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[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]OP - we have 2 kids, HHI appx $285k and equity in our home.  We pay only $2k for mortgage monthly on a $1.6M house because we got a low rate and our house is currently worth a lot in a great neighborhood.  Originally, our first year of private, we had to do full pay because of the house.  However, our 2nd year, we received FA because the first year was calculated with our house as an asset.  Once we clearly defined our budget and it was understood that our house is not cash, they realized that we could not afford the tuition.  One of our kids has learning disabilities so we pay out of pocket monthly for a private tutor to work with him so that's a chunk of cash for us right there.

I don't know that your FA would come through but certainly I would say - 1. Your house is not cash - we made that case stick.  Try that.  Making close to $300k in DMV is not rich.  It's middle class for sure.  I know all these people who suggest otherwise but DMV is SO damn $$.  I did the numbers and the only way we could do full pay is at $400k HHI.  Our kids are in MS which means tuition is more than ES.  At $90k for 2 kids, there is NO Fing way we could do full pay.  2. Remember that just because you didn't receive FA first year does not mean you may not get it 2nd yr.  We killed ourselves and dipped into savings last year for tuition but it just had to be done.  We hoped for FA but weren't sure of it for 2nd year but we had to roll the dice.  I was prepared to go in and give them all my bank account statements to prove there was just no way to do full pay and 3. It's worth it!!!  :)  It really is.  We have a lot of friends with kids in public and it's fine.  It's fine for them because they have like perfect kids LOL Ours are not.  I got a kid with dyslexia and ADHD and no way he gets through public MS in our neighborhood without a LOT of help.  But my other kid is fine but you know, it is SOOOOOO good for her.  I

I would say that it's an analogy like a vacation - you can go to a vacation destination and enjoy it.  It's a matter of how much you want to enjoy your vacation.  Of course having just the time to go away and look at pretty scenery is all fine and can be defined by most as a vacation but really, truly, if you are going to need and want a vacation, make it a nice one.  It's worth it because life is worth it.  It's your kids.  DH and I both went to public and it was fine.  But our kids can do better than fine.  It's not about going to a "better" college, it's about enjoying the 7-8 years in school - wanting and loving to learn.  It's about giving them a school they will take something away from beyond just taking tests every week.  In our school, they have so many opportunities to do creative projects that aren't just based in writing a paper.  They do presentations, learn social skills, the extracurriculars help them become more well rounded.  It's about nurturing them.  Sorry but you do NOT get this from public.  Ultimately, a human being is the sum of their experiences.  Just because it's a kid and not an adult, it doesn't mean they should be shortchanged.  The level of academics is also high where we are but again, we are not there because the kids must go to an Ivy.  We are there not for grades but for education.

I don't know how people afford it.  But you know, everyone here is typically an attorney at Big Law, a lobbyist, work for govt contracting and maybe a second income from military so like 2 incomes at once.  Everything here is expensive.  I don't know how people who don't make $300k+ with 2 kids actually get by!  LOL  Between activities and taking actual holidays for our sanity, and just living and enjoying your life so you don't want to kill yourself meaning ordering out and not cooking all the time and maybe having someone to clean your house too, yeah, life is expensive.  I don't know how we afforded it last year but you do find a way.

I encourage you to not give up if you are interested in private school based on $$ alone.  Now I would say, I wouldn't start my kid off at age 5 preK if I had financial constraints but certainly by 5th/6th grade, it's a good time to consider.  I personally would suggest MS v HS.  [/quote]

Your house is not cash but someone whose HHI is $285K who has a $1.6M house (assuming appreciation is not factored in and that’s what you bought it for) made a decision to spend a lot of money on an asset that will appreciate in value over time instead of preserving liquidity for other things, like private school. I would not give that person FA over someone with a similar income whose house is $1M or less. [/quote]

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