How can middle class families send their kids to good private school (middle and high)?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:So maybe I shouldn't have used the term "middle class". It's just hard for me to fathom that we can pretty much afford to pay off a brand new Ford Explorer every year on $200,000, so I don't how we could afford year after year of private school for 2 children.

You cannot. It's pretty straightforward. Private, not-Catholic school in DC is probably not for you, it seems.

In your situation, some parents would move to a different school district if they deem their public option(s) unacceptable.

So how are some of these previous posters paying for private school? They say they make $150,000 and $180,000.

[Anonymous]

Start saving now. Get used to your car, you won't be getting a new one for a damn long time. Actually, maybe go down to one car. No cool vacations, no new kitchen. It's a lot of sacrifices, but clearly there are a lot of people making it happen. When I started touring private schools, I was surprised how many families were not rich. I'm a public school kid and had just assumed all private school kids were loaded, but it's not true. Many just come from families who value a private education and are willing to give up a lot to provide that for their children. It can be done.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:So maybe I shouldn't have used the term "middle class". It's just hard for me to fathom that we can pretty much afford to pay off a brand new Ford Explorer every year on $200,000, so I don't how we could afford year after year of private school for 2 children.

You cannot. It's pretty straightforward. Private, not-Catholic school in DC is probably not for you, it seems.

In your situation, some parents would move to a different school district if they deem their public option(s) unacceptable.

So how are some of these previous posters paying for private school? They say they make $150,000 and $180,000.

They scrimp and save and don't go on vacations and drive 15yo cars.

[Anonymous]

It's called sacrificing your material needs towards the needs of your child. Do you really want a new car or do you want to give your child a private education. You can have the car and the education if you have access to a great public school. Yes a great public school is just as good but for us it was unattainable where we lived and we could not afford to move due to work. So we commuted the longest of any family at my DD's big three. We paid full freight. IT WAS WORTH EVERY PENNY. The choice is simple if it is worth it to you. The school is not going to give you a free ride or even a reduced ride unless they desperately want your child. There is a long line of volunteers with loads of cash trying to pay full freight in front of your kid. Take a hard look at what you want for your child and then make peace with your decision.

[Anonymous]

It works like the college FAFSA; you submit a single form (SSS), someone runs the numbers, and they provide the results back to you and the school(s). Granted my experience is a little dated but I distinctly remember submitting the SSS 11 years ago to be told by the NAIS folks (the ones who assess the numbers on the SSS) that the level for receiving financial aid that year was generally about $60K HHI.

The schools of course make their own decision, and I am sure the threshold is higher now. Doubt it's $180K, though.

Against that, it costs nothing to apply for FA the first time, esp if you have special circumstances (lots of kids, ailing parent, varying income, etc etc). Just don't be shocked or upset if you strike out...

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:It is not middle class though pp. $200k is not middle class.

We make that almost that (185). Our occupations are middle-class occupations, they are just compensated more here then in other places to make up for the fact I we pay 3,000 a month (including taxes and insurance) for a 1400 sq foot house in a bad school district. Look at the occupation when determining class status because standard of living varies so much by geography.

I very much consider myself middle-class.

We also can't afford private tuition at the top privates but can swing 20-25 per kid for second tier privates.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Start saving now. Get used to your car, you won't be getting a new one for a damn long time. Actually, maybe go down to one car. No cool vacations, no new kitchen. It's a lot of sacrifices, but clearly there are a lot of people making it happen. When I started touring private schools, I was surprised how many families were not rich. I'm a public school kid and had just assumed all private school kids were loaded, but it's not true. Many just come from families who value a private education and are willing to give up a lot to provide that for their children. It can be done.

+1

[Anonymous]

Most people with your income and multiple children at private schools have a lot of family $$$ help.

[Anonymous]

At our school these families have to a large degree inherited or grand parents money paying part / full tuition.
You might qualify for aid but only if there is hardly any net worth to show for, including small 401k savings.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Uh, isn't a Ford Explorer more than tuition for 1? That is a dumb example.

So you can afford one in private school, but two means you have to make some sacrifices? Come on.

http://www.ford.com/suvs/explorer/


Ford Explorer starts at $31,000


WIS costs $37,000


Sidwell Friends costs $35,000

sidwell is now $37,850!

[Anonymous]

We make a little over 200K and have 2 kids at a small private. We get $6500 in aid each year for the past 3 years. Promotions with more money are likely for us so we will probably not need aid after 2 years and will then start making annual contributions as a way to pay back for the years we received assistance. In this area, I'm sorry 200k certainly feels like middle class because housing is just so expensive. Many families at our school in our income bracket certainly sacrifice a lot to send their kids to the school. Used clothes, old cars, 1-2 vacations max. We are fortunate because our parents contributed a large down payment for our house so our mortgage is quite low. But it is doable. Maybe it's just me, but I have been encountering many more young families these days with only 1 child and no plans for more because they want to stay in the area and can't afford more children. Many kids at our school, at least in the lower school are only children. At 200k, it is definitely doable, but not as comfortable. Everyone's situation is different. We only decided to do private because our incomes are expected to increase in the coming years.

[Anonymous]

Family help plus living in a house and area that most of DCUM wouldn't be caught dead in. Also, kids go to a less-expensive school than those mentioned (not Catholic school).

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:It is not middle class though pp. $200k is not middle class.

PP, 200K is middle class in DC . average mortgage here is $4,000/mos for a house in a borderline crime area ( 800K for the house) . If you have 2-3 kids, there tuition alone would be $120K for three kids ( 40K per kid at STA, Sidwell, GDS)

That being said, OP, as you noticed you won;t get much traction for FA . Not here, and not at most schools.

Choose your options. families with your income are the exact group that is being priced out of DC Privates. They know it, and they'd like to keep families like yours, but they can's afford to owing to both the hit they took in their invested portfolios in 2008 recession and their expenditures on capital improvements ( improvements which their well healed parents expect )

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:It's called sacrificing your material needs towards the needs of your child. Do you really want a new car or do you want to give your child a private education. You can have the car and the education if you have access to a great public school. Yes a great public school is just as good but for us it was unattainable where we lived and we could not afford to move due to work. So we commuted the longest of any family at my DD's big three. We paid full freight. IT WAS WORTH EVERY PENNY. The choice is simple if it is worth it to you. The school is not going to give you a free ride or even a reduced ride unless they desperately want your child. There is a long line of volunteers with loads of cash trying to pay full freight in front of your kid. Take a hard look at what you want for your child and then make peace with your decision.

I am trying to reconcile "could not afford to move" with "could afford to send child to a big three school".

That ~$3,000/month tuition could buy you a pretty damn nice place in Fairfax County all by itself, let alone in addition to whatever you were already paying for your home.

[Anonymous]

We make 250 and have 2 in independent private upper schools and get a little financial aid. Paid 200,000 per kid for high school. What a waste. Don't do it.