²ÝÁñÉçÇø

Opinion

²ÝÁñÉçÇø school vouchers are available in one form or another in thirteen states and the District of Columbia. That being so, I wondered whether schools which accept vouchers are subject to state regulations over and above what they normally would be subject to. The National Conference of State Legislatures has a useful which allows you and me to compare the various programs.

Background

Currently thirteen states and the District of Columbia have enacted laws which provide scholarships for students meeting specific conditions so they can attend private school. These scholarships are generally referred to as vouchers. Do these private school voucher programs give parents' the choices they desire? Do private schools' give up their most cherished feature, namely, their independence? How are these programs working? What results are they achieving?

John Stoessel and others make the case for vouchers.

Most voucher programs have good intentions. They seek to give parents options in a specific set of circumstances. Sometimes the state voucher law is written to give vouchers to students with a learning disability. Other laws are written with low-income families in mind. Interestingly enough there seem to very few conditions which the private schools accepting vouchers have to meet. If the school merely accepts students without being concerned as to the source of their funding, the school apparently does not have to sacrifice any of its

Financial Aid 101

What is financial aid?

• Financial aid is money given by individual private schools to help families pay for a private school education.
• ²ÝÁñÉçÇø schools give families millions of dollars annually to help them afford a private school education.

What is the purpose of financial aid?

• Financial aid is one tool private schools can use to make their school more diverse.
• Yes, many years ago, private schools had a less-than-positive reputation for being elitist.
• However, thankfully, times have changed.

Being able to pay for a private school education is no longer the only admission criterion that matters. If your child has the qualifications that the school is looking for, but you cannot afford to send her, then financial aid is certainly an option that you need to explore.

Read what one of the most prestigious private schools in the United States of America has to say about diversity:

"Andover's broad socio-economic diversity is a hallmark of the Academy as displayed in the inclusive distribution of financial aid grants to low-, middle- and upper-middle-income families."

, like a great many private schools, has a Need-Blind Admissions policy in place. What that means is that the school does not look at your financial circumstances as part of its admissions criteria.

• Ask whether the school to which you are applying has a Need Blind Admissions policy in place.
• Find out more about how it works.

This video offers a video of the

Most private schools offer some form of financial aid to help offset tuition. Here is how these programs work in most schools. There are exceptions, of course, because we are talking about private, independent schools. Each school determines how it will handle its financial aid program. No local, regional or national association dictates how financial aid programs will work.

First of all, you have to ask for financial aid. If you don't ask, the school will not know that you need financial assistance. Secondly, you will have to prove that you really do need financial aid by documenting your income and assets. That is where the Parents' Financial Statement comes in. Then, the last thing to consider is that most schools have a limited pool of funds from which to award financial aid. That means that you must submit your application for financial aid as early as you can in order to be considered for a financial aid award.

Here is how The Hill School, Pottstown, Pennsylvania describes its :

"The Hill School Financial Aid Program offers assistance to families based upon their financial need and the availability of funds. There are no merit-based scholarships at The Hill School. All awards offered are based on the financial/demonstrated need of the family. Accordingly, no student should be deterred from applying to The Hill due to their family not being able to afford the full tuition. Approximately 40 percent of our current student population

How Much Do ²ÝÁñÉçÇø Schools Cost?

The cost of a private school education ranges from virtually nothing at several free schools to well over $125,000 at a couple of exclusive European boarding schools.

• This doesn't include all the extras such as riding or music lessons, school trips, travel to and from the school, local transportation, health insurance, computers, and so on.
• These sundries add up quickly, so don't forget to take them into account.
• Also not included are acceptance deposits, application fees, and admissions testing.

Here are some examples of what the various types of private schools charge.

• Remember that this is merely a sampling.
• Explore every school that interests you thoroughly as part of your school search process.
• Set aside financial concerns for the moment.
• Focus on finding the school that is the best fit for both you and your child.
• Paying for private school tuition is obviously a major concern. Most schools will offer financial aid as well as other options.
• Visit school websites in order to determine the current costs. Find that information under the admissions links.

Day Schools

Day schools are non-residential schools.

• Most of them offer classroom instruction from Monday to Friday.
• Intramural sports and activities are fitted in during the week, with many schools devoting an afternoon to non-classroom activities. Occasionally, there will be events planned for Saturdays, particularly varsity sports.

Many day schools offer a full range of grades

Before You Spend $30k on ²ÝÁñÉçÇø School...

As I have often said on these pages, finding the right private school for your child is a process and a daunting process at that. There are a great many factors to consider. So, before you spend $30,000 or more on a year at a private school for your child, you need to ask five questions and be guided by the answers you receive:

1. Does it get the results you want?
2. Does what the school teaches comply with your requirements?
3. Will your child be happy there?
4. Is the school financially stable?
5. How will you pay for it?

There is a bit more to the process, of course, but asking these five questions will get you started on the extensive due diligence that you must do before you spend approximately $150,000 for four years of private day school or roughly $200,000 for four years of boarding school. Tuition varies from school to school. Some are much less. Some a great deal more. Also, we are only discussing high school and middle school. The primary grades will run you $8,000 - $15,000, depending on the school.

Another point to consider is that private schools in the United States are not subsidized by government funding. So they will charge whatever the market forces and their budgets determine can be charged and needs to be charged. Be aware that most private schools offer generous financial aid programs. Some schools will even pay for