Private School for Middle Class income (middle class in DC terms)?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:What the private schools has simply done is priced themselves so that only the top 5% maybe can afford to pay full freight. The schools then raise money to fund FA programs for lower income students, which is great obviously. These schools face 2 choices. First, they can continue to hike tuition. As tuition goes up, the percentage that can pay full freight gets smaller, the need for FA increases, the fundraising pressure increases on the decreasing percentage that can contribute significantly. These schools end up with only the top 1% at most paying full freight, with a few lower income kids. Or, second, these schools can get control of their expenses and program creep attitudes, and reduce tuition. By doing so, maybe the top 20% can pay full freight, which broadens the full paying applicant pool.

So basically the middle class is priced out of the 25 to 30K + schools.

Yes. The general consensus is that with limited financial aid dollars, schools cannot provide enough financial aid for the middle class (and even the upper middle class) to send their children to the most expensive DC private schools comfortably. By comfortably, I mean, being able to save for retirement, college, etc., while sending your children to these schools. The limited financial aid available will go to the poorest of the FA applicants, which makes sense, but nonetheless leaves an unfortunate situation. This also implies that schools will only have economic diversity if the middle class (including the vast majority of government employees) is willing to make questionable tradeoffs like not saving enough for retirement, and if one assumes that the poorest wouldn't have saved for retirement anyway. Very sad. I hope that schools can find a way to diversify the student body economically.

[Anonymous]

We have 3 kids. Income up and down. No FA. We live tight budgets in most areas, but school is a priority. We switched early on from the 30K schools to a mix of more moderately priced schools - including independent Catholic schools. (We are Catholic). It was hard to leave at first, but honestly, we find these schools are a better fit for our kids. I'm sure folks on this board would dispute the academics, but we found them stronger at the schools the kids are now. The number of non-catholics depends on the school, but I wouldn't let that stop you from applying.

Good luck with your search!

[Anonymous]

9:40 - can I ask which Catholic schools you've found to have really strong academics? We're also Catholic and looking for options since our parish school is not particularly challenging and our DC is getting frustrated by so much down time at school. We similarly can't swing the 30K a year.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:We have 3 kids. Income up and down. No FA. We live tight budgets in most areas, but school is a priority. We switched early on from the 30K schools to a mix of more moderately priced schools - including independent Catholic schools. (We are Catholic). It was hard to leave at first, but honestly, we find these schools are a better fit for our kids. I'm sure folks on this board would dispute the academics, but we found them stronger at the schools the kids are now. The number of non-catholics depends on the school, but I wouldn't let that stop you from applying.

Good luck with your search!

I think you will see more and more people following your path. Seeing it already, some of the Catholic HS last year had decent size waiting list...

[Anonymous]

Our parish school has had consistent waitlisting for the middle school grades. It's so affordable and the public middle school option is not good in our area.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:What the private schools has simply done is priced themselves so that only the top 5% maybe can afford to pay full freight. The schools then raise money to fund FA programs for lower income students, which is great obviously. These schools face 2 choices. First, they can continue to hike tuition. As tuition goes up, the percentage that can pay full freight gets smaller, the need for FA increases, the fundraising pressure increases on the decreasing percentage that can contribute significantly. These schools end up with only the top 1% at most paying full freight, with a few lower income kids. Or, second, these schools can get control of their expenses and program creep attitudes, and reduce tuition. By doing so, maybe the top 20% can pay full freight, which broadens the full paying applicant pool.

So basically the middle class is priced out of the 25 to 30K + schools.

Yes. The general consensus is that with limited financial aid dollars, schools cannot provide enough financial aid for the middle class (and even the upper middle class) to send their children to the most expensive DC private schools comfortably. By comfortably, I mean, being able to save for retirement, college, etc., while sending your children to these schools. The limited financial aid available will go to the poorest of the FA applicants, which makes sense, but nonetheless leaves an unfortunate situation. This also implies that schools will only have economic diversity if the middle class (including the vast majority of government employees) is willing to make questionable tradeoffs like not saving enough for retirement, and if one assumes that the poorest wouldn't have saved for retirement anyway. Very sad. I hope that schools can find a way to diversify the student body economically.

Some at these schools argue that why change when the demand is there and when there is no perceived need to reduce tuition or keep tuition under control. The market is the market! Now, of course, any nonprofit educational institution that compares itself to silly overpriced cars is not an institution that should be respected. Schools must stand for more than what the market bears! Or, maybe, that is the problem we are facing. The market dictates everything, and we all lose any sense of values, including our schools. Personally, I thought one of the benefits of private schools was that they had greater leaway to stand for something.

[Anonymous]

Is it ethical for private schools to keep raising tuition (and eventually pricing out most the middle class families), to provide financial aide to a small number of very poor families?

