Question

Anyone here send your kids to a private school? If so do you mind sharing some of your other expenses & salary. I'm freaking out about affording this next year. Our school raised tuition . For 2 kids it's $8k. My husband makes $80k. I budget pretty well. We don't really have any extra things we pay for other than a streaming service. Obviously we have our mortgage (1200/month) & my car is paid off in October (360/month). We currently pay $350/month for school between the private school & preschool. Next year it'll be $850/month.  

Answer 1

I have done private christian school for the last 3 years for 2 kids costing me $10, 000 a year. The education is fabulous along with the christian aspect, but they lack in sports and other activities. My 7th grader will go to public next year. I have chosen a school that is a 9/10 education rating and top in extracurricular activities. I did a lot of research before making this choice.  

Comments

@stan4 our school has all the sports just like a public school does and I love our school. It has a community feel and it's basically the dream School. it's just that they raise the tuition and we were denied financial aid. Also our son had a scholarship this year and he did not get it for next year so it's just a big jump.  

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@tsingyuan tuition is usually raised for schools- that’s how they pay their staff and bills. i think you should take the leap and see how it goes!  

Answer 2

It’s not ideal- but can you relocate to another school boundary?  

Comments

@vania554 we could but that would be an extreme move to make in just a couple months. Plus we really love our neighborhood.  

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I feel that would definitely cost more than $8000 to move to another school district  

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@tsingyuan people here do it all the time. I would talk to parents in that school and meet with the administrators to find out more about it. I would get to the root of how administrators handle the bullying. Otherwise- I would apply to the private school for financial assistance explaining the situation again to them.  

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@gauss2946 people do it all the time. It’s insane! They don’t allow open enrolling for middle schools here so people move to get into the school of their choice. Now the school district is redoing their boundaries again. ‍♀️

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@vania554 I'm definitely going to reach out to financial aid again and just explain that it's such a big jump for us and if there's any money anywhere at all to consider us for it. As for the public school for our neighborhood, the administrators are just in over their heads. I would homeschool before sending my kids there.  

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@vania554 so crazy we are currently looking at buying and homes good school zones are like $100-$150, 000 more ora horrifying

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@gauss2946 we moved right at the peak of the housing bubble and actually bought in a smaller bedroom community. That’s when we pulled our kids from private school. We were going to be paying 850 for our kids to go each month. It can be done, but my mental stability was shot because it was such a huge jump. Hopefully the OP can get it all worked out!  

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@vania554 same situation. Also I would feel horrible pulling my son out because he's going into 4th grade so he's already established there if you know what I mean.  

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@tsingyuan I understand that totally! I substitute taught to make it work!  

Answer 3

I do private school and we do our payments over 12 months keeping it affordable. I choose our school because they have morning and afternoon child watch

Comments

@stimulant we did 12 month payment as well and really helped.  

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@stimulant that's true I was just realizing that. Are payments I'm pretty sure are over 9 months and we don't pay anything in the summer. So if we stretch it to 12 months then we're paying about 650 a month instead of 850. With my car payment finishing in October which is 350 a month that would make up the difference exactly. I'm logging on right now to make sure the 12-month is even an option.  

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@tsingyuan we do private school and have the option of 9 or 12 months. Same price either way just spread over 9 months or 12 months. It’s a school that we truly value and something that is important to us. We would eat ramen every night if it came down to sending them to there or our public school. (Which are horrible). Paying over the summer when they are out is what made it doable. Still a lot of money, but something we just make work.  

Answer 4

We will be sending two children to private Montessori (we hope! ) in the fall. $600 and $425 =$1025/mo I’m utilizing some paid in full discounts for tuition. (5% off $6, 000 when paid in full and sibling discount off $4250) We make just under $120, 000/yr Mortgage $900 Utilities $290 Cell $170 Food $1200 Gas $360 Personal $200 Car $359 Gym $90 Child support $516. 69 We prioritized this for our kiddos so I make it work. I’m personally of the mind that you make your budget work for you vs you working for your budget. ‍♀️

Comments

@eliaeliades14056 that's a pretty nice discount. We only get 1% off if we pay it in full up front. It's like nothing.  

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@eliaeliades14056 for your food is that for the month? And does that include eating out at restaurants or is that just groceries? I have a family of five and we currently do about 600 a month at the grocery.  

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@tsingyuan From what I was reading this is a big priority to you. Maybe you can find a way to increase income like picking up a side hustle while kids are in school or applying to work at the school as an administrative assistant? Our personal plan after Montessori is to move to a better school zone. The schools by our house is not ideal. I plan to increase our mortgage by approx $500/month but I’ll gain access to better public schools for grades 1-12. Is that a long term option for you? Just thinking about tuition and trying to do private for so many years the tuition is bound to increase.  

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@tsingyuan yes that’s total eating so grocery and out for the month. We fluctuate between 4-5 members depending on where step son is. I can get it less but it’s a struggle with my husband so rather than fight him I just allow the funds and roll anything we don’t spend over into savings. We are also vegetarian/vegan so most of that is produce, some meat and dairy alternatives.  

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@eliaeliades14056 Yes! If it’s something that is important to you. You will make it work.  

Answer 5

Well. I would save 12 months. Not 10. So that’s 708. If he gets paid by weekly then i would save on his 2 third pay weeks. I would work at the little ones school if i could for a discount. I *personally* would consider moving to a better school district. $500 more a month i. Mortgage is a lot of house. And houses in a better school district appreciate more.  

