Want to Enroll Child in Catholic School - $$$

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Lets just say I am not impressed with my childs public school education up to this point. She is in 2nd grade and all but one teacher has been awful. I wont go into the reasons.

My real issue is this:

I want to put her in Catholic school. There are a number of reasons. But, everywhere I go it is extremely expensive and not even remotely affordable, even if I cut out any and all extra stuff in my and her mothers lifestyles.

What gives? Why is it so expensive? How can we possibly afford it?

We are desperate!
 
Ask you Pastor about scholarships from your Parish. Ask the principal about the same thing.

Catholic schools are expensive because we no longer have nuns/religious teaching and Catholics don’t put $$ in the collection plate.
 
Are you looking at parish schools or “private” catholic schools (eg those run by a religious order)? Around here, and most places I have seen, parish schools are substantially less expensive. Does your parish have a school? Often times, parishes have financial aid programs for families, especially for parishioners. Our school has a one child tuition rate of around $4500, but when you take into account all of the financial aid given and the multi-child family discounts, the average tuition paid per student is actually around $3300. We have some families who pay very little.
My experience has been that catholic schools in the midwest (family in Iowa and Nebraska) seems to be less expensive than down here in Texas. What rates are you seeing?
Now, high school is another story, it gets real expensive.
 
Can you ask for a scholarship?

I’m sorry it’s so expensive for you. We only pay $70 a month to send 3 kids to our parish school – $40 for the first kid, $20 for the second, $10 for the third and fourth and up are free. Our schools are subsidized by the parish and the diocese so that Catholic education is affordable for everyone. But even so, we could get scholarships for our kids if we couldn’t swing the $70 a month.

I would call the school and your parish and see what kind of financial assistance is available. Your child’s education is too important not to try.
 
I don’t know if it is possible for you, but have you considered homeschooling?
 
Its about $3.8k for one year. I only make about $30k. Her mother and I are not together and so our bills are our own. With rent, utilities, insurance, and so forth, there just isnt a way we can each do another $150 or so per month. Ive ran the numbers and neither of us have it. We are both single and dont have anyone helping out with our individual bills.

I will ask the priest.
 
Sparki777 said:
I’m sorry it’s so expensive for you. We only pay $70 a month to send 3 kids to our parish school – $40 for the first kid, $20 for the second, $10 for the third and fourth and up are free. Our schools are subsidized by the parish and the diocese so that Catholic education is affordable for everyone. But even so, we could get scholarships for our kids if we couldn’t swing the $70 a month.
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Wow are you blessed!

We home schooled because we felt called to do so, but had the local parish schools been that reasonable, it may have been a consideration.
 
Jotobo said:
Its about $3.8k for one year. I only make about $30k. Her mother and I are not together and so our bills are our own. With rent, utilities, insurance, and so forth, there just isnt a way we can each do another $150 or so per month. Ive ran the numbers and neither of us have it. We are both single and dont have anyone helping out with our individual bills.

I will ask the priest.
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Are your parents or your wife’s parents in a position to help out with the tuition? This is another route I would take. I would also inquire about financial aid programs for catholic schools that may be run by your diocese. There are at least 2 funds around here that parents can utillize.
 
There is also may be the option of virtual schools (not without their own significant issues, but fewer issues with teachers). It appears that there are two K+ virtual public schools in MN (they would be free, but they are still public schools and you invite the school into your house). Unfortunately there do not seem to be affordable catholic equivalents yet.
 
Why do nuns and religious not teach at Catholic schools any more?
 
In my diocese Catholic schools charge no tuition provided that the parents are tithing to the parish.
 
JimG said:
In my diocese Catholic schools charge no tuition provided that the parents are tithing to the parish.
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What area is that? Is there a list of affordable Catholic schools?

Blessings,
Tiffany
 
This is an old thread, but I’ll just add that at least in the US, public middle school is almost uniformly terrible. If you only have a little money available but you’d like to do some private school, use it to pay for private school for 6-8 grade. Public middle schools are often huge, impersonal, alienating, and academically mediocre.

Your local conditions may vary, but this is a good rule of thumb.
 
tifischer said:
Why do nuns and religious not teach at Catholic schools any more?
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This is a really old thread…

However, there are at least two reasons. One is that there are fewer religious around. Where schools used to be mostly or completely staffed by religious, today there may be only one sister in the school or even none at all. The second reason is that communities that used to be devoted solely to teaching now have other ministries as well. Instead of serving only children now they may serve adults in various ways.
 
tifischer said:
What area is that? Is there a list of affordable Catholic schools?

Blessings,
Tiffany
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From the diocesan website:
“Because the entire Diocese is committed to Stewardship, parishes make every effort to make a Catholic education, from kindergarten thru high school, available to active parish stewards without charging tuition. As far as we know, the Diocese of Wichita is the only diocese in the United States where every child of active parish stewards can attend Catholic grade and high school without paying tuition.”

catholicdioceseofwichita.org/about-us-schools/we-are-parish-schools

Sorry, I didn’t realize the thread was so old, but thought I would answer your question in any case.
 
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