Can we afford a SN private school? Could we get a scholarship for our son?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Your salary is likely too high for much financial aid and too low to pay for private. Welcome to the upper middle class.

NOT TRUE! Take a walk to the Private Schools forum. there is a current discussion on this topic and there are folks over there making over $200K getting aid.

OP - please give it a try!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Your salary is likely too high for much financial aid and too low to pay for private. Welcome to the upper middle class.

NOT TRUE! Take a walk to the Private Schools forum. there is a current discussion on this topic and there are folks over there making over $200K getting aid.

OP - please give it a try!

Call McLean, sienna, commonwealth and talk to admissions!! See what they say and then you can go from there. Good luck!!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:As a group the SN schools have less financial aid to offer than other private schools. You could explore it though, but I mention it because there is just less $ to go around.

What's the basis for this statement?

Not pp but financial aid is directly related to endowment. The higher the endowment the more financial aid a school can give. Most private SN schools don't have much of an endowment if any.

Not true. Please base your statements on actual evidence. OP, apply for financial aid and stop listening to people giving you assumptions and not facts.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I think you will get aid. Not sure where you live but McLean might be a good fit and I know they encouraged families to apply. They're one of the larger privates that welcome kids with LD and ADHD so I think their endowment might be larger.

Talk to an admissions official first. McLean accepts students with mild to moderate learning differences. If your son is more than one grade level behind, they may not accept based on the level of support needed.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Your salary is likely too high for much financial aid and too low to pay for private. Welcome to the upper middle class.

NOT TRUE! Take a walk to the Private Schools forum. there is a current discussion on this topic and there are folks over there making over $200K getting aid.

OP - please give it a try!

Call McLean, sienna, commonwealth and talk to admissions!! See what they say and then you can go from there. Good luck!!

I agree! The PPs are right that many of the SN schools haven't been 'round as long as some of the other privates so don't have rich endowments, but it never hurts to ask. I don't know anything about financial aid at our school, Commonwealtlh Academy, but the Director of Admissions, Josh Gwilliam, will be happy to talk to you and will be frank. He'll also direct you to other schools that may be more appropriate for your family. His number is. [phone]. I don't think C/A has any kind of merit aid but could be wrong. Act fast because I did once inquire about F/A and was told "it was all gone" for that year. Also, this is the time of year when offers have gone out and contracts are coming back in. The school doesn't have many openings except in the natural starter classes for middle school and high school.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Your salary is likely too high for much financial aid and too low to pay for private. Welcome to the upper middle class.

NOT TRUE! Take a walk to the Private Schools forum. there is a current discussion on this topic and there are folks over there making over $200K getting aid.

OP - please give it a try!

Call McLean, sienna, commonwealth and talk to admissions!! See what they say and then you can go from there. Good luck!!

I agree! The PPs are right that many of the SN schools haven't been 'round as long as some of the other privates so don't have rich endowments, but it never hurts to ask. I don't know anything about financial aid at our school, Commonwealtlh Academy, but the Director of Admissions, Josh Gwilliam, will be happy to talk to you and will be frank. He'll also direct you to other schools that may be more appropriate for your family. His number is. [phone]. I don't think C/A has any kind of merit aid but could be wrong. Act fast because I did once inquire about F/A and was told "it was all gone" for that year. Also, this is the time of year when offers have gone out and contracts are coming back in. The school doesn't have many openings except in the natural starter classes for middle school and high school.

[Anonymous]

^^ sorry for double post. Haven't had Sunday coffee yet.

[Anonymous]

OP, I think it will really benefit you that presumably the twins will be going to school in a couple of years, allowing your wife to work. So you're really looking at 2-3 years of serious aid and then less after she's back in the work force. Even if she needs to work part-time (likely with a SN kid and twins in elementary), it will be a substantial increase. Ideally she has the kind of skills where one can make a good amount working part-time.

When I really needed max flexibility, I worked as a nanny for a friend whose older kids are SN. It was great because I just took the baby into our family as if she were my 3rd kid. My kids were in school full-time and then when baby and I picked them up, they doted over her for the remaining 1 1/2 hours of the day. It was win-win for everyone. Sure, I was only making around $20K due to the flexibility/working out of my house/having my own kids to drop off and pick up, but it sure made for a flexible schedule.

Anyway, there is absolutely aid there. You might consider home equity line, loan from parents, curtailing college savings, for the next couple of years? I really encourage you not to look at it as years and years of tuition, but a couple years and then your wife will be able to make a serious dent in the tuition.

Good luck!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Your salary is likely too high for much financial aid and too low to pay for private. Welcome to the upper middle class.

dont listen to these people. A variety of factors are involved such as debt, assets, number of children etc. If you don't apply you won't know.

[Anonymous]

OP have you tried asking your IEP team to move him to a center-based program so the school district would pick up the cost to bus him to another school?

Anonymous wrote:We are not happy with our son's school. He is presently attending public school, but struggles and is behind in reading and math. We've had an IEP for 2 years and he hasn't made much progress. He has dyslexia and adhd.

My wife isn't currently employed. She stays home with our 3 year old twins. My income is $130,000. My salary covers our living expenses and we save for retirement and out a small amount away each month for college savings. We live on a very tight budget. Housing, food, and taxes absorb nearly all of the income.

We have looked into private schools and understand many offer scholarships, but they won't disclose how much help they are able to provide. . Is there any chance a private school would offer us a scholarship or is my income too high? It's not financially practical for my wife to be working. Childcare would consume any money she'd be bringing home.

How do people afford private schools?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP have you tried asking your IEP team to move him to a center-based program so the school district would pick up the cost to bus him to another school?

What school system in the area has a center-based program for dyslexia?

[Anonymous]

What school system are you in, OP?

I think the best move for someone in your financial situation is to get the best IEP you can for your public school, make sure it is being followed and progress is being made, and spend your money on outside tutoring. This is one of the few situations where an advocate might be worth your while-someone good who knows what the school can do and can craft a strong IEP.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:What school system are you in, OP?

I think the best move for someone in your financial situation is to get the best IEP you can for your public school, make sure it is being followed and progress is being made, and spend your money on outside tutoring. This is one of the few situations where an advocate might be worth your while-someone good who knows what the school can do and can craft a strong IEP.

Advocate = waste of money in our experience (and we recognize it's just ours)

[Anonymous]

OP - College is a long way off, and you want to be sure your child is able to have that option so maybe forgo college savings right now and focus on paying any expected contribution to a SN school. Also, you might consider that in a couple of years your wife could be working again and depending on her field perhaps doing part-time and starting back sooner to make up the difference.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:What school system are you in, OP?

I think the best move for someone in your financial situation is to get the best IEP you can for your public school, make sure it is being followed and progress is being made, and spend your money on outside tutoring. This is one of the few situations where an advocate might be worth your while-someone good who knows what the school can do and can craft a strong IEP.

Advocate = waste of money in our experience (and we recognize it's just ours)

I kind of agree in general, but here, they have an IEP but it sounds like its not an effective plan-since the child is struggling and falling behind.