Answer 6

I was bullied horribly in school and our district wouldnt allow me to transfer either. In 11th grade my parents finally allowed me to do online school. I graduated with Commonwealth Charter Academy - they have locations in every state. It was extremely interactive, free tuition, tons of field trips. I had an actual graduation where I walked with a cap and gown, had picture day, etc. Compared to other online options, it was the closest thing to a "real school". We also had the opportunity to meet with a bunch of graduates and their parents before deciding to make the switch.  

Answer 7

We pay ~10K a year in private school tuition for our 2 boys. We spread it out weekly as a transfer to one account each Friday and then they withdraw from that account monthly. It’s easier than the whole amount coming out of one check.  

Comments

@mota4 THATS smart! I didn’t think about that for our tuition!  

Answer 8

**I removed the comments about public school because that was not OPs question. Please just answer her question. Thanks! **

Answer 9

That's about the cost of one kid in daycare and I'll have two in daycare starting next year. It can be done. You'll just need to plan for the expense.  

Answer 10

We are debating private school for my oldest for middle school. The schools here are horrible for middle and high school. She goes to the elementary school I work at for now which is good. The things I don’t like are state things. I don’t get to choose where i live due to my husbands job. Could you get a side job when your husband is home to help with the costs. Even a couple hundred a month could help.  

Answer 11

Well, once you pay your car off, with that extra cash flow it wouldn’t be all that much more than your current expenses. Have you tried grocery shopping with apps that will you give you cash back? I think there are small little tweaks you could make to come up with that extra $140.  

Answer 12

I want to put my kids in so bad, because our school system is terrible. But it's SO expensive! I haven't yet figured out a way to make it work for us.  

Comments

@hysterectomize a lot of them have scholarships or financial aid! Worth checking into.  

Answer 13

If you are working with 80, 000 a year where does that budget go

Answer 14

Do you work? Can you pick up a part time job while they are in school?  

Comments

@tavie I definitely would be working if I didn't have a one-year-old. The reason I'm staying home right now is because I was a teacher previously and I basically was working for free. If I went back to work we would have to pay a minimum extra $1, 200 a month just in childcare.  

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@tsingyuan gotcha! Thought maybe you just had the 2 that are in the school/preschool.  

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@tavie If Ionly had the two I would probably be back to work by now!  

Answer 15

It may help if you can let us know what your other expenses are and if the 80k is net or gross since everything you’ve listed adds to around 27k. There may be a way to find that extra $500/mo you need and it sounds like after October you only need to find $140/mo if you shift what you were paying for the car to the school. Another option to consider that isn’t “great” would be to look at refinancing if you’ve been in your house long enough for that to help.  

Answer 16

It’s possible. I pay 700 month for daycare. We make the same with both our incomes combined. We have no issues

Answer 17

Apply for scholarships? Does your school offer any? My sister in law also won at her school raffle free tuition for 1 of her kids for his entire school years - I’m talking k-12th grade!  

Answer 18

I’d talk to the director. We negotiated a rate. Honestly if they aren’t willing to negotiate I’d say it says a lot about the school. Our director has always worked with us.  

Answer 19

We don't have a whole lot extra after school, rent and other bills. It's worth the extra effort if you really like the school you are sending them too. If you already have your budget down to the bare minimum, either try to add another source of income or talk to the school about financial aid/discount.  

Answer 20

If you aren’t working you could substitute teach and easily come up with that $140 difference after the car is paid off.  

Comments

@disappear I thought of that. Substitute teachers here only make between 70 and 80 for the day and we would have to pay a babysitter for our youngest which would probably be about 30 for the day so I would only bring home $40.  

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@disappear That’s a really great and creative solution!  

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@tsingyuan even with having to pay the baby sitter, bringing home $40 a day is still a good deal when you have a budget gap. You would only have to sub four days a month to make up the difference after your car payment ends. It has the added benefit of giving you four days a month to be out and talking to other adults in a professional setting and something to put on your resume if you are planning on going back to teaching.  

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@tsingyuan what about online tutoring

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@tsingyuan thats $200/week extra if you sub every day. Which could be $800/month

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@disappear I might as well go teach full time then and make more. Subs are basically minimum wage.  

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@disappear I'm not saying I'm too good. Just saying if I'm going to be in a school full time, might as well go back to teaching where there's job security and benefits. Also kids if teachers at our school do not get any discount.  

Answer 21

We are a military family and my 2 kids go to private school. It makes the transfers from state-to-state so much easier each time we move and the quality of education we have received from the schools we pick is phenomenal (especially compared to what I have been hearing from friends during this period of quarantine. ) That being said, we sacrifice a lot choosing to send our kids to private school as much of our funds goes to their education. We pay 20k total for both kids, paying monthly (and we receive over 50% financial aid. ) I strongly suggest that you talk to the financial aid office to see what is available to you as we would not be able to give this opportunity to my kids without it. My husband's military pay can't cover tuition so my pay does. I have a degree in Criminal Justice but since being married and moving every couple of years I have done whatever jobs are available to pay tuition.  

Answer 22

Does their private school offer financial aid or scholarships. My oldest attends a special needs private school, majority of his tuition is paid for by the state under a special needs scholarship and we receive financial aid, so our out of pocket is not as much each month/year

Comments

@buckjump3127 we were denied this year. We applied for every single thing we could apply for.  

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@tsingyuan I'm sorry to hear that. praying you find a way to work it out, I remember when my son's tuition jumped up an additional 4, 000 and we still don't understand where the money goes sometimes because as parents we have to cover everything out of pocket like books, field trips, food.  

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@buckjump3127 the private school I toured says clearly on their financial aid package both parents must financially contribute to the child’s education. Basically, the aid isn’t to help families that choose to have one parent not work. I don’t have the packet handy, but it was said more eloquently than that.  

