How.do you afford private school? Any suggestions?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP apply to the school's you like and apply for aid. There are one too many FA haters on this board who have nothing better to do but tell you what's not possible. #250KHHItwokidsandreceiving50%FA

I agree with this poster. OP, apply for aid and you will be pleasantly surprised. Our HHI is 250 as well with both spouses working and we receive $15k in aid for 2 kids. Annual tuition is 56k for 2 kids. We could make it work without the aid, but the aid allows us some breathing room. I truly believe everyone with hhi of 350k or less should apply for aid. The schools recognize that these tuitions are ridiculous even for those who make a ton of money.

Such entitlement. You do know you are taking it away from the truly needy, right?

What truly needy? Lol. I seriously doubt your statement is correct. Show me the truly needy family that applied and didn't get any? Chances are the truly needy they admitted is getting 97% FA and this poster is probably getting a much smaller percentage, but a percentage that helps. I think you are bit delusional about who is exactly applying to private school. LOL

+1

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP here. I have no sense that my kids "deserve" financial aid. In fact, I posted my question on here largely with the suspicion that we wouldn't even qualify for most financial aid. If I thought we did and would just use that to pay for the school, I wouldn't have asked the question. My question was primarily for people who potentially fall in middle -- may not qualify for financial aid but don't have a ton of disposable income. To be honest, the thread has been helpful in part because it gives me a sense that perhaps we actually *could* qualify for some aid, although I don't know.

This sense of "rich people things" is truly offensive. I think it's just coming from one PP, but even so, it's obscene. There are no "rich people things" that others have no right to access. There are things that are expensive and things that are less expensive or free, but anyone of any class and background has the right to access any of those things if they are able to find a way to afford them. Sure, it takes money, but if we can find a way to sacrifice other things (as many of the PPs noted doing) in order to come up with the funds to afford something like this, then there's no reason why people who have more money than us should feel it's exclusively their purview.

OK, now I think you're just stupid. It's not about your "right" to access private school! You don't have a right to private school unless you can pay for it. Exactly what other kind of secret do you think there is about this? Can't you do math?

[Anonymous]

Op, but you are not asking how to pay for it. You are asking how to get other richer people to pay for something for you.
That is what FA is at private schools, the people that are paying full freight are essentially overpaying so that you can underpay.
You are not working your tail off, like a PP mentioned her father did selling cans and working nights, you are trying to stay home and not work while having other people pay for a private education for your child. Which is a luxury.
That is why it rubs people the wrong way: you are not asking how you can work nights and weekends, not asking for financial aid for yourself so you can go to school and train for a better career to pay for your child's schooling.
You are asking how you can avoid working and get other people to pay for something you want.
Period.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP apply to the school's you like and apply for aid. There are one too many FA haters on this board who have nothing better to do but tell you what's not possible. #250KHHItwokidsandreceiving50%FA

I agree with this poster. OP, apply for aid and you will be pleasantly surprised. Our HHI is 250 as well with both spouses working and we receive $15k in aid for 2 kids. Annual tuition is 56k for 2 kids. We could make it work without the aid, but the aid allows us some breathing room. I truly believe everyone with hhi of 350k or less should apply for aid. The schools recognize that these tuitions are ridiculous even for those who make a ton of money.

Such entitlement. You do know you are taking it away from the truly needy, right?

What truly needy? Lol. I seriously doubt your statement is correct. Show me the truly needy family that applied and didn't get any? Chances are the truly needy they admitted is getting 97% FA and this poster is probably getting a much smaller percentage, but a percentage that helps. I think you are bit delusional about who is exactly applying to private school. LOL

+1

If the truly needy aren't applying, the schools should be out recruiting. Otherwise, what exactly IS their mission? We "provide good educational options to people who would have gotten a pretty good education anyway"

[Anonymous]

OP's indolence or lack of intellectual firepower have ruined her child's future. It's that simple. HHI $2.5 million and increasing ever year. 2 Kids in private. Why? Bc you can't send your kids to public school and dropping $80k a year is a meaningless amount of money to us. It's not an expense I even think about- like the electricity bill.

[Anonymous]

OP again.

