How.do you afford private school? Any suggestions?

[Anonymous]

I would love to send my DD to private school and have seen a few I really love, but I'm having a really hard time figuring out how this could be at all feasible financially.

The schools are so expensive, and we wouldn't qualify for a need-based scholarship. We are scraping by but don't have that kind of money to spend year after year, and we have two kids (one is a baby).

I stay at home now with our baby and would like to for at least another year or two. Going back to work would give us a second income, but it would also mean increased childcare costs. My DH works in government and makes a decent but not huge salary, and before staying home, I worked at a non-profit and made very little. I do have an education background (though more admin than teaching), so I guess getting a job at the school and free/reduced tuition could be a goal, but that seems like a long-shot and hard to plan for, especially since my older DD would go there for a few years before I'd start if I stay home with our younger kid.

Any thoughts? How do you make this work if you don't have a lot of extra funds? Is it worth it?

[Anonymous]

OP here. I meant to say that we aren't just scraping by. I mean, we are doing okay but don't have a ton of extra money.

[Anonymous]

I hate being snarky, but honestly if you have to ask you probably can't afford it unless you qualify for aid. It sounds like you don't though.

[Anonymous]

If you want private school enough for your kids, you work in a field that allows you to pay for it.

Very few schools provide tuition remission for staff anymore.

[Anonymous]

You would be expected to work if you are going to apply for aid.

[Anonymous]

Why do you think you are not eligible for aid?
Sufficient aid for the primary years is somewhat harder to get than for high school though.

[Anonymous]

Your husband needs to work for a firm and you need to go back to work and not in non-profit.

You have one mediocre income and are like "I don't know why we can't afford fancy things for rich people." And I'm like "DUH!"

[Anonymous]

Where do you live? In most areas, public options are more than adequate for the early years. Save your money for middle and/or high school. And then there's college!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:You would be expected to work if you are going to apply for aid.

If you dont work they will most likely add 30k to you HHI, might still be enough aid awarded.

[Anonymous]

Housing prices vary with the desirability of local public schools. If you think you'll send your kids to private schools, you can choose an inexpensive neighborhood without worrying about the public schools.

Buy a small house and simple furnishings. It's just a place to eat and sleep so don't feel like it's the measure of your worth.

Don't eat out. We go out once a year, on our anniversary, to the pancake house. The kids enjoy it so we enjoy it.

Drive on vacations, and stay with friends or relatives.

Own a practical car, give it basic maintenance, and keep it until it dies of old age.

If you do these things and still can't afford a private school, the school is likely to help with financial aid.

Is it worth it? Many say no. We say yes. We had opinions about the kind of environment where we wanted our kids to be educated, so it was a priority for us to be able to choose their schools, and we're happy that we did. Every family has to look at its own options and set its own priorities.

[Anonymous]

Unless you have over $100k in 529s for each of your children, you simply can't afford it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Housing prices vary with the desirability of local public schools. If you think you'll send your kids to private schools, you can choose an inexpensive neighborhood without worrying about the public schools.

Buy a small house and simple furnishings. It's just a place to eat and sleep so don't feel like it's the measure of your worth.

Don't eat out. We go out once a year, on our anniversary, to the pancake house. The kids enjoy it so we enjoy it.

Drive on vacations, and stay with friends or relatives.

Own a practical car, give it basic maintenance, and keep it until it dies of old age.

If you do these things and still can't afford a private school, the school is likely to help with financial aid.

Is it worth it? Many say no. We say yes. We had opinions about the kind of environment where we wanted our kids to be educated, so it was a priority for us to be able to choose their schools, and we're happy that we did. Every family has to look at its own options and set its own priorities.

NP here - I agree. Many nice conveniences that money buys are luxuries easy to live without, and totally worth giving up to gain something of real value. Extra easy to give up luxuries is because many great experiences are cost nothing, like free play outdoors, especially in natue, or volunteering.

[Anonymous]

You could get offered aid, but it wouldn't necessarily be enough to make private school affordable for you. Especially with 2 kids, and what do you do when they're in school at the same time?

And don't forget, in addition to school costs, if you're working, you also have to cover summers, so you get no break at all from the payments.

I hate to be a downer to you, because we'd be in your position if it wasn't for grandparents who offered to pay.

[Anonymous]

You need a budget and live within your means. Choosing private in your situation is workable, but you would need to cut out any extras, now and in the future (eating out, impulse buys, extracurricular activities for the kids).

[Anonymous]

I would not encourage you to fall in love with these schools (or their marketing). The vast majority of parents at my school work in finance or corporate law. These schools aren't the only place to get a great education, but for people with more money than they know what to do with they are a luxury good.