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@dowsabel ahhh got you

Answer 23

My son has been in private school since kindergarten; he is now a junior. How do I do it? I have no idea honestly, and the tuition goes up a little each year. We do apply for financial aid each year which is based on income. I used to play catch up during tax time but they are not fond of anyone being late with tuition In high school. Don’t worry! Believe me somehow you just do it. I budget so much each week for my monthly payment I divide my bills over four weeks; twice a year when there is an extra payday I count that as a win! Good luck; and good job. Education is so important  

Answer 24

You don’t list a salary for yourself. You’re a SAHM? We have one child. Combined income $200k+ Currently preschool is $14, 820/ annually Sports activities $1, 500/ annually The private parochial schools we are looking at are $12k, but that doesn’t include after school childcare or sport activities. I’ve only toured one non-religious private school that is STEM focused and it was $25k annually.  

Comments

@dowsabel yes. The reason I'm at home is because I was a teacher previously and I basically was working for free. If I went back to work we would be paying child care for our two year old and then we will have to pay for before and after school care for the oldest two. I would be bringing home almost nothing.  

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Before and after school care for two kids is an extra 600 a month plus paying a babysitter for our youngest would be 600 a month so that's 1, 200 extra dollars we'd be paying if i went back to work.  

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@tsingyuan that before and after school crap definitely adds up so much!  

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@tsingyuan I haven’t calculated everything just yet in terms of childcare needs when my son goes to kindergarten at the sametime we pay $15/hr for a babysitter. I’m hoping the school’s after school program combined with me being able to pick up & do sports chauffeuring comes out to less than the $15/ hr.  

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@tsingyuan what’s the average salary of a teacher in your area? I would think even at $1200 for care you’d still net quite a bit. I totally understand if you’d rather be home with your little, but if you’re worried about working and not netting anything after the childcare costs, that may not be the case.  

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@faletti3 32-40k with my 4 years experience. I definitely feel very upset about the thought of sending her to a babysitter. I don't really trust people and she's my last baby .  

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@tsingyuan could YOU offer before and after care to a couple kids that attend school with your kids? It could help another family and give you extra income to cover what you need.  

Answer 25

There are so many benefits (financial and otherwise) to giving your kids a sound education. that’s actually pretty reasonable for 2 kids in a private school (i assume full-time)- many schools charge far more than that for just one child. i’m an educator and have spent much time researching schools for my child, so i do have a different perspective. personally i say go for it and see how it goes! you can always change your mind for the following school year if you want to do something different.  

Answer 26

So in october you get that $360 and that only leaves you budgeting extra $140 of the $500 difference. You can definitely do it!  

Comments

Also- I might save cash so that those few months you still have the car payment you aren’t strapped for the cash- save now then when it comes to August or whenever they start you’ll be at ease knowing you’ve got it taken care of  

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Lastly- just adding that as a SAHM I can make over $100 a week doing various things  crafty hobbies, selling old clothes, if I can’t do those I meal plan tighter and cut grocery budget a smidge here and there, rebate apps like fetch, ReceiptPal, ReceiptHog, Ibotta- And then I also randomly do surveys when I have the time and can make a few bucks here and there with those

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@roadblock I have a very small side business which helps sometimes but it's not consistent. I use Ibotta too.  

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@tsingyuan fetch has been the big one for me! They pick up all email receipts so amazon points

Answer 27

I agree with Laura! We have been at private school for 15 years. There were times when it was not feasible for us to pay the full tuition. In those few years we applied for financial aid (which is scholarship in most private schools) and received it. Due to the cost being 10% you may qualify for some discount. Talk with your school and let them know. They usually have a specific person to help families to be able to continue attending their school.  

Comments

@labaw We applied for financial aid last year and this year and we were denied both years. I don't know how we were denied this year because we have two kids there now. Our school does not offer financial aid to kindergarteners. I do plan on reaching out to our principal, whoever is in charge of financial aid, and the parish.  

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Also, ask if there is a part-time paid position you could apply for within the school or parish. Often times our school has hired for a multi-grade teacher assistant to grade papers, make copies, substitute if needed, etc. for parent that need that little extra. Even if it’s 2 days a week. However, after Oct you will only be to $140. I’m confident you can do this!  

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@labaw thank you for the reassurance. I feel a little better. I logged into our account where we had automatic payments come out of and I'm not able to find where I can stretch payments to 12 months out of the year instead of 10. So I'm emailing the secretary. I'm worried that there's no 12-month option.  

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Communication is key. While financial aid is based mostly on need, they do also factor what each family can contribute to the school outside of finances (volunteering, teacher support, etc). I hope they are willing to work with your family!  

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@carpentry8445 yes. My husband and I volunteered in the cafeteria frequently last year. We also volunteer at the parish festival. I'm going to reach out but I'm not holding my breath.  

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@tsingyuan will keep my fingers crossed for you

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@carpentry8445 thank you

Answer 28

Ours are going to a private Christian School. They're in Preschool and Kindergarten. Our state offers a choice program and we got tuition reduced with that, so I'd look into programs to see if there's anything available for you!  

Comments

@sericeous what state are you in?  

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@sericeous we have applied to every scholarship and financial aid possible. And we were denied everything.  

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Aww that stinks. We're in WI. Ours is called Wisconsin State Choice Program. Now that I think of it, it might just be for Christian Schools though.  

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@sericeous ours is Catholic

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@sericeous I'm not sure but I think a similar program in Ohio has is called edchoice. Our school does not accept edchoice because it's based on the neighborhood you live in. So for example if you live in a neighborhood that has a failing school you can apply for Ed choice to go to a private school for free in that neighborhood. Our neighborhood does not have a failing School so we can't do it.  