I know it won't change your mind, but fwiw, I think you should know that I chose to be a SAHM because I felt it was the very best thing for my kids and made sacrifices to make it possible (including giving up a career I very much valued). I don't feel I'm wasting my time at home with them, and what drove me to stay at home with them is exactly the same interest in why I'd like to consider private school -- I want what's absolutely best for them. I strongly believe that me working and most of my paycheck into childcare would not be serving them nearly as well as being home with them.

Do I plan to stay at home once they are in school full-time? No, I don't, and then I will have an income that could be put toward their education. But there will be a few years when my youngest is at home with me and the other is in school already. And even if I put my entire income toward their schooling, I probably could not afford the price of two kids in an expensive private school (I know some may be more affordable than others, though).

You are delusional if you think that my DH and I can magically get higher paying jobs. Don't you think a lot of people would get those jobs if they could? It's not like government work is necessarily my DH's "dream come true." If he could get a higher-paying job, he would have it. What government does provide, however, is stability and guaranteed income (i.e. not consulting or contract work).

And you don't know me enough to say I'm not working my butt off. I have a baby at home right now and thus am not working, but prior to this, while SAH, I was working a PT teaching position in the evenings and doing freelance work on weekends and evenings. My capacity to earn a higher salary, however, is just not there. I have a master's degree and great experience, but my field is not one that pays high salaries.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP apply to the school's you like and apply for aid. There are one too many FA haters on this board who have nothing better to do but tell you what's not possible. #250KHHItwokidsandreceiving50%FA

I agree with this poster. OP, apply for aid and you will be pleasantly surprised. Our HHI is 250 as well with both spouses working and we receive $15k in aid for 2 kids. Annual tuition is 56k for 2 kids. We could make it work without the aid, but the aid allows us some breathing room. I truly believe everyone with hhi of 350k or less should apply for aid. The schools recognize that these tuitions are ridiculous even for those who make a ton of money.

Such entitlement. You do know you are taking it away from the truly needy, right?

What truly needy? Lol. I seriously doubt your statement is correct. Show me the truly needy family that applied and didn't get any? Chances are the truly needy they admitted is getting 97% FA and this poster is probably getting a much smaller percentage, but a percentage that helps. I think you are bit delusional about who is exactly applying to private school. LOL

+1

If the truly needy aren't applying, the schools should be out recruiting. Otherwise, what exactly IS their mission? We "provide good educational options to people who would have gotten a pretty good education anyway"

There are several post of people saying that they needed too much aid and the school awarded zero even though DC got in. In most cases FA is a gap pay, maybe in high school you have a super star with a full ride but that's not how the funds are allocated from what I have seen.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP again.

I know it won't change your mind, but fwiw, I think you should know that I chose to be a SAHM because I felt it was the very best thing for my kids and made sacrifices to make it possible (including giving up a career I very much valued). I don't feel I'm wasting my time at home with them, and what drove me to stay at home with them is exactly the same interest in why I'd like to consider private school -- I want what's absolutely best for them. I strongly believe that me working and most of my paycheck into childcare would not be serving them nearly as well as being home with them.

Do I plan to stay at home once they are in school full-time? No, I don't, and then I will have an income that could be put toward their education. But there will be a few years when my youngest is at home with me and the other is in school already. And even if I put my entire income toward their schooling, I probably could not afford the price of two kids in an expensive private school (I know some may be more affordable than others, though).

You are delusional if you think that my DH and I can magically get higher paying jobs. Don't you think a lot of people would get those jobs if they could? It's not like government work is necessarily my DH's "dream come true." If he could get a higher-paying job, he would have it. What government does provide, however, is stability and guaranteed income (i.e. not consulting or contract work).

And you don't know me enough to say I'm not working my butt off. I have a baby at home right now and thus am not working, but prior to this, while SAH, I was working a PT teaching position in the evenings and doing freelance work on weekends and evenings. My capacity to earn a higher salary, however, is just not there. I have a master's degree and great experience, but my field is not one that pays high salaries.

I am very similar to you and we get FA for both our children now (slightly more than 50%). Our youngest starting 4k this fall. Dont give up, the world needs more happy children. Good luck!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP again.

I know it won't change your mind, but fwiw, I think you should know that I chose to be a SAHM because I felt it was the very best thing for my kids and made sacrifices to make it possible (including giving up a career I very much valued). I don't feel I'm wasting my time at home with them, and what drove me to stay at home with them is exactly the same interest in why I'd like to consider private school -- I want what's absolutely best for them. I strongly believe that me working and most of my paycheck into childcare would not be serving them nearly as well as being home with them.

