Wish you could afford private school? But your limited budget is stopping you. These seven smart strategies can help you afford private school on a budget.
Several months ago I shared the news that my husband and I had decided to send our girls back to school rather than homeschool. It was an incredibly difficult decision to make, for so many reasons, but ultimately we decided that–at least for this year–a small private school just a few blocks from our home was the right fit for our family.
Although we were very nervous at first, we honestly couldn’t be happier with the school. The classroom sizes are small—there are only ten children in my oldest daughter’s combined 2nd/3rd grade class—and every child is treated like an individual. With longer school days, fewer kids to compete for the teacher’s attention, and no standardized testing, they have time for both music class and Spanish three times a week, as well as regular PE and even a private violin lesson each week. Although we were afraid she might again wilt like she did in Kindergarten,our daughter has instead blossomed under the guidance of a firm-but-loving teacher who expects nothing less than excellence. It is such an answer to prayers!
While private school may seem like an extravagance, it can actually be far more affordable than you might think. When we began looking into school options we were very surprised at not only the wide range of tuition costs between schools, but the number of scholarships, tax programs, and grants available.
If you are considering a change in your child’s education, these seven practical and field tested options for affording private school on a tight budget are a great place to start.
Not all private schools are created equal, and tuition rates can vary between schools as much as $5,000-20,000 a year. A more expensive school does not necessarily mean a better school, although it might mean a fancier building, more amenities, and (possibly) a snootier student body.
Take the time to shop around in your quest for the right school. Tour the grounds, talk to the principal, talk to the teachers—particularly the one that will teach your child—and observe them in the classroom, if possible. Pay close attention to where tuition money is being spent. Classrooms and hallways should be bright, cheery, and clean, but needn’t be overly fancy. Cherry paneled walls are not essential for a quality education. Remember that the funds for every bell and whistle have to come from somewhere, so make sure that what the school offers is really what your child needs.
Here are some good questions to ask during a school visit:
While scholarship options do vary significantly from state to state, there are a number of nationwide scholarship options available, including those from the Commonweal Foundation (offering scholarships to partner Christian schools), A Better Chance (offering scholarships to low-income children of color), the Jack Kent Cooke Foundation (offering scholarships to low-income high school students), and The Children’s Scholarship Fund (offering scholarships to low-income students in grades K-8).
In addition to these programs, most private schools also offer a large variety of in-house scholarships for students that can help greatly reduce tuition costs, and this is one of the most important questions to ask when considering the different schools in your area. There are even a handful of private schools across the country that offer free tuition!
Additionally, many churches offer tuition assistance to member families who wish to send their children to schools within the same religious affiliation. If you are a member of a local church, definitely inquire with your pastor or church administrator to find out if this is an option.
There are currently no federally funded school voucher programs (though you can always write your Congressman to request this!) but a few states, including Florida, Utah, Arizona, Oklahoma, Louisiana, Mississippi, Wisconsin, Indiana, Ohio, Georgia, and Washington D.C. have established some type of voucher program that provides funds to either low-income or special needs families (or both) for attending the private school of their choice.
The Alliance for School Choice has assembled a comprehensive list with detailed information about the different state vouchers currently available.
If your children are younger, many states also offer free preschool programs at the private school of your choice. Our youngest daughter, who is four, currently attends VPK (Voluntary Pre-Kindergarten) at the same school as her sister, but her tuition is paid for by the State of Florida. While Florida’s program is one of the best in the country, more than 40 states currently offer some sort of free or reduced-cost Pre-K program. Your local Pre-K school should be able to provide you with more information on your own state’s program.
Several of these same states, including Florida, Utah, Arizona, Oklahoma, Indiana, and Georgia, as well as Iowa, Pennsylvania, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, Virginia, and North Carolina also have set up Tax Credit programs to give parents paying for private school a break on their taxes.
Again, the Alliance for School Choice has also assembled a comprehensive list of all the different state tax programs currently available. If your state is not currently on this list, contact your local state representative to find out how to get a tax program initiated.
It is a little known fact that private school tuition rates are rarely set in stone, especially for schools that may be eager to boost their enrollment rate. During your search for schools, be sure to inquire as to whether there is any wiggle room within the published tuition rates. Many schools have a “cushion,” with room to adjust rates as necessary, particularly if you are thinking of sending more than one child to the school. There may also be a credit available in exchange for a certain number of volunteer hours, so be sure to inquire about this possibility as well!
In addition to negotiating tuition rates themselves, consider negotiating your payment schedule. A lump sum payment of $4,800 is overwhelming for most families, but a 12-month schedule of $400 per month might be more manageable, especially when incorporated into a monthly budget.
One way to help offset the tuition costs that may not be covered by grants or scholarships is to take advantage of rewards programs in your everyday spending. Many private schools participate in some sort of tuition reimbursement incentive program (also called TRIP or SCRIP) that gives tuition reimbursement when you purchase gift cards through the school.
Here is how it works: Parents (or even grandparents and other friends and family members) may purchase a gift card or gift cards for participating gas stations, restaurants, retail stores, or even grocery stores. The cards are usually purchased directly from the school. The participating retailers then give a certain percentage of the gift card amount back to the school, and the school passes those savings (usually between 5-10%) on to the family in the form of tuition reduction. Thus, say you normally spend $400 per month on groceries and another $200 in gas. If you purchase gift cards for your gas station and grocery store you could get up to $60 off your tuition for that month.