Answer 29

I agree with others, sounds pretty reasonable for two kids! I mean I usually just compare it to daycare costs which in your case is much cheaper! Since you are a teacher, have you thought about maybe getting a job at the private school? Lower tuition (free. 99)

Comments

@lunseth @ocarina73401 teachers do not get a discount if their kids go there.  

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Do you pay 10% of your salary to daycare? Because tuition for us is 10% of our salary.  

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@tsingyuan oh bummer. Ours around here do, so that stinks!  

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@tsingyuan I have one kid in daycare for 600 a month, in a LCOL area. Two would be double and that would me more than 10% for sure. Currently it is less than that, more like 8%

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And 600 is cheap around here, it’s because it’s a military base

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And honestly I am all for public school and plan on sending my kid to public school, but if private was the best choice for them I would try and make it work!  

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@lunseth @ocarina73401 thanks. Unfortunately the public school our kids would be forced to go to is horrible. I would homeschool before sending them there.  

Answer 30

Could you pay your car off early to help with the jump in tuition? Also, if this is a school you are established at, I would speak to someone about your struggles to pay the increase and ask if they can reconsider your financial aid application.  

Comments

@smoulder I definitely plan on reaching out to people. technically we could pay off her car this summer since we don't have tuition coming out in the summer. I've explained this concept to my husband and he just doesn't understand. I said we can't wait until October because tuition starts in August so we should use the money we're saving this summer to pay towards the car. But he just doesn't get it at all.  

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@smoulder that’s a great idea!  

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@tsingyuan if he doesn’t get it, I would still do it but I’m the budget person in our house

Answer 31

Our school offers scholarships through step up for students. I would ask if they offer anything similar.  

Comments

@platinumblond60616 we applied to every single scholarship through the school possible.  

Answer 32

My kids are 23 and 20 but I did send them to private school. I remember the payment per month for both kids was almost as much is my mortgage. Then we had to separately purchase their gym uniforms. It was tight but I don’t regret it because my kids got a fantastic education moved on to college and are doing fantastic now I feel the private school definitely prepare them for college

Comments

@vespers Greenwood-Hanlon we love our school. It's just getting really expensive and someday it probably will be okay because my husband will get more raises as we go and I will eventually go back to work once my youngest doesn't school. But currently it's very difficult. I was a teacher before staying home. If I went back to work we would have to pay a minimum of $1, 200 per month Just child care. That does not include the tuition.  

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@tsingyuan could you get a job at the school that would offset their tuition enough that daycare for the little ones wouldn’t be as much of a burden?  

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@classical teachers who work there do not get any discount if their kids go there

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@tsingyuan that’s a bummer.  

Answer 33

I used to be on the financial aid committee at a private school. Definitely apply if you can!  

Comments

@campanology21958 we have applied for 5 years now. We only got financial aid one time. The other time we were given a little bit of parish just because I basically begged them last year. But usually we are denied instantly.  

Answer 34

I have 1 kid in Montessori school and it cost almost $6k and our household income is around $70k a year. We broke our payment up to weekly payments for 10 months, my husband gets paid weekly so it was easy to budget out. Over the summer we take out the same amount and put it in a savings to help with the weeks that we are short or unexpected expense.  

Answer 35

Could you offer to tutor other students? Or find something you could do as a side job on the weekends?  

Answer 36

My kids (2 of my 3) go to private school. The tuition is $9k each so about 18k total - but you have to donate etc and then with the cost of uniforms I say we spend around 20k. They give a discount if you pay in full in August, and I found that works best for us because then the money is just gone and I don’t have this monthly payment over my head every month. My husbands income isn’t consistent so it’s hard to budget. We’re a single income household too. We apply for the financial aid program but don’t qualify. I know most schools offer that too! You can do it! It’s hard, but worth it!  

Comments

@commonwealth91875 we never qualify somehow. I don't know how we don't qualify. It's insanity. Are school only offers a 1% discount if we pay in full. I wish we could.  

Answer 37

All 4 of mine go to private school. I'm a single mom but dad helps. I budget for everything and have tuition saved before the next school year. I use tax returns and work a second job from home. I've tried all 3 school alternatives charter, public and now private and private was the best fit for all 4. It does go up about $800 every year but it's worth it for me. Pay a year a head by saving. You could also substitute at the school or work in the office if available. I also shop off season I buy summer in winter etc. It helps too.  

Comments

what are the tuition numbers? If I had 4 kids it would be $48k/ annually.  

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@dowsabel we pay $7500 for my 3rd and 5th graders each and $11000 for my 9th grader. We do receive a partial scholarship for each child so that took it down to $7500. Plus sports activities at an additional $1000 for my 9th grader for cheer, cross country and track. Their dad pays 2 kids and I pay 2 kids.  

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Janet Lashaye man, the sacrifices we make for our kids! Your 9th grader must be super fit & strong.  

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@dowsabel lol she is. If I removed her from her school the world would end. My boys play youth football and my youngest daughter of course wants to be like big sister and runs AAU track and cheers. It's a lot of work but it keeps them focused.  

Answer 38

About a third of the kids I went to public elementary school with went to private school for middle & junior high. Our elementary school traded places 1-2 with another school in the city year after year- we were first most often. Ha! Is that an option to send them to public now and focus private education funds during the 6th/7th grade & up?  

Comments

@dowsabel I'm not sure. Our private school they go to is k-8 and our oldest is already in fourth grade.  

