ ] School Specific Questions - review your questions. Please be careful not to add questions that are already asked in the Clarity app. If you aren't sure, ask your CSM. We want to make sure families have a streamlined experience for your school.
  • :loom: NEW this year - The two “Other Considerations” questions (shown below) on the application will be now be required for all applicants. If you had a school-specific question that overlaps with these previously optional questions, you will want to remove your school-specific question.
    1. Are there any other resources that you expect to contribute towards your educational expenses in 2025?
    2. Is there any additional information that you would like to have considered?