Will top privates ever put a cap on tuition?

[Anonymous]

No. The top NYC privates (the most expensive in the country) are hitting 45k and there are no shortage of applicants.

[Anonymous]

keep wishing i could find a private with terrific teachers but no frills. we don't need fancy facilities and all kinds of perks. with tuition significantly lower. our school has alot of staff whose purpose i can't figure out....

[Anonymous]

it's a good way to sort out families w/o asking too many questions.

[Anonymous]

Tuition will keep going up, though see the trends -- some schools have significantly higher tuition than others. E.g., Catholic schools are quite a bit lower. Maret has been noted as having a lower tuition than other top schools (by several thousand dollars).

Financial aid will likely become more and more the norm. At top DC private schools, about 25% of kids receive some financial aid. I can see that number continuing to rise (at many private colleges, the % of kids getting FA is around 50%, as a somewhat analogous example of where we could be going).

So, there may be no cap in sight, though I can see FA amounts and percentages going up bit by bit.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:keep wishing i could find a private with terrific teachers but no frills. we don't need fancy facilities and all kinds of perks. with tuition significantly lower. our school has alot of staff whose purpose i can't figure out....

+1!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:keep wishing i could find a private with terrific teachers but no frills. we don't need fancy facilities and all kinds of perks. with tuition significantly lower. our school has alot of staff whose purpose i can't figure out....

+1!

There are some, but they are further out or very small.

[Anonymous]

I think (hope) they cap it at $40k and or raise the threshold for qualifying for aid. I send both my kids to private and will continue to do so until they are in 8th grade. Our zoned public school is decent with good academics, but it's only downfall is that it is HUGE. Class sizes are out of control and one of my kids will most likely get lost in the system. To be honest, other than Sidwell or St. Albans, I don't think the highschools in the DMV are worth $45k plus. We are considering boarding school as they offer superior academics and many of them offer aid to households making more than $250K. I have friends at privates in NYC and yes they are $46k per year, but their kids are getting a stellar education in top notch facilities. I toured st stephens in alexandria and did not feel the price tag provided that much in return. Some of these schools have every right to charge 45 or 50K, but some local privates are just price gouging.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Tuition will keep going up, though see the trends -- some schools have significantly higher tuition than others. E.g., Catholic schools are quite a bit lower. Maret has been noted as having a lower tuition than other top schools (by several thousand dollars).

Financial aid will likely become more and more the norm. At top DC private schools, about 25% of kids receive some financial aid. I can see that number continuing to rise (at many private colleges, the % of kids getting FA is around 50%, as a somewhat analogous example of where we could be going).

So, there may be no cap in sight, though I can see FA amounts and percentages going up bit by bit.

FA drives up the sticker price.

[Anonymous]

Most people on here do not seem to understand that rising tuition is directly tied to giving teachers a commensurate raise and-or cost of living adjustment each year. The tuition is also lower than the true cost per kid which is why annual fundraising is required.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Most people on here do not seem to understand that rising tuition is directly tied to giving teachers a commensurate raise and-or cost of living adjustment each year. The tuition is also lower than the true cost per kid which is why annual fundraising is required.

So the entire staff is getting a 5-10% raise every year? No, they do not.

Now, the costs are actually increasing because of 3 things:

1) Healthcare costs for employees
2) Upkeep of the facilities and technology the school "had" to have to keep up with the other private schools
3) Increased bureaucracy designed to help manage #2

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:No. The top NYC privates (the most expensive in the country) are hitting 45k and there are no shortage of applicants.

top salaries in NYC eclipse top salaries in washington by a lot, and there are far, far more people making that kind of money than there are here.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Tuition will keep going up, though see the trends -- some schools have significantly higher tuition than others. E.g., Catholic schools are quite a bit lower. Maret has been noted as having a lower tuition than other top schools (by several thousand dollars).

Financial aid will likely become more and more the norm. At top DC private schools, about 25% of kids receive some financial aid. I can see that number continuing to rise (at many private colleges, the % of kids getting FA is around 50%, as a somewhat analogous example of where we could be going).

So, there may be no cap in sight, though I can see FA amounts and percentages going up bit by bit.

Catholic schools are a separate category, funded completely differently and also not the same product. See also, Jewish schools

[Anonymous]

There are costs outside of employees of course but employee costs are where the increase comes from primarily. Most schools are not raising tuition 5-10 percent every year although there may be adjustments from time to time. Usually it is going up the same 2 to 3 percent as salaries.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:No. The top NYC privates (the most expensive in the country) are hitting 45k and there are no shortage of applicants.

top salaries in NYC eclipse top salaries in washington by a lot, and there are far, far more people making that kind of money than there are here.

Private school tuition moves in one direction. DC private schools and other markets on both coasts are usually around 10k less than NYC exactly bc of cost of living differences so avg tuition for top tier private schools outside NYC is currently around 35k. These schools are not hurting for applicants either.

The top tier schools in NYC will most likely charge 50k within 2-3 yrs which means the avg tuition for outside NYC will be around 40k. Also, most NYC top tier private schools include everything in their 45k price like lunch and activities fee.

[Anonymous]

No. Plus, teachers all get sent abroad for the summer at sidwell for continuing Ed. Families-you cannot afford to go on vacation, but don't sweat it, our teachers can.