Do I plan to stay at home once they are in school full-time? No, I don't, and then I will have an income that could be put toward their education. But there will be a few years when my youngest is at home with me and the other is in school already. And even if I put my entire income toward their schooling, I probably could not afford the price of two kids in an expensive private school (I know some may be more affordable than others, though).

You are delusional if you think that my DH and I can magically get higher paying jobs. Don't you think a lot of people would get those jobs if they could? It's not like government work is necessarily my DH's "dream come true." If he could get a higher-paying job, he would have it. What government does provide, however, is stability and guaranteed income (i.e. not consulting or contract work).

And you don't know me enough to say I'm not working my butt off. I have a baby at home right now and thus am not working, but prior to this, while SAH, I was working a PT teaching position in the evenings and doing freelance work on weekends and evenings. My capacity to earn a higher salary, however, is just not there. I have a master's degree and great experience, but my field is not one that pays high salaries.

OK, so you can't afford private schools. That is totally normal! The vast majority of us can't despite being well educated and employed and wanting the best for our kids (which may or may not be private school). Join the crowd and get your lottery choices ready and your MoCo pyramid or NW aparment alternative plans in place.

[Anonymous]

The PP on the first page who goes out to dinner once a year to IHOP makes me so sad.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The PP on the first page who goes out to dinner once a year to IHOP makes me so sad.

Really, that specifically? I don't relish living on a tight budget, but giving up dinners out is no biggie. "Dining" is just not a big fun thing for me.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP again.

I know it won't change your mind, but fwiw, I think you should know that I chose to be a SAHM because I felt it was the very best thing for my kids and made sacrifices to make it possible (including giving up a career I very much valued). I don't feel I'm wasting my time at home with them, and what drove me to stay at home with them is exactly the same interest in why I'd like to consider private school -- I want what's absolutely best for them. I strongly believe that me working and most of my paycheck into childcare would not be serving them nearly as well as being home with them.

Do I plan to stay at home once they are in school full-time? No, I don't, and then I will have an income that could be put toward their education. But there will be a few years when my youngest is at home with me and the other is in school already. And even if I put my entire income toward their schooling, I probably could not afford the price of two kids in an expensive private school (I know some may be more affordable than others, though).

You are delusional if you think that my DH and I can magically get higher paying jobs. Don't you think a lot of people would get those jobs if they could? It's not like government work is necessarily my DH's "dream come true." If he could get a higher-paying job, he would have it. What government does provide, however, is stability and guaranteed income (i.e. not consulting or contract work).

And you don't know me enough to say I'm not working my butt off. I have a baby at home right now and thus am not working, but prior to this, while SAH, I was working a PT teaching position in the evenings and doing freelance work on weekends and evenings. My capacity to earn a higher salary, however, is just not there. I have a master's degree and great experience, but my field is not one that pays high salaries.

Op, life is all about choices. You made the choice, and I'm sure it was a good one and the right choice for you to stay home with your children.
HOWEVER, it didn't cost the next guy anything.
That's the difference that you are not seeing.
You stayed home and made it work for your family, between you and your husband and all of your other choices. You decided it was the best thing, and yoga ranges your other choices accordingly with all of your other expenses and opportunity costs.
Awesome.
That is, indeed, a right. Your family, your choices, your decision, your money.
HOWEVER, sending your child to private school is a different animal because you are now asking for a handout.
You are going outside of your immediate and nuclear family responsibilities and asking financial help.
You are asking other people to go to work and make money so you can get a luxury.
Major difference.
No one cares what goes on between you and your husband and your choices, ideas, insights, personalities, whatever.
But to equate that with "well naturally it was best that I stay home so the next step is private school since I want the best" is apples and oranges.
One doesn't cost the next guy for you to get.

[Anonymous]

Yoga ranges-you made

[Anonymous]

Private k-12 schools are not like top universities with large endowments and need-blind admissions. The financial aid comes from other families' donations and volunteer work (like auctions). That's why people feel strongly that real need is there.

[Anonymous]

Hmmm...all these arguments against OP are also arguments against any financial aid at all whether for private school or college.