This is a sponsored post written and provided by Veritas Academy. Our kids attended Veritas Academy for 3 years and we highly recommend it to our friends. The biggest intimidation factor was the price tag, but I’m so glad we didn’t let that stop us from applying! We learned quickly that there were a lot of ways to save on private education that we had no idea about!!
“I’d love to send my child to a private school, but I just don’t think we could afford it.”
Have you found yourself saying or thinking something like this, as you consider your hopes for your child’s education? Maybe you want your child to be taught from a Christian worldview, in a school community that shares your family’s values and beliefs. Or perhaps you’re hoping to provide your child with an academically excellent program that will equip them for success in college and inspire a love of learning, and you’re just not excited about your public school’s program.
My husband and I were in that position just a few years ago. It was always my husband’s “best-case-scenario” goal that we would send our kids to Christian school, though in his mind he thought it would probably never be financially feasible. The thought of homeschooling was terrifying to me (hats off to my awesome homeschooling friends who are rocking it every day!), and I knew our kids would learn better in a classroom with peers, a structured program, and qualified teachers. We just really wanted to know that our kids were being instructed in a way that honored our family’s values and still provided them a challenging, joyful, and excellent academic experience.
Eventually, after plenty of research, we landed at a local Christian school where our kids have been thriving for four years now. While it has required a financial investment, we’ve been amazed at how well we’ve been able to make it work with some simple, practical steps. Many of our school friends are in the same boat, and that’s why we’re encouraging all of you readers that private school can be attainable for families who want to make it work.
Whatever your reasons for wanting your child to attend private school, here are some solutions that you can explore to help your family reach that goal. This list is an excerpt taken from Veritas Academy’s free ebook, “Affording a Private School in Lancaster County,” which you can download here for even more information.
Practical Solutions to Affording a Private School
From Veritas Academy’s “Affording a Private School in Lancaster County” ebook.
Church scholarships
There are several churches in our community that have funds set aside to help families afford a Christian education. For example, Westminster Presbyterian Church, All Saints Church, and some Mennonite churches have such a pool.
Find out if your church has a Christian school scholarship fund set up. If they don’t, and especially if there are other families in the church who are interested in Christian school, consider asking your leadership team if such a fund could be established. There are people from all generations who are also passionate about education and about Christian schooling who may be interested in contributing to help other families afford it.
Pennsylvania Tax Credit Programs
In Pennsylvania, the Opportunity Scholarship Tax Credit (OSTC) and the Educational Improvement Tax Credit (EITC) programs provide additional scholarship dollars for families interested in private education. Here’s how it works: Businesses donate to the fund pool and get substantial tax breaks in return. The funds are disbursed to schools, who can use them for scholarships for families needing tuition assistance.
The OSTC scholarships are specifically set aside for families that are served by low achieving schools; that is, schools that perform in the bottom 15% of the PSSA testing. The EITC tax credit scholarships are similar to OSTC, but they are available for any income-qualified family, regardless of the school district in which they live.
If your family lives in an area served by a failing school, or if you qualify based on income for EITC (and the income ceiling is higher than you may think, which is good news for middle-income families), there are significant scholarship funds available that allow your child to enroll in private school at a fraction of the published tuition.
Veritas intentionally builds relationships and works with businesses to help them redirect some of their tax burden into this scholarship fund, and we have found great success in building this fund with organizations in our community who favor Christian education and school choice, and want to help families achieve their educational desires.
PA 529 Fund
In 2018, Pennsylvania changed its tax law to allow funds from a 529 plan to be used to pay for K – 12 tuition. Previously, these monies could only be withdrawn for post-secondary education. The great news for families is, especially when you can begin early (ie, before your kids are even old enough to be in school), this money can earn interest tax-free AND you can deduct any contributions to the plan. Talk with a financial advisor for more information on whether this could benefit your family.
Family Help
Some people actually find the solution in family members, especially grandparents. This has been instrumental for many of our families here at Veritas. When grandparents see the value of the education that a child is receiving at Veritas, they become passionate about partnering with the parents to help their children receive this opportunity. The 529 plan we mentioned above is a great way for grandparents and other family members to contribute in a meaningful way to help your children have a top-notch education.
Working at the School
Many private schools will first look in their own pool of parents to fill staffing needs. There are often part-time opportunities available, or even substitute teaching needs to help parents earn some extra income to help cover the expenses of tuition. If there are no positions currently open, serving as a regular volunteer will help school administrators get to know you better so that your name comes up when a suitable position opens.
Carpooling & Childcare Sharing
One benefit of private schools is often a tight-knit community of families. There’s a sense of being “in this together.” So, if you’re concerned about logistics and the costs of driving to and from school, especially if you live a little farther away, know that you’re likely to get connected with other parents who can help with carpooling, or even childcare swapping so you can pursue endeavors that help you earn extra income.
Financial Aid
Finally, last but not certainly not least, you can apply for financial aid. This is often the biggest piece of the puzzle for many families attending private school, and you may be pleasantly surprised by the extent of aid you can receive. Each school has its own process for determining the distribution of aid, which often involves examining each family’s individual circumstances and working with the family to come up with an amount that is feasible.
The bottom line is this: you should never feel hesitant to apply to the school you want fully knowing you’re going to need financial aid. Schools are expecting to offer this aid and have funds at the ready to help families who cannot pay full tuition. At Veritas, 50% of our families receive financial aid. Mission-focused Christian schools especially will work diligently to ensure that families who are a good fit and who want to be there have the opportunity to attend.
For more tips on how to afford a private school, including wise stewardship and budgeting, having a mindset of provision, and greater details about the financial process and philosophy, we invite you to download Veritas Academy’s FREE ebook “Affording a Private School in Lancaster County”.
This article was written by Kylee Bowman at Veritas Academy.
For more information about Classical education and Veritas academy you can visit www.VeritasAcademy.com
