tuition assistance averages at your schools?

1251 Views 21 Replies 8 Participants Last post by RollerCoasterMama, Sep 5, 2010

RollerCoasterMama

Discussion Starter · Aug 24, 2010

A couple of years ago I thought a Waldorf school would be out of the question financially. Now that I'm used to preschool costs...it's not all that much more! (Although might have extra costs of before/after care.) So...master plan might work out by kindergarten or first grade. IF the stars align, etc etc etc.

If that incarnation of the master plan works, I'd be a broke grad student, though I'd do my darnedest to work it out so I had a year or two of tuition in savings before then. And if XH was on board, I might be able to get him to contribute. Might.

I'm just wondering...what do you all know about your local school's tuition assistance program? I'm not asking for your personal financial information...but just if you can share some generalities...percentage of tuition assistance, maybe income cut-offs if you know about them. Things like that.

I would be sooooo happy to be able to do this for DS. I'll sacrifice to make it happen if it's within my grasp. I just can't tell yet if it is in my grasp!!

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WednesdayO

· #2 · Aug 24, 2010

This is an issue I'll be dealing with soon enough. The main reason I went back to school to complete a bachelors degree was so that I could get a higher salary in order to pay my daughter's tuition for grades. Going back gave me student loans I never had with my associate degree. So... I'll have to make enough to make student loan payments as well as grades tuition payments. Of course I'm going to apply for aid, but they will probably ask for my DH's salary although he won't be covering any tuition. Anyway....

I spoke with a parent from the Waldorf school who is a single mother that has a Waldorf-inspired home nursery, and she said they were able to give her half price. She basically got free tuition for one of her children; two for the price of one.

RollerCoasterMama

Discussion Starter · #3 · Aug 24, 2010

Thank you Wednesday! That's is very helpful to hear! Our local schools just won't work out - 40 min commute either for DS or me. But oddly enough, if I get to implement my master plan to go back to school, I might just be able to pull it off! He'd be almost 6 by then. And as a single, broke grad student, hopefully I could qualify for some assistance. But before then, I'd try to stash away a year or two of tuition!!

counterGOPI

· #4 · Aug 24, 2010

For us it's starts with kindergarten and you can only get up to 20% the first year and then after that you can get up to 50%. We are poor as church mice and we didn't get the 20% for our first year, more like 15%. I'm hoping we get the full 50% next year or else we just can't afford it

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counterGOPI

· #5 · Aug 24, 2010

I should probably add that the only way we could afford it this year was with the 1st time home buyers tax credit. That paid for K's tuition for this year with a little left over to fix out floors in the upstairs of our house.

RollerCoasterMama

Discussion Starter · #6 · Aug 24, 2010

Thanks Nicole. It's interesting to hear how it works. It's also interesting to me how perspective changes. 2 years ago I looked at the tuition and totally choked. I put it out of my mind. Now I look at it, and it's only a bit more than pre-school once we throw in all of the little extras that become regular. And now I'm faced with my little man and I'm more willing to make the sacrifices necessary to get him into that environment. Part of it might be my different outlook in general vs. 2 years ago. Different finances (I'm one of those rare people who are significantly better off single than married). And also I see some of the influences coming home from preschool Things that might be counteracted in a different environment. At 3 years old, I think DS is the most imaginative of all of his classmates. He's the only one I know of that plays dress up (at least of the boys). He exhibits a lot more empathy and love of fairy tales than a lot of his little friends. And I really think that's because of what we do at home. 2 years is a long time. But it's a great incentive to succeed at the master plan! Fingers crossed. And 2 years gives me time to save up for a year or two of tuition!!!!

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Melaniee

· #7 · Aug 24, 2010

Every school is different. I would schedule a meeting with the Enrollment director to tour the school, if you've not already, and while there tell her you're interested in knowing more about their program. There may be some basic information on their website. Each school operates differently. As well, each school has different economic groups "feeding" into so while in some areas a person might feel too well off to apply, so just miss out on Waldorf schooling altogether, when in reality many of the parents are so wildly wealthy you are not and could qualify for an amount making all of the difference. If that makes any sense?

RollerCoasterMama

Discussion Starter · #8 · Aug 24, 2010

Quote:

Originally Posted by Melaniee

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Every school is different. I would schedule a meeting with the Enrollment director to tour the school, if you've not already, and while there tell her you're interested in knowing more about their program. There may be some basic information on their website. Each school operates differently. As well, each school has different economic groups "feeding" into so while in some areas a person might feel too well off to apply, so just miss out on Waldorf schooling altogether, when in reality many of the parents are so wildly wealthy you are not and could qualify for an amount making all of the difference. If that makes any sense?

Thanks. Yes, I'm realizing that. I don't believe I can take advantage of the local schools--the distance is too great. But I'm becoming hopeful that in the future, I could do something. And I started thinking about my income. It's just fine and I know larger families that live on what I make (very frugally!), but at the same time, those aren't private school families! So I'm probably on the lower income side even now. Time to plot and plan and see what I can do before it's time for grade-school. The alternative (if the master plan fails/changes) isn't horrible. I live in an area rich with charter schools with a great school just down the road from us.

Thanks again to everyone that commented. I really appreciate it. For families that aren't very well off, or aren't in a position to home-school if that's their desire...education choices are a little trickier. Seeing the practical realities of how to work things out really helps.

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WednesdayO

· #9 · Aug 24, 2010

I've noticed that Waldorf schools mean enough to people that they move quite a distance (even to another state) just to get the education they want for their children. It's not the reason we moved where we are, but the decision about the location of housing within this area did have a bit to do with where our school choices were.