[Anonymous]

Fees for 2012-2013 Academic year
Boarding Tuition: $50,437
Day Tuition: $38,297

[Anonymous]

Which school 14:34?? We did independent schools for K- 8 and with college staring us in the face opted on a cheaper option for HS ( catholic). We are happy... DD is getting straight As and seems challenged.. Nice kids too. I cant imagine spending 120k++on HS. all the 35k schools were great but not necessarily 20k greater than the option we had w the catholic school. Some of the pricier schools had MUCH smaller graduating classes and that turned DD off. She wanted a big school after yrs of being in small classes.. She didnt see the small school as a true HS experience and I sort of agree. I was not significantly MORE impressed with the 35k+ options and didnt see what I would be paying so much for

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Which school 14:34?? We did independent schools for K- 8 and with college staring us in the face opted on a cheaper option for HS ( catholic). We are happy... DD is getting straight As and seems challenged.. Nice kids too. I cant imagine spending 120k++on HS. all the 35k schools were great but not necessarily 20k greater than the option we had w the catholic school. Some of the pricier schools had MUCH smaller graduating classes and that turned DD off. She wanted a big school after yrs of being in small classes.. She didnt see the small school as a true HS experience and I sort of agree. I was not significantly MORE impressed with the 35k+ options and didnt see what I would be paying so much for

. Madeira.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:What the private schools has simply done is priced themselves so that only the top 5% maybe can afford to pay full freight. The schools then raise money to fund FA programs for lower income students, which is great obviously. These schools face 2 choices. First, they can continue to hike tuition. As tuition goes up, the percentage that can pay full freight gets smaller, the need for FA increases, the fundraising pressure increases on the decreasing percentage that can contribute significantly. These schools end up with only the top 1% at most paying full freight, with a few lower income kids. Or, second, these schools can get control of their expenses and program creep attitudes, and reduce tuition. By doing so, maybe the top 20% can pay full freight, which broadens the full paying applicant pool.

So basically the middle class is priced out of the 25 to 30K + schools.

Yes. The general consensus is that with limited financial aid dollars, schools cannot provide enough financial aid for the middle class (and even the upper middle class) to send their children to the most expensive DC private schools comfortably. By comfortably, I mean, being able to save for retirement, college, etc., while sending your children to these schools. The limited financial aid available will go to the poorest of the FA applicants, which makes sense, but nonetheless leaves an unfortunate situation. This also implies that schools will only have economic diversity if the middle class (including the vast majority of government employees) is willing to make questionable tradeoffs like not saving enough for retirement, and if one assumes that the poorest wouldn't have saved for retirement anyway. Very sad. I hope that schools can find a way to diversify the student body economically.

Who needs to retire ? Sorry, but unless I get Alzheimers, I plan on working at something meaningful my whole life.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Is it ethical for private schools to keep raising tuition (and eventually pricing out most the middle class families), to provide financial aide to a small number of very poor families?

What makes you think that is why they are doing it. There is also teacher salaries, H of S salary, etc...

[Anonymous]

In our proud American system of free enterprise ("pull yourself up by your own bootstraps") what does raising prices have to do with ethics?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:What the private schools has simply done is priced themselves so that only the top 5% maybe can afford to pay full freight. The schools then raise money to fund FA programs for lower income students, which is great obviously. These schools face 2 choices. First, they can continue to hike tuition. As tuition goes up, the percentage that can pay full freight gets smaller, the need for FA increases, the fundraising pressure increases on the decreasing percentage that can contribute significantly. These schools end up with only the top 1% at most paying full freight, with a few lower income kids. Or, second, these schools can get control of their expenses and program creep attitudes, and reduce tuition. By doing so, maybe the top 20% can pay full freight, which broadens the full paying applicant pool.

My DC attends a Big 3 school. Only about 26% of families get any FA, the remaining 74% are paying full and that is at 30K a year. Your numbers are way off.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:What the private schools has simply done is priced themselves so that only the top 5% maybe can afford to pay full freight. The schools then raise money to fund FA programs for lower income students, which is great obviously. These schools face 2 choices. First, they can continue to hike tuition. As tuition goes up, the percentage that can pay full freight gets smaller, the need for FA increases, the fundraising pressure increases on the decreasing percentage that can contribute significantly. These schools end up with only the top 1% at most paying full freight, with a few lower income kids. Or, second, these schools can get control of their expenses and program creep attitudes, and reduce tuition. By doing so, maybe the top 20% can pay full freight, which broadens the full paying applicant pool.

My DC attends a Big 3 school. Only about 26% of families get any FA, the remaining 74% are paying full and that is at 30K a year. Your numbers are way off.

lots of rich people....