Expert: Michael Wall Date: 12/10/2007 Subject: Elementary Private School Grants
Question Dear Michael,
My name is Sharon Clair and I am the mother of two elementary school children.
We live in Las Vegas, Nevada, they are in 2nd and 5th grades.
They attend Challenger School, which is a private school in Las Vegas.
I have been sending them both to this school since they both began preschool.
Tuition is approximately $10,000 per child per year. I am struggling to pay for tuition and have sacrificed everything to pay tuition. I drive an old car and have no backyard because after my mortage all my money goes to pay tuition.
Are there any goverment programs or any other types of programs or associations that provide grants for private school education?
I thank you in advance for any direction or information that you can provide me.
Very Sincerely,
Sharon Clair
Answer Hello Sharon,
I certainly understand the difficulty that one may face when the choice is to work outside the public system of education. As private schools are a choice (and that is often what one may hear as a reason for the lack of grants and scholarships), you will find that the school itself is generally the place that may offer assistance (financial aid) for the students there. (With 20 campuses, I hope that Challenger has some financial aid.) These might be needs based or merrit based. There are payment plans and loans available, and you can see some outlines at the bottom of this page from NAIS: http://www.nais.org/admission/index.cfm?itemnumber=145880&sn.ItemNumber=142477
While I am not a lawyer, my understanding is that the supreme court found (in 1973) that tuition aid for families in private school would include religious schools, and thus be helping particular religions, which was in violation of the Constitution. (See "Committee for Public Education v. Nyquist")
Small scholarships are available from local organizations like the Lions and the Elks, but I have only seen them for college, not elementary schools. Some local efforts provide money for their areas only (as an example: http://www.csfphiladelphia.org/)
I would also check out tax credits in your state as well as Federally. While I am not sure for what you may qualify, they could help a little bit at least.
Here are a few links to start your search, some better than others. Best of luck.
I saw this posting: Hi! Well, most federal and non-governmental grants for attending elementary schools are intended for low-income families, minority kids or children with disabilities. But it is not unlikely that there are a limited number of grants that could be for attending private schools. Browsing AidPage could help you find the right grant or loan. Besides grants, loans for education are also available, so if you insist that your kids go to the same school, a loan could be the last resort. Also, the school itself might be able to provide some kind of support, or at least apply for those grants, the beneficiaries of which are organizations rather than individuals. So, you may want to check with the school if they have any plans for financial assistance.