TRIP programs vary a lot from school to school, so be sure to ask what sort of reimbursement programs are offered when you do your school visit.
Credit card reward programs that offer cash back on purchases can also be a good way to earn money back on everyday purchases. But please remember that running a credit card balance and paying interest will negate any rewards earned, so ONLY use this if you are 100% diligent about paying off the balance in full each month!
You may want to consider having a sit down with your parents, grandparents, or any other close-knit family members to see if they might be willing to assist with private school tuition. Many grandparents or even aunts and uncles are eager to shower their grandchildren or nieces and nephews with toys and clothes, but don’t always think about offering something more long lasting, such as contributing towards a private school education.
To Summarize, here are some ways to afford Private School on a budget:
Obviously, every family’s financial situation is different and this may not be a viable option for everyone, but even if family members are not able to contribute regularly, you can explain that you would be very grateful for tuition assistance in lieu of birthday or Christmas gifts. If they are not comfortable with paying for school itself, perhaps they would be willing to help with other expenses or needs, such as transportation (if the school doesn’t have a bus system) or uniform costs.
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Private school may not be for everyone, and is certainly NOT the only option when it comes to providing a great education for your child! Depending on your school district, there may be charter schools, virtual schools, and or other great public school options available. Furthermore, homeschooling can also be a very cost-effective alternative to traditional school, and great sites like Free Homeschool Deals and How to Homeschool for Free help prove just how affordable it can be. That said, if you are looking to make a change in your child’s schooling, don’t automatically rule out private school because you think it is too expensive. It may take a little effort to come up with a plan, but it could also be more affordable than you know!
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Wow. How incredibly ignorant. Receiving financial assistance is about need, household income, not skin color. I am African American and middle class, and we don't qualify for financial assistance either. And guess what...I've NEVER received food stamps, disability, or anything else for free. Please stop with the stereotypes!
Wow I can't believe how terrible this comment is...
Hi, thank you for all the wonderful information you have provided on your site. I've wanted my kids to attend one of two private schools in my area since they were preschool age. However, each year I see the tuition requirements and know I can not afford it. I've looked into the tax credits for my states and my family is not eligible. It's as if you either have to be dirt poor or make a lot to send your kids to private schools. The schools I'm looking at have an annual tuition set at $16K. I have twins so that would be almost double after a 10% sibling discount. We've recently moved from a 3300sqft house to a trailer to be mortgage-free and so that we could enrich our children's lives with experiences, one of them being a private school education. But now I come to realize that my $1700 monthly mortgage could've helped us. Now that we don't have a monthly mortgage, the expense sheet looks as though we have more disposable income available. We did not make the decision to be mortgage free only to give that money to someone who decides that we aren't using it so you can afford to use it towards tuition. My husband makes too much for financial assistance but not really enough for us to do absolutely anything else if we use ALL of our money towards the kids' tuition. We wanted to use a few years to save the extra mortgage money towards another more long-term small house but continue to be mortgage free. It seems being debt-free (i.e., no car payments, no credit card debt, no mortgage, no loans, etc) actually works against us. How is this fair? Should we go get another big mortgage, buy a couple of brand-new cars, get a few credit cards to make our need for financial assistance look better. We are trying to live simply and yet the system is rigged against us. I am so sad right now. We had planned to save our extra $4K/mo but now it looks like it will go to the private school. We will have to continue to pinch and get by and still not go on any vacations while the kids are in school.
Yes, I understand your situation. Me too. When I learned that the company who looks at all your info, does not take into consideration dollars spent on college, that blew me away. I feel the method for calculating aid is very unfair.
My son is in private school for K but we received nothing for financial aid and were very disappointed. My husband works for a major corporation and I for a non profit so we thought maybe. Will try the things you said and see. ( trying to be optimistic)
Really made me pull the middle class never gets any help card ! FYI for those who swear it is a race thing, we are a black family!
There are pros and cons to public VS private, obviously financial being the biggest negative for private schools however I appreciate articles like this that help families brainstorm ideas on how to make it possible. Our children attend Green Hedges in Vienna, VA http://www.greenhedges.org/ We have made sacrifices for our children to attend private school but we couldn't be happier with our decision. I hope articles like this can help other families send their children to private school as well!
When our sons were young I went to work in the preschool of the school that also ran the elementary school. It made it possible for us to pay for the tuition. I worked while they were in school. It worked out great for us.
The state of Alabama was left out if the list. If you live in Alabama and meet the income guidelines you may be eligible to participate in the Alabama Scholarship Fund Program, which pays full private school tuition at a school of your choice. Just visit the website to apply!
this information is absolutely invaluable! I didn't know most (if any) of this. My husband and I really want to send our daughter to a local Christian private school, but had no idea how we could fit it into our already-stretched budget. This information is wonderful!
I've always considered private school since before i had kids. My daughter will be 3 this year and I would REALLY love to be able to set this as a viable option for her. I haven't started visiting schools yet so I have no idea what to expect. She doesn't do too well in large groups because it's always just been us three and occasionally some family members. I really do think at least starting her off in a private school setting would be great for her. Hopefully her dad thinks the same way!
I consider private school frequently because we live far away from work and I'd rather have the girls enrolled at school near work because it makes going to school events easier. We already pay about 20k in daycare expenses a year and I priced private schools in the area - they came in cheaper than that!
great article!
tried to check out your links regarding scholarships, but the 2 I was trying to look at did't work.
Wanted to let you know…
thanks!
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