What is the Value of a Private Education
It is that time of the year again. We need to register the older daughter for the next school year , with a $50 non-refundable fee. In the back of my mind, I always think about the added cost that this bring to us. Tuition this year at the school she attends is around $5,500, but with aid, the total will be a little under $4000.
Still, that come to about $333 a month. You never see that fee on our monthly budget, because I have that amount direct deposited out of my check to a separate money market account. The only thing we pay from that account is the school tuition. That $333 a month would do wonders to getting rid of our debt. The decision to keep sending her there is not easy.
Why do we choose private school? Both parents grew up in Catholic households with an education to match. From the beginning, we felt that our children should go the same route. The plan did sway just a little. Our daughter was born several days after the September 1 deadline for birthdays. This meant that we would of had to have waited a whole year before sending her into kindergarten. She already had 2 years of Pre-K and felt another year would have been a step back for her, so we found a private Christian school that would take her.
We have not regretted this decision. Yes, the school is not Catholic and some of the beliefs are different, but our child is still getting an education founded in Jesus Christ and that is what is important to us. The school has very small class sizes and feels more like a community. Also, my wife is actively involved in the school by volunteering some time. So, we continue to send her there, even with the added cost over a public education.
Filed under: Finance and Investing, Kids