Hollysmom

· #10 · Aug 24, 2010

At our school it also depends on how much money they have in their tuition assistance fund that year and how many families apply for assistance. For example some years there might not be as much assistance available because there might be less money in the pool and more people needing help. I also think that a larger school might have more resources because it might have more people who can afford to pay the full tuition amount.

counterGOPI

· #11 · Aug 24, 2010

Quote:

Originally Posted by WednesdayO

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I've noticed that Waldorf schools mean enough to people that they move quite a distance (even to another state) just to get the education they want for their children. It's not the reason we moved where we are, but the decision about the location of housing within this area did have a bit to do with where our school choices were.

Yep, yep

We moved completely cross-country for ours

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Melaniee

· #12 · Aug 24, 2010

Quote:

Originally Posted by WednesdayO

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I've noticed that Waldorf schools mean enough to people that they move quite a distance (even to another state) just to get the education they want for their children. It's not the reason we moved where we are, but the decision about the location of housing within this area did have a bit to do with where our school choices were.

Anytime Dh would get a job interview offer the first thing we'd do is see how near the nearest Waldorf school was. No Waldorf School, no interview.

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RollerCoasterMama

Discussion Starter · #13 · Aug 24, 2010

Quote:

Originally Posted by Melaniee

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Anytime Dh would get a job interview offer the first thing we'd do is see how near the nearest Waldorf school was. No Waldorf School, no interview.

That's how I intend to shop for grad schools and later teaching positions!!

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royaloakmi

· #14 · Aug 26, 2010

What Melaniee said.

It's not too early to meet with the Enrollment Director at your local school to get the "lay of the land".

Schools' abilities to provide assistance vary tremendously.

RollerCoasterMama

Discussion Starter · #15 · Aug 26, 2010

Quote:

Originally Posted by royaloakmi

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What Melaniee said.

It's not too early to meet with the Enrollment Director at your local school to get the "lay of the land".

Schools' abilities to provide assistance vary tremendously.

Can't do the local schools. They're on the other side of the metro...either DS would have to bus (and I don't think it's available at either school) or I'd have to commute and there's no way I'd get to him by 5:15 (when their aftercare program ends). I did specifically inquire for more information a few days ago though. So...I'll add this to the grad school version of the master plan!

But if it looks like I'm going to be able to go to grad school, I'll be talking with the local schools during the decision making processes!!!

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RollerCoasterMama

Discussion Starter · #16 · Aug 31, 2010

Can I just say...OMG OMG OMG!!

One of the local schools got back to me. The one I really liked better overall but thought was out of the question. They don't bus, but they do have lots of people living in my area and they coordinate car-pooling! And their before-after care is the hours I need (the other local school wasn't). AND...I crunched the numbers, the tuition is under $100 more per YEAR than I already pay for preschool (those little weekly add-ons at preschool make a difference!!!). (Aftercare would add a bit, but not horrific.) This would be for next year---so he'd have a solid 2 years of mixed age kindergarten! And we didn't even talk about tuition reduction! I was more concerned about the transportation.

We shall see what we shall see, but it would be so lovely to be able to do this for him!!! Gonna drag XH out to the enrollment open-house. I know he'd be on board too.

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Melaniee

· #17 · Aug 31, 2010

Yay!

honeybunmom

· #18 · Aug 31, 2010

Quote:

Originally Posted by RollerCoasterMama

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Can I just say...OMG OMG OMG!!

One of the local schools got back to me. The one I really liked better overall but thought was out of the question. They don't bus, but they do have lots of people living in my area and they coordinate car-pooling! And their before-after care is the hours I need (the other local school wasn't). AND...I crunched the numbers, the tuition is under $100 more per YEAR than I already pay for preschool (those little weekly add-ons at preschool make a difference!!!). (Aftercare would add a bit, but not horrific.) This would be for next year---so he'd have a solid 2 years of mixed age kindergarten! And we didn't even talk about tuition reduction! I was more concerned about the transportation.

We shall see what we shall see, but it would be so lovely to be able to do this for him!!! Gonna drag XH out to the enrollment open-house. I know he'd be on board too.

Sounds very promising!! Fingers crossed for you!

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counterGOPI

· #19 · Sep 3, 2010

Quote:

Originally Posted by RollerCoasterMama

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Can I just say...OMG OMG OMG!!

One of the local schools got back to me. The one I really liked better overall but thought was out of the question. They don't bus, but they do have lots of people living in my area and they coordinate car-pooling! And their before-after care is the hours I need (the other local school wasn't). AND...I crunched the numbers, the tuition is under $100 more per YEAR than I already pay for preschool (those little weekly add-ons at preschool make a difference!!!). (Aftercare would add a bit, but not horrific.) This would be for next year---so he'd have a solid 2 years of mixed age kindergarten! And we didn't even talk about tuition reduction! I was more concerned about the transportation.

We shall see what we shall see, but it would be so lovely to be able to do this for him!!! Gonna drag XH out to the enrollment open-house. I know he'd be on board too.

Woooooooooo hoooooooooooooooooooooooo!!!! Updates as you go please

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RollerCoasterMama

Discussion Starter · #20 · Sep 3, 2010

Quote:

Originally Posted by counterGOPI

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Woooooooooo hoooooooooooooooooooooooo!!!! Updates as you go please

Current update: I forgot about schools not being year round like preschool! So it's not as near my budget as I was thinking (~$500 extra a month!!). And it's still a significant distance across town. I'd need to find a very friendly teacher or parent on my side of town willing to car pool in exchange for gas money!

The preschool we go to is across the street from me almost (I rented this house on purpose for the location). And there's a nice public elementary school just next to it. So LOGIC tells me to go with them. Then again, my lease is up next winter and I could move closer to the school and deal with me commuting. (Yuck in the winter!!)

As you can tell, I have no idea where this will land but I'm going to play it out and we'll see what we see!

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