Answer 39

We had an unexpected job loss last year, which cut my husband’s $84, 000 salary a month before school started (but we had already renewed for the year). I went back to full-time at work, so tuition ended up being 12% of our household income at the time. We had to cut our retirement contributions and sinking funds for gifts, travel, etc for the 9 months that he was unemployed, but we made it work. I’m happy to share specific numbers if you want to PM me.  

Answer 40

Private school is a whole other rent payment per child. It's crazy. I had mine in for a year. Plus they wanted volunteer time ect . It's all great, but stressful. Our school system wasn't great. Then I had a baby and we figured he was academically advanced per grade level so we would try a charter school and I supplemented at home. I costs $170 to purchase a curriculum and keep him up to par with what they use at the private school. It was what worked for us with me staying home. The income you posted sounds like it's definitely doable. Ours was way less and it was doable but limited extracurricular activities, sports, summer fun. There are some scholarships Opportunity scholarship that may be helpful too

Answer 41

Apply for help through your school. They have money sitting there, it doesn’t hurt to ask.  

Comments

@brochure we have applied for every single thing possible. Parish aid, archdiocese aid, for scholarships the school offers, and State financial aid. We got denied for every single one .  

Answer 42

Wow that’s amazing for private school - I wish my part time childcare fees were that but it’s more than my mortgage

Comments

@ardoin this is the most expensive Catholic School on our side of the city. And there's about 20 schools on our side that are Catholic.  

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@tsingyuan wow it’s amazing - I think private schools in Ireland are more expensive- 850 a month is so affordable:) my childcare part time is 1200 per month and full time it’s 2500 per month

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@ardoin wow. Well this tuition would be about 10% of our income. Which is a lot.  

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@tsingyuan our income is 80k together

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@ardoin so you're paying 2500 a month in child care and you make 80k? How?  Seriously tell me how.  

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@tsingyuan we only pay 2500 pm during the summer months when they are not in school and when they are in school we pay 1200pm - our mortgage is 906pm - cash envelopes 1380pm random automatic bills 200 - no credit cards, no debt - works for us - plus we get taxed about 2000 a month for income tax - my partner picks up overtime sometimes - I have sinking funds for the expected and unexpected - and I save every month

Answer 43

My daughter goes to private school since Kindergarten. Every year the tuition rate goes up now she is on Middle school and I cant afford it anymore. If I love the school I love it but if I cant afford it there is nothing else I can do because I am a single mom. Also all these years I paid this school with rental money that I received from a house I sold.  

Comments

@electrocardiogram yes our tuition increases every year but this year was the biggest increase I've ever seen. It usually increases between 50 and 100 our year. This year it increased 200.  

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@tsingyuan Yeah it does not surprise me. Here every year I see less kids that is why the increase so much the tuition

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@electrocardiogram have a talk with administration about financial trouble. If you’ve been a big part of their community they may allow for special circumstance to pay the old tuition rate.  

Answer 44

Mine start this year. We got a scholarship for tuition & books but we'll pay out of pocket for uniforms, lunches, before & after school care when necessary & any field trips or extras. I'm nervous but hopeful. Following your post.  

Answer 45

If you’re only paying the extra $360 for three months why don’t you save that extra 360 now during the summer so you can pay it for August, September, October then after that you’ll need to find $140 in your budget to pay it

Answer 46

Tuition goes up every year -i bill private schools for a living. Also, ask for the pay in full plan. For example it’s not always advertised but for a year of $3200 tuition i saved $320 by paying upfront!  

Comments

@twirp thats what I do too

Answer 47

They raised tuition during this time? That seems very counterproductive.  

Comments

@welles I know.  

Answer 48

My daughter has been in private school her whole life and I’m a single mom. Currently I pay $710 a month. I make 92k and pay $2000 in rent which is because I live in a high cost of living area. I suggest always applying for financial aid/scholarships. Next year she’s in high school and the tuition will be about $40 more. But she received a $1000 dance scholarship and I got 7000 in aid. I started a savings account recently for the other expenses that come up. At times it’s been a hardship but absolutely no regrets:) I also have 1 child so it’s doable. Sometimes it’s the extracurriculars that feel like more of a weight! In dance alone I paid over 4000 since August!  

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@barbosa4 I am also a single mom in California. Where are you located and how did you find scholarships? Mine is only entering kinder.  

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@giddy hi I’m in Maryland, but I used to live in Cali before my daughter was born. So the dance scholarship is through the high school she was accepted to. She had to audition. But the $7000 financial aid is through the application process, I had to go to I believe TADS and give all my financial information and the school has a committee that decides on the package. I find that scholarships are more available in high school than elementary and middle school. I would call the financial aid office of the school as well for kindergarten. Most private schools offer financial aid  

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@barbosa4 mine doesn't unfortunately. But, I still think it will be money well spent. Our public education system is impossible to get into and after care is just as hard. I live in an okay area too, so its frustrating. But, the private school is amazing and he is a shoe in. It really speaks to us. this one in particular.  

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@giddy I definitely don’t regret it. I feel like it is money well spent. My daughter’s kindergarten and 1st grade year were amazing and I do think it made a difference. It is frustrating though when no aid is available. It’s really hard when the cost of living is insane. But, school was a good sacrifice for me.  

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@barbosa4 my thoughts too. Thanks for the info.  

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@giddy sure! Welcome to the school journey:)

Answer 49

My daughter goes to private school. I feel like every year we go back and forth in whether we should pull her out and send her to public school.  

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@commonwealth91875 Possemato same. We love our school but it's just getting ridiculous.  

Answer 50

I pay 24k a year for 1 in preschool and 1 in private pre-k and I thought that was low for our area  

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@paraclete88 how do you afford that?!  

