Private School Possible with Household Income <$80K

[Anonymous]

What is the likelihood of receiving financial aid (and enough of it) at DC private high schools to make attending possible?

We are a 2-parent, 1-income family with an elementary age child at home. I know some schools impute a salary for the non-working parent (though I never in my life made as much as some of the annual tuition costs).

Anyone have a story / financial aid award amount to share? Thank you!

[Anonymous]

Apply and see.

[Anonymous]

Is there a hook of some sort? Schools generally don't give 100% without some extenuating circumstance (already in school and death of parent for example). They are going to expect you to pay at least 10-15k with you finding a job to pay that amount. Many will expect 50%.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Is there a hook of some sort? Schools generally don't give 100% without some extenuating circumstance (already in school and death of parent for example). They are going to expect you to pay at least 10-15k with you finding a job to pay that amount. Many will expect 50%.

Diversity would be letting kids in like OP.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Is there a hook of some sort? Schools generally don't give 100% without some extenuating circumstance (already in school and death of parent for example). They are going to expect you to pay at least 10-15k with you finding a job to pay that amount. Many will expect 50%.

Diversity would be letting kids in like OP.

Right but it isn't going to be 100%. At 80k it would be tough to do even 5-10k.

[Anonymous]

OP, there are children from households with that range of income and they do get a lot of FA, but typically they from a single parent household. I think the schools automatically add 30K if one spouse is not working.

It is not heard of to get a very large amount of FA if kid offers something school is looking for like extraordinary academic ability or athletic ability or both

Apply and see. Best of luck to your DC

[Anonymous]

The absolute most my kids' school gives is 75%.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Is there a hook of some sort? Schools generally don't give 100% without some extenuating circumstance (already in school and death of parent for example). They are going to expect you to pay at least 10-15k with you finding a job to pay that amount. Many will expect 50%.

Diversity would be letting kids in like OP.

Right but it isn't going to be 100%. At 80k it would be tough to do even 5-10k.

It should be for lower income.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Is there a hook of some sort? Schools generally don't give 100% without some extenuating circumstance (already in school and death of parent for example). They are going to expect you to pay at least 10-15k with you finding a job to pay that amount. Many will expect 50%.

This. A relatives DH died unexpectedly at the beginning of the school year last year and their children have been attending the school tuition free as he was the breadwinner. Not sure how long this will last however

[Anonymous]

If your other kid is elementary aged, they will expect both parents to work. Having a SAH parent is a luxury that other parents should t have to subsidize (through aid).
They'll add in $50k for salary 2 and then expect you to pay $10-25k. That's how it works.

[Anonymous]

Also just think: how is your kid going to feel when Larlo jets off to an African Safari during Spring break? Lesser than. While I agree private schools are (generally) better for academics and behavior - and certainly prepare a child for a corporate life these Tony schools also give an average kid a major inferiority complex. I would keep researching - there are some really good cheaper private schools that give the bang without the ‘tude. (Religious)

Also poster is correct. We had to look at private for a special need and they only took off 7,000. (I made close to double what you make with stay at home spouse). They want that spouse working.

[Anonymous]

Before I remarried, my salary was there and I only spent $3000 in tuition at a $16,000 school.

[Anonymous]

If kid #2 is elementary aged, you both need to be working--even if you only make $25K. Why should other parents at the school subsidize your choice to not work through their donations?
The schools are very clear about this.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:If kid #2 is elementary aged, you both need to be working--even if you only make $25K. Why should other parents at the school subsidize your choice to not work through their donations?
The schools are very clear about this.

+2 my children attend private. No way I’m going to bust my —- and work full time and then subsidize your child so that your wife can continue to SAH.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:What is the likelihood of receiving financial aid (and enough of it) at DC private high schools to make attending possible?

We are a 2-parent, 1-income family with an elementary age child at home. I know some schools impute a salary for the non-working parent (though I never in my life made as much as some of the annual tuition costs).

Anyone have a story / financial aid award amount to share? Thank you!

This is my income although I am a single parent and have one child. We receive 75% FA, plus FA “discounts” for some of the extras (aftercare so that I can work, the mandatory technology, bus, books, etc).

We are URM, but no other standouts like sports or an amazing talent. What I did when applying was check the 990s of all of the schools where DC had an interest in attending, got a true idea of their average award (not just what’s published on their website) and what their incoming donations/funding looks like. Then DC only applied to the ones that made more sense financially. Applied to 4, admitted to 3 and received FA offers of 50%, 75% and 81%. We chose the 75% because it was DC’s #1 school and they could provide help with the extras which actually made it the bigger award and more manageable (still tight, but everything is paid).

DC was also in private for K-8 somewhere else and we received 50% FA, but that school had much lower financial aid to distribute and was a little less costly than our current school. I’m actually paying less at the bigger more expensive school.

When completing the FA application, there is a space for you to tell the committee anything you’d like them to know and I would explain why in the world both parents aren’t working with two school aged children at home (this will matter, and quite frankly both of you should be), but also how financial aid would positively impact your family because otherwise your child would not be able to attend said school and why it’s important for your child. I was also super active with the previous school as well as the current school (PTO, grade rep, field trip chaperone when I could get the time off work, etc) which can also help.

Finally, you need to also contribute to the annual fund. Not a lot because obviously money is an issue, but 100% parent participation is important, so even if you have to split it in monthly payments, you should be donating at least $100-250 to the annual fund.