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@tsingyuan 2 income household. I had two back to back so for the last 4 years we have been used to paying this much. One is starting kindergarten this coming fall so I’m excited for it to be coming down a bit!  

Answer 51

We go to a private Christian school. It’s $4k per year per child. In 2 years we will have 2 kids in school. So $8k per year. Our school offers a 10% discount for siblings and we do a “Scrip” program. Which is basically you but face value gift cards and you earn 1-5% back on the amount purchased and that goes towards your tuition as well. (You can have anyone purchase the gift cards from your child)

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@robledo will you be able to afford two kids? I wish we had programs like that at ours.  

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@tsingyuan i will definitely have to tighten our budget. House $603, Car Note 350, Car Insurance 220. Groceries are my weakness right now in my budget, especially because we have to stockpile when we can find things because they are often not available when we actually need them (I had to borrow toliet paper from my mother until we could find it & we’ve been swapping meats we can get our hands on) We are trying to save to replace our other vehicle. We try not to “expect it” but my husbands boss usually gives him between a 3-5k bonus for Christmas every year. so we typically apply that towards tuition first then our other bills. With TBM & Dave Ramsey methods we were able to pay off all our credit cards so that will truly help us a lot. My husband works, I stay at home. He makes at 82k yearly.  

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@robledo I have two credit cards that are almost paid off for me.  But even then that won't really make much of a dent in the tuition.  

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@tsingyuan we used to pay tuition on the 9 month school year and we’d pay debt with the money we’d pay tuition with in the “off months” but we’ve started putting that aside for the school year too.  

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@robledo is the program your school has “shopwithscrip”? The preschool im going to enroll in has this and I wasn’t sure how it works

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@cloris yes it is.  

Answer 52

I only budget for clothes, field trips, technology fees, and supplies to get them through the year. I have two kids attending instead of just one. I’ll start saving this month for next August year, so I pay 12 months a year instead of just the 8/9 they’re in school.  

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Also, talk with administrators about scholarships or tuition breaks. If they aren’t available, throw around the idea of a scholarship committee. I’m very active in my child’s school, I host and cohost multiple fundraisers throughout the year. It’s fun for me and it’s a huge help to the school.  

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@mika67029 thanks. We actually have scholarships. We applied to them all and didn't get any.  

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@mika67029 do you pay 12 months out of the year bc it's an easier payment?  

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@tsingyuan I pay myself the summer months so by August I have two full payments ready to go. It’s easier on me. So my tuition is $500 a child- I save up 375 a month per child year round. Basically so I don’t have to come up with the additional 125 every month.  

Answer 53

I went to private school k-12. It's truly a wonderful gift I was given. I enjoyed it. I am now giving that gift to my children. It's hard sometimes but I budget and stick with it no matter what.  

Answer 54

Our private school offered tuition breaks and volunteer opportunities to earn $100 off a month if you volunteer 8 hours a month. Our working parents come on the weekends and now or clean or do whatever they can. You may contact your administrator and see if they have any of those options available.  

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@precarious86 I will. I'm pretty sure they don't though.  

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@tsingyuan I’ll pray that a way can be made! My three sons have benefited so much from their private education.  

Answer 55

We looked into it up we couldn’t justify it. It would be $45, 000/year for 4 kids

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@peonage that's literally many peoples year salary!  

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@tsingyuan exactly! I thought about taking a job as a school nurse to get the discount but the pay cut wasn’t worth it. They’re doing great in public school

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@peonage we had decent public schools near us we would probably be there but we don't. I would homeschool my kids before sending them to the public schools near us. I used to work in these public schools so I know exactly what they're like.  

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That sucks! Ours are the best in the county. We spent a lot time researching the schools before buying. Our last home had Meh schools

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@peonage ours aren't even meh. They're scary.  

Answer 56

Private schools must be a good bit cheaper than in the UK. I pay nearly $15000 per year for my daughter who would be in 6th grade if we lived in the states  

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@coriss1850 depends on the school tbh. My mom teaches at a private school and tuition rates are higher than that for k-8

Answer 57

I have two daughters in a private catholic all girls high school. Tuition is $14, 400 per year for each girl. They aren’t raising tuition this coming year due to Covid. Books are separate, but each student gets a chrome book as part of the tuition. We also pay a registration fee each year to enroll. That was $725 each student for this coming year. It’s expensive, but it’s the best educational choice in our area to prepare our girls for their future. Plus, we’re catholic and I loved having them go to a faith based school. Also the all girls environment is phenomenal at their school. My girls went to public school k-8, because we knew we wanted this private high school for them. It is worth the sacrifices we’re making.  

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@crosslink3 oh high school here is about 15k. This is grade school though. They likely will have to do public high school. Unless we magically get rich. Lol

Answer 58

Does your school offer a discount or some sort of assistance if you log so many hours of volunteer work per month?  

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@twirp McLaughlin nope

Answer 59

Our daycare is $13, 000/yr for 2 kids and they only go 4 days a week.  

Answer 60

Sounds reasonable. Your bills align with mine except tuition is about $1200 a mo for one kid. I make $72k and have few bills like you. Mortgage $1700

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@giddy are you a 1 income household?  

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@tsingyuan yes.  

Answer 61

My daughters school tuition last year was about $5k. Next year it will be about $11k because we're sending her to a different private school. My husband makes $57k a year before taxes and we live off of his income and I work part time and the money I make is for her school tuition only. Mortgage is $950 with no car payments and $400 a month going to debt as our larger expenses

Answer 62

Are there any opening at the private school or preschool they attend so you could work there and maybe get a discount on tuition?  

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@noctule86795 they don't do that unfortunately

Answer 63

Uniforms, fundraisers, school lunches (not a lot but still), registration- check to see if it’s per family or per child.  

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@karolynkaron huh

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It's 4k per child

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@tsingyuan every yeah we have a registration fee but it’s per family not per child. I’m aware tuition is per child.  

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Every year*

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@karolynkaron oh. Yeah we already paid our registration fee. They ask for that the school year before.  

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@tsingyuan ok

Answer 64

My son has been in a private school since k and his is now in 11th grade. Our monthly payment is $1, 000! He is our only child so it is manageable for us, one more year to go!  

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His new school does not require that many school supplies since everything they need is in their iPad so the extra we have at the beginning of the school year is uniforms and an extra $100- $125 a month for his lunches! I am praying that all 800 families at his current school are able to get back!  

Answer 65

We debated it when my kids were starting kinder & 1st. It wasn't worth it. They go to a public magnet school and are doing just fine. No issues whatsoever. And I feel they benefit more from the social diversity.  

Answer 66

Ours is 9400 a year. $750 a month. If your public school has a failing grade, find out how you can get a voucher for tuition (our district that thr school is in, not where we live , is failing and there were lots of vouchers and each grade was full). It can save a bunch! And our school district that we live in is so close to failing as a district (2 schools are already but not the one our kids would go to). We had to take that into consideration. When we move in a couple years, a good district is a must on our list.  

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@overlook894 our district isn't failing but has a d. Otherwise we could do edchoice

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@tsingyuan same! The school my kids would have gone to in our district is a D. The other elementary was an F and the middle school was an F.  

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@overlook894 same

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@tsingyuan you do realize that those grades are giving on how well kids can perform on stupid state assessments & not on how well they actually are educated right?  

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@blamable you don't need to preach to me about it. I used to teach in these public schools before I became a stay-at-home mom a few years ago. I'm not basing it off of the test scores. I'm basing it off of the school environment that I know very well. The only reason I mentioned letter grades was because in our state, if you live near a failing school you can go to a private school for free. It's called Ed choice. So I was explaining that we cannot do Ed choice because the public school near us is not failing. They have a d.  

Answer 67

I will be next year. High school will be 13k a month for my son. We refinanced and are saving $700 a month plus paid off a loan with extra for $450 a month so basically it washes out .  

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@lucianolucias $13, 000 a month?! My boarding school was only $50k a year but that was in the early 2000s. Phew!  

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@radiometer no a year haha

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@lucianolucias thank goodness!  

Answer 68

Would there be any admin jobs or other types of jobs you could do for the school? I know a couple people who have sent their kids to private school and work there while their kids were enrolled. I don’t know the details and if they got a discount or free tuition but I know it was definitely beneficial.  

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@jallier not at the time. Also teachers and staff do not get any discounts if their kids go there.  

Answer 69

$10, 200/yr. $850/mo

Answer 70

Preschool for my two kids in Mississippi is $850 a month (total, 425 each) and that’s considered cheap around here.  (The local private school I’m interested in is 1300 a month for two kids. ) Single mana here and I was paying (when school was in) 850 a month in preschool and 825 a month in rent. My necessity bills (internet, phone, electric, gas, water) totals about 350 a month. So that’s 2, 025 for school and bills. My income and expenses have shifted around due to Covid, but at that time I was making about $2, 800 a month. Low income so my kids have free Medicaid. So we had about 700 a month for everything else. About 450 went to food and household so 300ish to “play” with. Our income sounds very different, but I hope that helps! ❤️

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Ohh, and as having to do with private school, I decided to move in to a really nice neighborhood and pay more for rent but be in the best public school available. The couple hundred extra a month per rent is worth the best rated free public school. It could be an option for you guys to move to a “better” are for more house cost, but switch to public system. If you want help researching schools in your area let me know. It’s become a hobby of mine.  

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@cue87722 oh I lived here my whole life and I know exactly where all those schools are. The problem is housing is almost impossible to find in those few districts. Like these houses sell before they're even put on the market. It's insane.  

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@tsingyuan I get it! That’s how it is here too. I was only able to get in because my kids are in the neighborhood preschool and I knew about a listing before it hit the market.  

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@cue87722 I'm in Mississippi and my daycare is way less its 280 a month.  

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@onyx480 @carpentry8445 daycare costs are different than a private run preschool. I was comparing private preschool tuition because her post is about private school. (Even still, private daycare where I am is not near as cheap as you’re paying unless you’re receiving a government assistance cut on rates, but I’m on the MS coast and I’m sure costs here are more than some northern areas of MS. I just shared my areas costs, not everyone’s. )

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@cue87722 I meant to say preschool im sorry. I habitly call it daycare thanks to my SO. And I'm in northern ms with no government assistance. But I get what you were saying.  

Answer 71

Does the school have a script program. My children's school does and I save over $1000 a year. I also start putting away monthly amount to cover tje expense. There is also a pay in full credit for tuition. This is where I save 5% off the saving after my script is subtracted.  

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@parenthesize no nothing like that

Answer 72

My daughter is going into 5th. It will be close to 9k a year. We apply for a scholarship each year and each year she receives more and more. Last year we were paying less than $90/mo. When she started in kinder, we were paying close to $900/mo. But $90 is the least we’ve ever paid for her tuition. I’m not sure how it will be like next school year but we treat it like another bill. Apply for scholarships, they’re out there! My son is 3 and he will start there in kindergarten too, and I am soo not looking forward to their combined tuition

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@mors862 it's just very frustrating because we have applied to every scholarship we know of and our oldest son did get a scholarship last year. We are very thankful for it but it was only $500 for the year. So it definitely helped this year but we can't seem to get anything for next year. We were even denied financial aid somehow. Yet we were accepted for financial aid 4 years ago when we were making less money.  

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@tsingyuan I predict this year will be tough. My niece is going into high school and their tuition is maybe around 10k and my sister is a single mom on a commission type wage. The school told her to apply to at least 5 types of organizations for scholarships. When my niece and daughter were at the same school, she would only have to apply once and usually get 60% in scholarships so this is going to be very hard for her too. Could you apply for numerous organizations? All those 500 could turn into thousands. Also, you can use your taxes to go towards tuition.  

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@mors862 I'm not sure about the taxes. How does that work?  

Answer 73

Wow my son's daycare is 290 a week. I wish I paid that. Why the more then double Increase

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@mandeville well my daughter is going from preschool to this private school. So we'll have 2 there. They also raised tuition.  

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@tsingyuan still not bad. I pay 1300 for just one kid. But where I live it's really expensive. Avg housing is probably $2k a month for a small place. Plus water, trash and electricity is $300 a month.  

Answer 74

We paid 8k for a year while we made less than 40k. You can make it work mama!  

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@jolo give me tips.  

Answer 75

My kids school is 13, 000 a year. 1, 250 a month. I have two kids.  

Answer 76

I think it all depends on what you value. Some people put a high value on private school. Some put a high value on other things. If you want to know what people value, watch what they are willing to spend money on. If private school is something you value & you are willing to give up other things for that, then I think you can make it work.  

Answer 77

8k for 2 kids is fairly reasonable as far as private schools in my area. The 3 biggest private schools in my area start at 10k and go up to 20k no joke. My kids school is super small and 3200/ year. My gross ( before taxes) this year was 93k last year 83k. Its doable

Answer 78

Next year, $380 a month but if we pay it off before August 2020 then we get a 10% discount

Answer 79

I haven’t read through all the posts but just throwing it out there, find a side hustle you enjoy. I drive an hour to work a full day between Instacart and door dash in our next city over and make $100-200 per 6 hours. I’ve only worked 1 day a week so far but it pays for some little needs we have. I could easily work more days a week but I have things that need me around the house too.  

Answer 80

‍♀️ Private school mom of three here and this year it’s $1135 a month. My “tricks” are this: I have a separate checking account for just tuition. When I get paid, I have an automatic direct deposit go to that checking account for half the tuition. This way, by month end, the entire amount is there. I continue to do this in the summer months when there is no tuition due. I also continue the two months in the year where I get an “extra” paycheck. Doing these things has put me well ahead in that account. Good luck!  

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@brutus Wilson yep I second this. We do all the above

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Our payments are 12 months  wish we had a couple months off. But I agree we have separate account for Tuition. Even have family deposit money if they wish to help with schooling vs gifts for holidays/birthdays

Answer 81

My parents sent me and my two brothers to catholic school from K-12th grade. It was tough but they really wanted us to be in private school vs Public. At least one of us had some sort of scholarship either from the school or some contest. Our schools offered ways to reduce tuition (we worked at the church’s rectory, parents helped with lunches, parents volunteered with bingo nights). I would ask the school what options they have.  

Answer 82

Jordan Sarracco some great resources in here for preparing to pay the increase for NC and BG (with potentially another behind her)

Answer 83

Single mama here. I would LOVE to do private school. In my area, it ranges from 17K-35K not including the extras. I make 65. We likely qualify for aid of some sort, but I'm not sure how helpful it is as they all require a payment from families. I do know all the school in our area offer tuition assistance of some sort though. Private/public daycare/preschool (same place infant thru pre-k) are roughly the same, and I paid $14K/yr at the highest point after a 10% tuition discount for just 1. The tradeoff was that we lived with my parents the entirety of her daycare and preschool days in order to afford it.  

Answer 84

My husband makes 75k. I make 36k or I did until I was laid off due to covid. Tuition for my son’s school this year is 7k. So $700 a month. We have one child. You can see if the school offers a discount if you can send both to the same school or if they offer financial aid or grants. Good luck mama!  

Answer 85

We have 2 kids in private schools- their tuition is $32, 000 EACH. We will have a third going next year and our fourth will start in 6th grade (when they each started) when the oldest is a senior. It’s crazy, but worth it to us and the education is superb.  

Answer 86

Single mom here. I did private school for my son to 4th grade @ $8200 a year. There were no scholarships or aid. But I decided to take that money and put it in his college fund instead. His public high school education has been supplemented with tutors that kept him a year ahead. He starts college in 2021 and it will be paid for.  

Answer 87

My son will be in 1st grade @ a private school. I think tuition is $800 /month. We dont have any scholarships, but we have a program where we buy giftcards to stores and we get a percentage back to our tuition. Ours is called CART (I've heard it called TRIP or SCRIPT). We make a bit more than you, but our mortgage is almost double yours. We make it work because it's important too us. I clearance shop as much as I can, meal plan and stick to my budget.  

Answer 88

I had one of my kids in a Catholic preschool after some issues at his previous one. It’s a diocese school, which is much less expensive than a parochial school. Tuition was on a 10 month schedule. I paid $416/month (which was cheaper than his previous school! ) and moved $104 into a separate account every week. I am a public school teacher, but I knew an 8 child classroom with a very good teacher is what he needed to get ready for kindergarten. I decided to enroll him on the public school with his older brother for kindergarten next year. We are fortunate that our district is also very good. If he didn’t adjust well, I think we could make it work again using the same method of setting aside weekly payments.